Get to know Baqên County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Nagqu
- Chinese name
- 巴青县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 9,810.67 km²
- Population · 2020
- 56,200
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Menmo’s caves and gorge
The main cave entrance resembles an eye. Inside the cave group are ice pillars, ice-covered ground and branching passages, with natural stone steps inside and a pair of upright stone pillars flanking the entrance. Menmo Gorge runs east–west for about nine kilometres, with a river between its karst walls. Before National Highway 317, this corridor was a main route between Baqên and Nagqu (那曲).
Warm water and living traditions
At Menmo’s springs, water emerges through rock fissures into an environment of waterfalls, plateau loaches, mosses and lichens. The local landscape is also associated with stories of Gesar (格萨尔): one cave pillar is traditionally identified as the post where he tethered his horse before a campaign.
Sources for this guide
巴青县青藏地心谷·门莫溶洞文化旅游景区 | 巴青县人民政府 · Baqên County Culture and Tourism Bureau
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-27.
Entry & permits for Tibet (Xizang)
Foreign tourists need Tibet entry approval, commonly called a Tibet Travel Permit, and an organised visit arranged through a specialist travel agency in China. Confirm your approved route before booking transport. Requirements differ for Taiwan residents and for travellers using mainland or Hong Kong/Macao Chinese resident documents; check the document guide before you book.
Check the travel-document requirements →Policy scope verified: 2026-09-06. UK FCDO: China regional travel advice ↗ State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Tibet entry approval ↗ Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism: Medog border permit notice ↗
Explore Baqên County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Baqên County 巴青县
Plan your visit
Getting there
Baqên County is about 215 km in a straight line from central Nagqu. Search for 巴青县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →More in Nagqu
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.