"Pure Yellow River"-themed tourism activities held in Qinghai

The photo shows the wharf at the Kanbula UNESCO Global Geopark. (By Yu Hao)

To celebrate the 2026 China Tourism Day, a series of "Pure Yellow River"-themed tourism activities officially kicked off at Kanbula UNESCO Global Geopark in Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province on May 19.

Self-driving fleets from the nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River, inheritors of intangible cultural heritages, representatives from tourism and culture companies and tourists gathered in the geopark to experience the area's ecological beauty and rich culture.

Covering a total area of 3,149 square kilometers, Kanbula boasts 176 geological relic sites of great scientific and aesthetic value. The coverage rate of the Maixiu virgin forest reaches 51.36 percent, and rare animals such as snow leopards and minks are often spotted, forming a beautiful picture of harmony between human and nature.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced in April 2025 that Kanbula was officially added to the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, marking the second UNESCO global geopark in Qinghai after Mount Kunlun UNESCO Global Geopark.

The event was filled with a festive atmosphere. A tourism promotional video for the "Pure Yellow River" tourism belt was displayed during the warm-up session, showcasing the magnificent scenery of snow-capped mountains and glaciers, Danxia landform and gorges, grasslands and wetlands, and cultural and historical sites along the Yellow River in Qinghai.

To help tourists better appreciate the beauty of the Yellow River, the event launched boutique travel routes for Qinghai's "Pure Yellow River" tourism belt, which links some of the core tourism spots of the area, including the origin of the Yellow River, Kanbula Danxia landform, Longyang Gorge and Hehuang Valley, providing visitors with a clear "must visit" guide.

Meanwhile, tourism promotion packages for the 2026 China Tourism Day were released at the event, including ticket discounts at major scenic spots across the province, cultural and tourism consumption vouchers, hotel and homestay discounts, and preferential prices for cultural and tourism performances.

At a local fair, a dazzling variety of intangible cultural heritage products and agricultural specialties attracted large crowds of visitors. As the Kanbula UNESCO Global Geopark gains greater recognition, the specialties made with traditional techniques such as yak yogurt have become must-buys for visitors, said a local villager who was also a vendor at the fair. "Many villagers have earned more income by selling them. It has also enabled the flavors of Tibetan villages to reach beyond the mountains." (Edited by Li Xueqing with Xinhua Silk Road, lixueqing@xinhua.org)