Many people who have been to Northwest China's Qinghai Province regard the place as nothing more than a doorway and a passage, either to run to Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region to "kill films" or to hurry to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to enjoy the Uygur songs and dances, hardly realizing that Qinghai boasts not only majestic natural beauty, but also special ethnic flavors.

The province's eastern and middle parts are located at the transitional zone of China's highest and second highest land, namely, the Qinghai-Tibet and Loess plateaus. The landforms and topographies are rich and varied, with most places situated at heights above 2,000 meters, but below 4,000 meters. With Qinghai having less altitude reaction as well as less heat than Tibet, it is much easier to visit.

The Qaidam Basin and its surrounding areas boast even more varied topographies, with the Gobi Desert and other deserts, naked hills, canyons carved by glaciers, and Yadan topography sculpted by wind and rain, as well as bluish green lakes, perilous peaks densely spotted by ancient cypresses, snow-capped mountains in all seasons, colorful valleys formed in the Cretaceous period, and the snow-like salt lake. In the area that nurtured the Huanghe, Yangtze, and Lancang rivers, there are many tall mountains higher than 4,500 meters. The river valley zones between the mountains are the large-scale grasslands.

The time between June and October is the most glamorous season for Qinghai. Late June is the time when golden rape plants are in full blossom; late August is rather delightful when all the trees are touched with gold; and by October, the forests are even more colorful with all the red leaves covered by frost.


Menyuan - China's largest canyon rape flower sea

Between the Qilian and Daban mountains in Menyuan County of Qinghai's Haibei Prefecture, there is a river named Datong, which partially forms a plain in the plateau canyon. In early July, golden rape flowers are in full bloom from the Qingshizui to the Xianmi gorges. The rape land in Qingshizui is flat and open, running southward directly to the foot of Qilian Mountain. Except for a few houses and the snow-capped Qilian Mountain, thousands of hectares of rape land reveal the same color, like a great piece of nugget.

It's quite another scene from the Menyuan County seat to the Xianmi Gorge. The river narrows in the area and hills abound. The area is planted with alternating strips of highland barley and rape, which seesaws and turns with the ups and downs of the land. When viewed from the top of a hill, the region looks like a tiger's skin.

From the beginning of July to the 20th of July, when the rape flowers blossom, the annual Rape Flower Festival will be held in Menyuan.

Lijiaxia Reservoir - Danxia landform rarely seen in the West

The Lijiaxia Reservoir is located in Jianzha County of Huangnan Prefecture. On the south bank of the reservoir are the combined landscapes of danxia (a kind of karst landform), red and yellow earth peaks. There is a nearby Tibetan village called Kabula, and thus the marvelous region is called Kanbula Danxia Geopark. Near the dam of the reservoir is a spiral road leading to the top of the mountain, where one can get a whole view of the reservoir and the surrounding mountains.


Opposite the reservoir is the Laji Ridge with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters; snow on the peak barely melts, even in summer. On the shady side of the mountain grows firs, pines, and birches, all of which run through Tibetan villages. A bypath runs through the villages to the danxia landform region.

Standing in the sightseeing pavilion on the top of the hill, one can get a complete and detailed view of most of the danxia peaks in the region. Running down the spiral road, one can find a vacation camp hidden in the valley.

On the reservoir there are large-scale pleasure boats and yachts, on which one can see the cluster of danxia peaks, ferocious cliffs, and earth forests that seem to have been carved by knives. With the reflection in the water, the voyage is even more attractive.

The origin of China's three great rivers

Three major rivers in China, the Huanghe, Yangtze, and Lancang Rivers, all originate from Qinghai Province.

The Huanghe River rises from Maduo County of the Guoluo Prefecture, where there are abundant tiny rivers. However, due to the gentle landform and abundant valleys, there are innumerable lakes in the region as well. The bigger ones include Eling, Zhaling, and Xingxiu lakes, while the smaller ones are virtually countless, hence the saying among the Tibetans that "there are as many lakes as the stars in the sky."

The Yangtze River originates from Geladandong Peak in the Haixi Prefecture, and is called Tongtian River when it runs through Zhiduo and Qumalai counties. During this section of the Tongtian River, the watercourse of the Yangtze River is wide, yet the water is fierce between the ferocious hills on the two sides.

The Lancang River originates from Zaduo County of the Yushu Prefecture, and the headwater of the river lies between the originating places of the Huanghe and Yangtze rivers. Deep gorges and wide valleys alternate with each other. On top of the hills are usually barren white interlocking rocks like wolf's fangs. In Chinese landscape painters' words, the place is endowed with both "bones and flesh."

The road condition here is usually very rough, and the landform is very complex. A local guide is necessary to go to the area.

Pastures - the golden line of landscapes and customs

There are six major pasture areas in Qinghai Province. The best season to go the region is from late June to the beginning of August. After October, the pasturing areas become a gold color, giving another flavor different from that in summer. They are listed as follows in the spatial order from north to south.

Qilian Mountain Valley

The valley pasture is mainly along the upper reaches of the Hei and Datong rivers, stretching westward from the rape land in Menyuan County, crossing the Jingyang Range, and to the east of the foot of Niuxin Mountain in Qilian County. With the snow-capped Qilian Mountain as a screen, the landform of the place is rather level, with an average altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 meters. Very few people have altitude reaction here, and most of the herdsmen in the area are Tibetan.

Tianjun Pastoral Area

The area is centered around the drainage area of the Buha River, on the south of Qilian County and to the northwest of Qinghai Lake. The heart of the Tianjun Pastoral Area is Kuai'erma Village, about 15 kilometers from Tianjun County. Tianjun Mountain forms a protective screen for the pasture, while the part of the Buha River that flows to the Qinghai River penetrates through it. The blooming forage grass, the luxuriant wild flowers, and the lush woods along the river all make the place a fine summer pasture. The altitude here is from 3,500 to 4,000 meters. Besides, the bordering side of Tianjun Mountain also boasts a grotesque granite forest, adding glamour to the pasture.


Dafeichuan Pasture

Located in the drainage area of the Shazhuyu River in Gonghe County of Hainan Prefecture, the place was called Dafeichuan in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and was the main battlefield between the Tang and Tibetan troops at that time. Provincial Road 214 crosses the semi-arid pasture, which contains few small deserts in it. The herdsmen are of various ethnic groups including Han, Hui, and Tibetan. The herds are usually in very large blocks, and it is very common for one to see hundreds of, or even thousands of sheep, horses, or cattle walking on the grassland, displaying great strength. The altitude here is around 3,000 meters, and there is usually no altitude sickness.

Huanghe River Originating Area Pasture

The pasture is basically located in the Guoluo Prefecture, including the lake areas of Eling and Zhaling. The mountains here are usually not very tall, and regions among the mountains are open and flat with many lakes. In the journey from Maduo County to the two lakes, sheep, antelope, and wild ass abound. In the lake areas, there are different kinds of birds like eagles, wild ducks, and gulls. The average height of the area is 4,000 meters above the sea level. The temperature in the morning and evening, even in midsummer, is only about 3-5 Celsius degrees.

It is difficult to find accommodation in this sparsely populated area, so enough food, water, and oil should be prepared before going to the place.

Tongtian River Pasture

The pasture is mainly distributed in Yushu, Chengduo, Zhiduo, and Qumalai counties of the Yushu Prefecture. The feature of the pasture is that it is mainly constituted of highland grasslands, and most of its valleys are narrow. Besides, plenty of rainfall helps nourish the lush forage grass. In midsummer, all the peaks under the height of 4,000 meters are totally green, with cows and sheep freely grazing in the green fields and white clouds lingering on top of the peaks, giving visitors the feeling of a wonderland.

Lancang River Originating Pasturing Area

The pasture is distributed in Nangqian and Zaduo counties, and mainly lies in the Zhaqu Valley Plain. The valley is open and flat, with the Lancang River rotating inside, adding verve to the pasture. On the two sides of the valley, there are also some grazing highlands with thick vegetation, with an average altitude of above 4,000 meters.

The Qinghai-Tibet railway built on frozen earth

The frozen earth is about 100 kilometers to the south of Ge'ermu City. In July and August, the snow on the earth surface thaws away, and grass and blossoms flourish; nonetheless, about one chi (about 0.33 meter) under the earth surface is permanently frozen earth. The problem of frozen soil is a major obstacle for railway's design and construction. To counteract altitude sickness, it is necessary for visitors to bring along oxygen bags and medicine for colds.

Cha'erhan Salt Lake - the most unique landscape in China

There are more than 30 salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin, which literally means salt pond in Mongolian. The overall salt reserves exceed 100 billion tons; the biggest is the Cha'erhan Salt Lake, which occupies 5,600 square kilometers, and boasts 60 billion tons of salt reserves - almost all of them kalium salt.

Cha'erhan Lake is about 60 kilometers south of Ge'ermu. Due to the hot and dry weather conditions, the region's evaporation rate is 140 times more than its precipitation. As a result, salt from the lake's surface is gradually crystallized, having so far formed an extremely hard and heavy salt cover between 1-4 meters thick.

The vast and flat geological conditions have contributed to the area's unique and spectacular landscape. The lake's surface looks like arable land that has just been ploughed. On a sunny day, the lake emits a light steam, resembling an ocean. A mirage can appear on some occasions, adding glamour to the natural wonder. The bridge looks like a normal asphalt road although it is much easier to repair: It only takes some water diluted with a large amount of salt to fill small holes or smooth out bumps.

Nanbaxian - the largest Yadan (wind-erosion) landform in the world

Qinghai boasts the largest yadan landform clusters in the world. The most typical is the Nanbaxian Yadan, which occupies an area of more than 100 square kilometers. When viewed from afar, innumerable layers of loess hills look like waves, with each looking grotesque when enjoyed individually. Wind, as a natural artist, has carved out various figures in the landform, with some of the best-known ones being the vivid "Buddha" figures.

Tianjun Zhouqun - glacier relics

Zhouqun means "dragon wind" in Tibetan. In the Ice Age about two million years ago, Qilian Mountain and the rest of Tianjun County was covered by glacier, which gradually smoothed out one hilltop after another, leaving behind carved works on the mountains and hills. With some imagination, you will find these magnificent works resemble things such as camels, cows, trucks, castles, and so on.

chinaculture.org
Jeff