Sunan Yugur Autonomous County 肃南裕固族自治县

Setting and landscape

Sunan Yugur Autonomous County covers about 24,000 square kilometres and straddles 15 counties and districts in seven prefectures of Gansu and Qinghai. The county government calls it the largest component of the Qilian Mountains National Nature Reserve (祁连山国家级自然保护区), with 964 glaciers, and the Hei (黑河), Shiyang (石羊河) and Shule (疏勒河) rivers rise here. Its scenery ranges from snow peaks and glaciers through grassland and forest to desert, Gobi, deep gorges and Danxia landforms.

What to see

The Mati Temple (马蹄寺) grottoes lie 65 kilometres south of Zhangye city. First cut in the Northern Liang (北凉) of the Sixteen Kingdoms, more than 1,600 years ago, they form seven groups, among them Shengguo Temple (胜果寺), Jinta Temple (金塔寺) and the Thousand Buddha Caves (千佛洞). There are more than 70 niches; the "Thirty-Three Heavens" (三十三天) grotto stands out. They are a national key protected site.

The Wenshushan Grottoes (文殊山石窟), in Qifeng Tibetan Township (祁丰藏族乡), are also a national key protected site. They belong to the Liangzhou (凉州) model of early cave temples; 131 caves survive, among them eight early central-pillar caves, with about 370 square metres of murals, some from the Western Xia (西夏).

Binggou Danxia (冰沟丹霞), 45 kilometres west of Zhangye city and 41 kilometres east of the county seat, is part of the Zhangye Danxia National Geopark. Between 1,500 and 2,550 metres above sea level, its cliffs, rock walls, pillars and spires spread over 300 square kilometres, and the county names it the type locality of the sandstone "window-lattice" (窗棂状) structure.

Barse Snow Mountain (巴尔斯雪山) rises in Xichahe village (西岔河村) of Dahe township (大河乡), 28 kilometres from the county seat. Six peaks run east to west; the main summit, 5,118 metres high, is a sacred mountain to the Yugur, and glaciers, grassland, forest and a blue alpine lake lie below it.

Food and local products

Yugur households take tea two or three times a day and eat one proper meal, in the evening. The tea is stirred with butter, salt and fresh milk; with milk skin, qula (曲拉, dried curd), roasted flour or jujubes added it becomes breakfast. Mutton and beef come as hand-held meat (手抓肉), braised mutton strips and wind-dried mutton, while the "beizi" (背子), a whole rump boiled on the bone, and roast whole lamb are the finest dishes for guests and festivals. Rice may be sweetened with silverweed root (蕨麻), raisins, jujubes, sugar and butter.

Highlights

• Mati Temple grottoes 马蹄寺石窟: Seven cave groups with more than 70 niches, begun in the Northern Liang; national key protected site.
• Wenshushan Grottoes 文殊山石窟: 131 caves of the early Liangzhou model with about 370 square metres of murals, including Western Xia work.
• Binggou Danxia 冰沟丹霞: Danxia cliffs and pillars over 300 square kilometres in the Zhangye Danxia National Geopark.
• Barse Snow Mountain 巴尔斯雪山: Six-peak range with a 5,118-metre main summit sacred to the Yugur.