Wetlands at the foot of the Qilian Mountains in Sunan Yugur autonomous county of Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province. [Photo by Wang Xuefeng/for chinadaily.com.cn]

"Sunan is like a shiny pearl inlaid on the Silk Road. Tourists can find pretty much all land forms on Earth here except for oceans and rainforests," said Jia Weiming, deputy county magistrate of Sunan.

Jia introduced that Sunan, in addition to having glaciers, grasslands and the Gobi Desert, is at the heart of Zhangye UNESCO Global Geopark which has captivated worldwide tourists with its colorful Danxia landform and the Qilian Mountain National Park, which is known for its rugged terrain, high peaks, deep valleys and diverse ecosystems.