Linxia Attractions

Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (临夏回族自治州) lies in southwestern central Gansu, where the Loess Plateau meets the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the Yellow River cuts through dramatic Danxia mountains. Its tourism resources are unusually diverse: Buddhist grottoes, the Yellow River Three Gorges, dinosaur footprints, world-class mammal fossils, painted pottery, Qijia Culture, alpine forests and the living traditions of Hui, Dongxiang, Bao’an, Salar, Tibetan and Han communities.

Two international heritage brands define Linxia today. Bingling Temple Grottoes form part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an–Tianshan Corridor, while the Linxia UNESCO Global Geopark was designated in 2024. The geopark covers 2,120 square kilometres and contains 79 recognised geological sites, including Danxia landscapes, dinosaur and pterosaur tracks and exceptionally rich late Cenozoic mammal fossils.

Linxia Prefecture administers Linxia City, Linxia County, Yongjing County, Kangle County, Guanghe County, Hezheng County, Dongxiang Autonomous County and Jishishan Bao’an, Dongxiang and Salar Autonomous County. An official prefectural overview currently records 46 A-rated attractions, including one 5A attraction and 12 4A attractions; however, Zhuzigou Scenic Area in Kangle was newly upgraded to 4A in 2026, so the current practical total of 4A attractions has subsequently increased.

Top Tourist Attractions in Linxia

The following ranking is an editorial recommendation based on cultural importance, natural scenery, international recognition and value for first-time visitors rather than an official government ranking.

Bingling Temple, Yellow River Three Gorges and Yongjing

Bingling Temple World Heritage Tourist Area

Bingling Temple World Heritage Tourist Area is Linxia’s only national 5A attraction. The tourism area combines Bingling Lake, Bingling Danxia and Bingling Temple Grottoes, creating an unusual mixture of Buddhist art, reservoir scenery and geological landscapes.

The grottoes were developed over more than 1,600 years. Nearly 200 caves and niches survive along the cliffs, together with hundreds of sculptures and extensive murals. Cave 169 contains an inscription dated to AD 420, one of the earliest dated inscriptions preserved in Chinese Buddhist grotto art. The monumental Tang-period Maitreya Buddha is another defining landmark.

Many travellers approach the grottoes by boat from Liujiaxia Dam, crossing the reservoir and passing the remarkable confluence of the Yellow and Tao rivers.

Yellow River Three Gorges and Bingling Lake

The Yellow River Three Gorges (黄河三峡) tourism region encompasses the Liujiaxia reservoir, Bingling Gorge and surrounding Danxia mountains. The combination of steep red cliffs and blue-green reservoir water creates some of the most distinctive scenery in eastern Gansu.

Nearby Taiji Island (太极岛) is an important wetland and bird habitat, while the Liujiaxia waterfront offers cruises, cycling, fishing and leisure facilities.

Liujiaxia Dinosaur National Geopark

The Liujiaxia Dinosaur National Geopark (刘家峡恐龙国家地质公园) protects an internationally important dinosaur-track site. The Linxia geopark also preserves an exceptional sequence of 24 paired pterosaur footprints, recognised by UNESCO among the geopark’s outstanding geological features.

Liujiaxia International Paragliding Base

Located high above the reservoir, the Liujiaxia International Paragliding Base has developed into a national 4A attraction. Its stable rising air currents and large vertical drop provide spectacular views across Bingling Lake and the Yellow River valley.

Linxia City: Ethnic Culture and Painted Pottery

Bafang Shisanxiang

Bafang Shisanxiang, literally “Eight Squares and Thirteen Lanes,” is the cultural heart of Linxia City. The old neighbourhood developed around mosque communities and commercial lanes and retains a distinctive mixture of Hui brick carving, Han woodcarving and Tibetan decorative painting.

Today it is both a national 4A attraction and a National Tourism and Leisure Block. Traditional courtyards, tea houses, handicrafts, local food and evening illumination make it particularly suitable for walking after sunset.

The district is a living community rather than simply a recreated ancient town, so visitors should dress and behave respectfully around religious buildings.

Linxia Prefecture Museum

Linxia Prefecture Museum (临夏州博物馆), also known for its Painted Pottery Gallery, provides an excellent introduction to the prehistoric cultures of the upper Yellow River. Its collections are particularly strong in Majiayao painted pottery, alongside archaeological and historical material from later periods.

Linxia UNESCO Global Geopark Museum

The Linxia UNESCO Global Geopark Museum explains the prefecture’s geological evolution, fossils, dinosaur tracks and natural environment through digital exhibits, AR installations and interactive displays. It became a national 3A attraction in 2024.

Other city attractions include Red Garden (红园), East Mansion (东公馆), Dongjiao Park, Zheqiaowan, local mosques and traditional handicraft workshops.

Hezheng: Fossils, Hua’er and Mountain Recreation

Hezheng is one of the core sections of Linxia UNESCO Global Geopark and is especially important for palaeontology. Its fossil collections document several major mammal faunas from approximately 27 million to two million years ago.

Hezheng Paleozoological Fossil Museum

The museum holds tens of thousands of fossil specimens representing more than 150 genera and species. Highlights include fossils of giant rhinos, shovel-tusked elephants, three-toed horses, woolly rhinoceroses and the locally named Hezhengia.

The enormous Paraceratherium, among the largest terrestrial mammals ever known, is one of the museum’s most impressive prehistoric animals.

Songmingyan

Songmingyan is a national 4A attraction and national forest park south of Hezheng town. Ancient pines, streams and steep mountain slopes provide a cool summer environment.

It is also one of the traditional centres of Hua’er, the northwestern Chinese folk-song tradition included on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Fataishan and Wanshou Valley

Adjacent Fataishan focuses more strongly on recreation, with winter skiing and seasonal outdoor activities. Wanshou Valley (桦林万兽谷) combines fossil science with dramatic geological landscapes and is another national 4A attraction.

Together with the fossil museum and Songmingyan, these sites form Hezheng’s principal palaeontology and mountain-tourism cluster.

Kangle: Forests, Meadows and Summer Retreats

Kangle County lies beside the Taizishan mountain system and is one of Linxia’s strongest ecological tourism areas. Summer temperatures are noticeably cooler than in many surrounding cities, making the county particularly popular between June and August.

Caochanggou

Caochanggou is a 4A mountain destination at more than 2,300 metres above sea level. Forests, streams, grasslands, flower fields and a growing cluster of rural guesthouses make it suitable for overnight summer stays.

Baihua Forest

Baihua Forest Scenic Area (白桦林景区) contains extensive birch woodland and has developed four-season recreation including summer forest walks and winter snow activities. It was upgraded to national 4A status in 2024.

Zhuzigou

Zhuzigou Scenic Area (竹子沟景区) offers alpine grassland, horse riding and family recreation along the Taizishan tourism corridor. It became a national 4A attraction in 2026.

Lianhuashan

Lianhuashan National Forest Park (莲花山国家森林公园) is both a natural mountain destination and an important traditional Hua’er gathering place. Its summit reaches about 3,578 metres, and some climbing sections are steep.

Other Kangle attractions include Yanzhi Lake, Yaoshui Gorge, Haidian Gorge, Mashan Gorge, Hekou and rural camping areas.

Jishishan: Bao’an Culture and Mountain Gorges

Dunxia Scenic Area

Dunxia Scenic Area lies near Dahejia at the Gansu–Qinghai border. Its deep gorge combines streams, waterfalls, mountains and forest vegetation; in winter, frozen waterfalls turn the valley into an ice landscape.

The surrounding area is also one of the principal settlements of the Bao’an people, one of China’s smaller ethnic groups. Local food, village culture and the famous Bao’an waist-knife forging tradition add an important cultural dimension to a Dunxia visit. The scenic area is national 4A.

Other scenic areas include Huangcaoping, Shihai, Gaixinping, Dahejia and landscapes along the Taizishan Scenic Highway.

Guanghe: Qijia Culture

Qijia Culture Museum

Guanghe is where Qijia Culture received its archaeological name. Dating roughly from 4,300 to 3,500 years ago, Qijia Culture represents an important stage in the transition toward the Bronze Age in northwestern China.

The Qijia Culture Museum is currently China’s only specialist museum devoted exclusively to this archaeological culture. Its displays include pottery, jade, bronze objects and evidence of early agriculture and cultural exchange across northwestern China.

Other attractions include Qijiaping archaeological landscapes, Lazigou Scenic Area, Hualingou, countryside landscapes around Sanjiaji and traditional food and market culture.

Dongxiang: Yellow River and Dongxiang Culture

Dongxiang Autonomous County offers rugged loess landscapes, the Yellow River and distinctive Dongxiang ethnic culture.

Shengshi Binhu Tourism Area (盛世滨湖旅游区) is the county’s principal 4A destination and combines waterfront scenery with leisure facilities. Bulenggou Scenic Area (布楞沟景区) presents village history, Dongxiang culture and the transformation of rural life and is rated 3A.

Other attractions include Shilaquan Grand Canyon, Tangwangchuan, Dongxiang folk villages and viewing areas along the Yellow River.

Linxia County and the Taizishan Scenic Highway

Linxia County is increasingly associated with the Taizishan Scenic Highway, a 286-kilometre tourism corridor linking Kangle, Hezheng, Linxia County and Jishishan. The road connects mountain meadows, forests, ethnic villages, camping areas and numerous A-rated attractions and has become one of the region’s most attractive self-driving experiences.

Major stops include Yunshang Hezhou, Hezhouyuan, Guantangou, Longshoushan, Erziwa Liang, Muyun Camp and Taizishanfeng Visitor Centre. Yunshang Hezhou and Hezhouyuan are national 3A attractions.

Major Tourist Attractions Across Linxia