Menyuan Hui Autonomous County is also spelled as “Mongyon Hui Autonomous County“.
Menyuan has rich tourism resources and unique folk customs. Magnificent Grand Canyon; appreciate customs of plateau pastures, ethnic embroidery and other multi-ethnic cultures.
Location
It is located in northeast of Qinghai Province, and adjacent to Gansu Province to east and north.
It is 150 kilometers away from Xining, provincial capital, and 250 kilometers away from Haiyan County, capital of Haibei Prefecture. Total area of Menyuan County is 6,896 square kilometers.
Best time to travel
From May to October
July and August are seasons for rape-flower blossoms
Local climate
Plateau continental climate
Most popular sites
Huangcheng Grassland is located on northern slope of Lenglongling in eastern section of Qilian Mountain, with Yongchang and Wuwei counties in north, Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County in east, and Shandan Racecourse in west. It is 95 kilometers long from east to west, 72 kilometers wide from north to south, with a total area of 3,725 square kilometers, and an altitude between 2500 and 4500 meters.
Site of imperial city In northern of Huangchengtan, on grassy beach east of Huangcheng River, there is an ancient city site. This is “site of imperial city”.
Geography and climate
Average elevation of this County is 2866 meters, and the highest elevation is 5254 meters. It borders Tianzhu, Sunan and Shandan counties of Gansu Province in middle of Hexi Corridor to northeast; Datong County and Huzhu County to south, and Qilian County and Haiyan County to west.
Mountain area in Menyuan Hui Autonomous County accounts for 83% and basin area is 17%. It is at eastern end of Qilian Mountains, height difference is huge. Terrain is high in northwest, low in southeast and middle, forming Menyuan Basin with a humid climate and abundant water.
Menyuan County has typical characteristics of long sunshine time, strong solar radiation, and large temperature difference between day and night.
In winter, affected by climate from Siberia, it is relatively cold and dry. In summer, climate is cool and humid due to warm and humid southwest air currents in Bay of Bengal.
It has snowy and windy spring, cool and rainy summer, mild and short autumn, and cold and long winter.
Annual sunshine hours are 2265-2740 hours, daily temperature range is 11.6–17.5℃, and annual average temperature is 0.8℃.
Population and ethnic groups
As of 2013, total population of Menyuan Hui Autonomous County was 155,800, of which 128,100 were farmers and herdsmen; there were 22 ethnic groups including Hui, Han, Tibetan, and Mongolia, among which 97,300 were ethnic minorities, mainly Hui, about 7.07 10,000 people, accounting for 62.4%
Menyuan Festival
Menyuan Rape-Flower Festival: it is held from July 18th to 25th every year, which is the most important festival in Menyuan County.
Brief History
In Qin Dynasty, Menyuan was nomadic area
In perirod of Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms, Menyuan was under jurisdiction of Xiping County.
In Sixteen Kingdoms of Eastern Jin Dynasty, it belonged to five regimes of Qian-liang, Hou-liang, Nan-liang and Bei-liang successively.
During Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was a pastureland of Tuyuhun regime
In Sui and Tang dynasties, it was occupied by Tubo kingdom
In Song Dynasty, Menyuan was alternately ruled by local governments such as Xixia, Hehuang, Tubo kingdom and the Song Dynasty.
In Yuan Dynasty, Menyuan was under jurisdiction of Xining.
In 6th year of Hongwu of Ming Dynasty (AD 1373), Menyuan was arranged to begin to engage in planting production. At end of Ming Dynasty, it was a Mongolian’s pastureland.
In second year of Yongzheng of Qing Dynasty (AD 1724), Datong City (now Menyuan County) was built.
In 9th year of Qianlong (AD 1744), Datongwei was moved to Chengguan Town in Datong.
In 26th year of Qianlong (AD 1761),Menyuan county was set up.
In 18th year of Republic of China (AD 1929), Menyuan County was established
In 1953, ethnic regional autonomy regime – Menyuan Hui Autonomous Region was established.
In 1955, it was renamed Menyuan Hui Autonomous County.
