Yushu City, Qinghai

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Yushu City is a county-level city in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China. The city seat is Gyêgu (also called Yushu or Jiegu). It covers 13,462 square kilometers and sits about 3,689 meters above sea level. In 2020, about 141,000 people lived in Yushu City.

Batang River runs through the city, and the area is part of the Yangtze River watershed. Most of Yushu Prefecture is nomadic pastureland, but Yushu City is more urban. Historically it was an important trade hub at the crossroads of Ya’an, Xining, and Lhasa. In the late 20th century, nomadic merchants, including Hui traders, settled there. Yushu was severely damaged by a major earthquake in 2010.

The city has an alpine subarctic climate with long, cold, dry winters and short, rainy, mild summers. January averages about -7°C, and July about 13°C. Rainfall is around 482 mm per year, mostly from June to September, and there are roughly 2,500 hours of sunshine annually.

Administratively, Yushu City includes four subdistricts, two towns, and six townships. It is served by China National Highway 214 and Yushu Batang Airport (opened in 2009).

There are several monasteries and temples in and around the city, including Gyegu Monastery on a hill, Thrangu Monastery, and Domkar Monastery, as well as Wencheng Temple, Gyanak Mani Temple, and the King Gesar Museum.

A highlight of local culture is the Yushu Horse Racing Festival, usually held from late July to early August, featuring traditional horsemanship, horseback archery, tug-of-war, and other sports.