Kunlun Mountains in Nyima County, Nagqu

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Chinese Name: 昆仑山脉
English Name: Kunlun Mountains
Location: Stretches along the southern edge of Tarim Basin
Admission Fee: Free
Opening Hours: All Day

About Kunlun Mountains in Nyima County, Nagqu

Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi). In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin. From the Pamirs of Tajikistan, it runs east along the border between Xinjiang and Tibet autonomous regions to the Sino-Tibetan ranges in Qinghai province. It stretches along the southern edge of what is now called the Tarim Basin, the infamous Takla Makan or “sand-buried houses” desert, and the Gobi Desert. A number of important rivers flow from it including the Karakash River and the Yurungkash River which flow through the Khotan Oasis into the Taklamakan Desert.

The exact definition of this range varies. An old source uses Kunlun to mean the mountain belt that runs across the center of China, that is, Kunlun in the narrow sense: Altyn Tagh along with the Qilian and Qin Mountains. A recent source has the Kunlun range forming most of the south side of the Tarim Basin and then continuing east south of the Altyn Tagh. Sima Qian (Shiji, scroll 123) says that Emperor Wu of Han sent men to find the source of the Yellow River and gave the name Kunlun to the mountains at its source. The name seems to have originated as a semi-mythical location in the classical Chinese text Shanhai Jing.

Attraction Transportation: 

The advanced traffic system provides visitors convenient ways to travel. Visitors can take bus or choose self-driving. On account of snow and occasional road accidents, highway closures and concomitant traffic delays are not uncommon.