Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, A Sanctuary of Biodiversity at High Altitude
Yushu County, Qinghai Province
4.7
Introduction
Yushu Tongtian River Three Rivers Nature Reserve is located in the Yangtze River source and is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world's high-altitude regions, as well as a treasure trove of genetic resources for alpine organisms. The alpine ecosystem here is typical and unique, representing the ecological level of the Central Asian Plateau and the world's alpine grasslands. The region contains 9 different vegetation types, divided into 14 orders and 50 communities. The reserve contains 34 key protected plants at the provincial level in Qinghai and 31 orchid species listed in Appendix II of the International Trade Convention. In terms of wildlife, there are 85 mammal species, 237 bird species (including 263 subspecies), and 48 amphibian and reptile species. Among them, 16 animals are listed as first-class national key protected animals, including Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, and snow leopards; 35 animals are listed as second-class national key protected animals, such as ibexes and Tibetan gazelles. Address Yushu County, Qinghai Province
Opening hours 08:00-17:00 (All day long) (January 1-December 31, Monday-Sunday)
Transportation Tourists usually enter the Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve from Maduo County. They can take a bus from Xining to Maduo County, which takes about 10 hours for a distance of over 500 kilometers. There is no bus available from Jiegu town in Yushu to Maduo County, and chartering a car costs around 300 yuan for a journey of about 5 hours.
