Zoige or Dzoige in Tibetan and Ruoergai county in Chinese, is a large area of nomad land in Amdo Ngawa region, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Zoige is located in the easternmost sections of the Tibetan Plateau. This land is primarily a highland basin made up of the Zoige Marshes between the Min Mountains and the eastern extension of Amnye Machen Mountain range.
Monument in Zoige County
The entire Zoige region and the places near Zoige like Machu in Gansu province and Tangkor 62km south of Zoige are marsh land with an altitude of above 3500m high. This high land is perfect for Tibetan nomads to herd yaks and sheep, but due to the wolves attack sheep, more and more nomads start herding only yaks without sheep. The marshland in this area is one of the hotspots for biodiversity and harboring many endemic and endangered species.
Tibetan nomads in Zoige Grassland
The Ruoergai county is a one street town built along the road G213. There are few nice almost to 3 star level hotels built in this town in the recent years.
Tangkor and Nine Bends of Yellow River
Tangkor is a small nomadic township located at the bank of Yellow River in the south of Zoige which is famous for its Nine Bends of Yellow River. Tangkor is also large nomad region with thousands of nomad live in a traditional way of life. During the summer time., most of the nomads live in yak hair tent, seasonally migrating from one place to another every year. Winter time is too cold to live in tent and they stay in winter settlement until next spring. Tangkor town is also growing rapidly because of a large number of tourists are flowing into the area to visit the beautiful bends of yellow from beginning of May to end of October every year.
Nine bends of Yellow River in Ruoergai, Sichuan Province.
The bends of Yellow River is located at just 3 km west of Tangkor town. The bends formed by the junctions of two rivers. Yellow river and Pel river . Pel River dropping into the First Bend of the Yellow River, forming an “S”-shape. At the end the yellow river flows back into Qinghai province.
Zoige is beautiful place during the month of July, August and September when the flowers are blooming on the grassland. The area became a sea of flowers. It is also a good time to visit Tibetan nomad family or camping on the grassland in Ruoergai.
Bends of Yellow River in Ruoergai, Sichuan Province.
If you travel from Xining to Chengdu or Labrang to Jiuzhaigou park or Langmusi or even to Aba county, you will go through Zoige.
