Yumen City Attractions

Yumen (玉门市), a county-level city administered by Jiuquan in western Gansu, offers a very different travel experience from Dunhuang or Jiayuguan. Its tourism is shaped less by monumental ancient architecture and more by China’s petroleum-industry history, the Iron Man spirit, vast Gobi landscapes, Danxia formations, petrified forests, Qilian Mountain scenery and early Bronze Age archaeology.

Yumen is widely known as the cradle of China’s modern petroleum industry and the hometown of Wang Jinxi, the legendary “Iron Man.” At the same time, the municipality contains the extraordinary Eron Magic Mountain National Geopark, Chijinxia’s reservoir and canyon landscapes, the Huoshaogou archaeological tradition, Changma’s mountain valleys and the golden poplar forests around Qingshan.

According to Gansu’s provincial A-rated attraction register, Yumen’s established tourism network includes the 4A-rated Yumen Oilfield Red Tourism Scenic Area, Chijinxia Scenic Area and Yuze Lake Ecological Tourism Scenic Area, together with several 3A rural and cultural destinations such as Tianjing Changma, Huoshaogou Primitive Tribe, Iron Man’s Hometown, Guoxiang Huayuan and Red Pastoral.

Top Tourist Attractions in Yumen

The following ranking is an editorial recommendation based on historical importance, landscape quality, uniqueness and suitability for first-time visitors rather than an official government ranking.

Yumen Oilfield and Industrial Heritage

Yumen Oilfield Red Tourism Scenic Area

Yumen Oilfield Red Tourism Scenic Area is the most distinctive cultural attraction in Yumen. Located in the old oil city, it is a national 4A attraction, National Industrial Tourism Demonstration Base and National Red Tourism Classic Scenic Area. In 2024 it was also selected as one of China’s “Industrial Tourism Innovation Stars.”

Commercial oil development here dates to the 1930s, and on August 11, 1939, the first major oil well produced an industrial flow of petroleum. Yumen subsequently became one of the foundations of China’s modern petroleum industry.

The wider tourism district preserves an unusually complete industrial landscape: Laojun Temple (老君庙), Well No.1 (老一井), early petroleum workers’ cave dwellings, Oil City Park, drilling and repair sites, refinery and power-plant heritage, Wang Jinxi memorial sites and the 693 Civil Air Defense Education Base.

Unlike an ordinary museum, much of the attraction is a genuine industrial landscape spread across the old city, so private transport is useful.

Iron Man Wang Jinxi Memorial Hall

Iron Man Wang Jinxi Memorial Hall tells the story of Wang Jinxi, who began his petroleum career in Yumen before becoming nationally famous during the development of the Daqing Oilfield.

The museum works especially well when combined with Well No.1, Laojun Temple and surviving industrial structures. Together they explain why Yumen is regarded as the “cradle” of China’s petroleum industry.

“Yumen Light” Industrial Experience Hall

“Yumen Light” Industrial Experience Hall (玉门之光工业体验馆) uses digital, interactive and immersive displays to explain petroleum, nuclear industries and Yumen’s transition toward renewable energy. It is designed as an industrial education centre and serves as a modern introduction to Yumen’s transformation from an oil city into a broader energy city.

Eron Magic Mountain National Geopark

Eron Magic Mountain National Geopark is Yumen’s strongest natural attraction and one of the most unusual geological landscapes in western Gansu.

The geopark covers more than 500 square kilometres and contains Danxia formations, volcanic craters, wave-like rock structures, petrified wood, fossil beds and Hongliuxia Gorge. The official English name published by the Gansu cultural-tourism authority is Eron Magic Mountain National Geopark.

The site is particularly remarkable for its concentration of exposed petrified trees and Mesozoic fossils. Reports from Gansu cultural authorities describe 119 exposed petrified trunks and more than 40 types of fossil organisms.

In May 2026, Xinhua again documented the park’s colourful Danxia landscapes against the snow-covered Qilian Mountains, confirming its growing importance as a scenic destination.

Magic Mountain remains considerably wilder than Zhangye Danxia or Dunhuang’s major attractions. Roads, signs and visitor services are comparatively limited, so a suitable vehicle and experienced local driver are recommended. Weather and access conditions should be checked before departure.

Chijinxia Scenic Area

Chijinxia Scenic Area is one of Yumen’s three established national 4A attractions. It developed around the Chijinxia reservoir and combines water, canyon walls, Gobi scenery and recreational activities. Its greener environment creates a strong contrast with the surrounding desert landscape.

The area has long been associated with rafting and outdoor tourism and has hosted the Chijinxia Rafting Cultural Tourism Festival. It is particularly attractive in summer, when the reservoir and canyon offer a cooler alternative to exposed Gobi sightseeing.

Chijinxia can conveniently be combined with Iron Man’s Hometown in Chijin Town and, with appropriate transport, Magic Mountain.

Yuze Lake and New Yumen City

Yuze Lake Ecological Tourism Scenic Area

Yuze Lake Ecological Tourism Scenic Area is the principal leisure attraction in Yumen’s modern urban centre and is officially listed as a national 4A attraction.

The landscaped lake, wetlands, walking paths and recreational areas provide a softer introduction to Yumen after long drives through the Gobi. Recent development has incorporated archaeological and cultural elements inspired by Huoshaogou painted pottery, making the park increasingly relevant for families and educational travel.

Yumen Museum

Yumen Museum is the best starting point for understanding the area before exploring Huoshaogou or the industrial heritage sites. Its collections include pottery, bronze objects, stone implements, painted bricks and other archaeological materials, with particular emphasis on Huoshaogou culture and the archaeological traditions of western Gansu.

It is especially worthwhile for travellers interested in the prehistoric development of the Hexi Corridor.

Huoshaogou and Prehistoric Culture

Huoshaogou Primitive Tribe Scenic Area

Huoshaogou Primitive Tribe Scenic Area is a national 3A attraction in Qingquan Township and one of Yumen’s most important educational tourism sites.

The attraction is based on the archaeological culture discovered at Huoshaogou and includes exhibition spaces, pottery workshops and reconstructed scenes of prehistoric life. Hands-on activities such as pottery making and painted-pottery decoration make the site particularly suitable for families and student groups.

The surrounding archaeological landscape demonstrates that the western Hexi Corridor supported sophisticated agricultural, pastoral and craft communities thousands of years before the historic Silk Road.

Tianjing Changma and the Qilian Foothills

Tianjing Changma Scenic Area is a national 3A destination centred on Changma Town south of the Gobi corridor. Rather than a single enclosed attraction, it functions as a broader mountain and rural tourism area.

Its landscapes include the Shule River Gorge, mountain reservoirs, natural bridges, springs, alpine grasslands and Changma Grottoes. The contrast between snow mountains, river valleys and open western skies makes Changma particularly attractive for self-driving and photography.

Changma Grottoes

Changma Grottoes (昌马石窟) are an important but less-visited Buddhist heritage site. The grottoes were designated among China’s national key cultural relic protection units in 2019 and form an important part of the wider Buddhist cultural landscape between Dunhuang and the Hexi Corridor.

Because heritage conservation and access arrangements can change, visits should be confirmed locally rather than assuming all caves are permanently open.

Qingshan Populus Forest and Desert Ecology

Qingshan Populus Euphratica Desert Park around Huanghua Farm is particularly attractive in autumn. Populus euphratica trees and red willow grow against desert and Gobi backgrounds, producing golden landscapes during October.

The area also reflects Yumen’s agricultural reclamation and ecological-restoration history. Local tourism promotion combines the poplar forest with reservoir scenery, reclamation culture and historic Great Wall beacon remains.

For photography, the period when the leaves turn yellow varies each year, so current foliage conditions should be checked before making a special trip.

Rural Tourism Around Yumen

Yumen has developed several small 3A attractions around villages and agricultural communities. They are better suited to road trips, educational tourism and family recreation than to travellers seeking monumental sights.

Iron Man’s Hometown Scenic Area in Chijin celebrates Wang Jinxi’s early life. Guoxiang Huayuan Scenic Area in Zehu Village combines orchards, flower gardens and fruit-picking experiences, while Red Pastoral Scenic Area in Hongqi Village presents model-worker history, collective farming memories and rural landscapes. All three are included in the provincial 3A attraction register.

Major Tourist Attractions Across Yumen

The following table covers Yumen’s principal A-rated attractions, cultural institutions and major natural or heritage destinations. Smaller seasonal rural attractions are not all included.

Yumen’s official tourism-development strategy has long focused on three major destination themes—Qilian and Magic Mountain landscapes, Iron Man and petroleum heritage, and Tianjing Changma—supported by rural tourism and study-tour products.