| Mangnai | |
| Other Name: | Mang'ai |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Settlement Type: | County-level city |
| Coordinates: | 38.25°N 90.857°W |
| Pushpin Map: | China Qinghai |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | China |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Qinghai |
| Subdivision Type2: | Autonomous prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Haixi |
| Seat: | Huatugou |
| Area Total Km2: | 49900 |
| Population Total: | 18856 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Elevation M: | 3000 |
| Timezone: | China Standard |
| Utc Offset: | +8 |
| C: | 茫崖市 |
| P: | Mángyá Shì[2] |
| Wylie: | mang ne grong khyer |
| Zwpy: | Mangnê Chongkyêr |
| Monr: | Mangnai hot |
Mangnai, also known as Mang'ai, is a county-level city in the northwest of Qinghai Province, China, bordering Xinjiang to the north and west. It is under the administration of Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is one of the most remote cities in China, the closest other city, Ruoqiang, is located 350km (220miles) away.[3] In 2020 it had a population of 18856.[4] The name Mangnai is based on the Mongolian word for 'forehead'.[5]
It was formed in 2018 when the Mangnai and Lenghu administrative zones merged to establish the county-level city of Mangnai.
Mangnai had a large asbestos mine, it was the largest in China, it also holds around half of China's serpentine reserves.[6] [7] [8] It also produces oil, natural gas, celestite, and sodium sulfate.
Mangnai is divided into 3 towns. The administrative center is the Huatugou Town.
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Tibetan | Wylie | Mongolian (traditional script) | Mongolian (Cyrillic) | Administrative division code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towns | |||||||
| Huatugou Town | Chinese: 花土沟镇 | Mongolian: Энгэрт балгас | 632803100 | ||||
| Mangnai Town | Chinese: 茫崖镇 | Mongolian: Магнай балгас | 632803101 | ||||
| Lenghu Town | Chinese: 冷湖镇 | Mongolian: Хүйтэн нуур балгас | 632803102 | ||||
17 different ethnic groups live in the city, including the Han Chinese, Mongols, Tibetans, the Hui, Salars, Monguors, Manchus, Dongxiangs, and Uighurs.
The main touristic sites in Mangnai are:
In 2019, a camp meant to simulate conditions on the planet Mars opened in the town of Lenghu, which is primarily geared towards tourists.[9]
Mangnai is located strategically on one of the main transport corridors between Gansu and Xinjiang. The Haixi Huatugou Airport serves Mangnai and the city is served by the Golmud–Korla railway and is located along China National Highway 315.