Slow Travel Record of the Great Northwest (4)

Chapter 3 The Majestic Qilian Mountains

(13) Rich Qilian Landforms

The Qilian Mountains, synonymous with the far west, have always been something I have wanted to visit in depth for a long time. one of the destinations. When mentioning the Qilian Mountains, the first thing that comes to mind is the majestic rolling mountains and steep rock walls, and then the millennium-old glacial canyons and snow-capped mountains flying foxes flying over the cliffs. The mountains are uninhabited but full of the heroism and mystery of the martial arts. The mysterious Qilian Mountains, like a dream lover, make me think about it day and night.

As a major masterpiece of Chinese geology, the Qilian Mountains on the territory of western China, like the Chinese character "一捺", divides the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Inner Mongolia Plateau into two completely different plates. Driven by the Pacific monsoon, the Qilian Mountains, with an average altitude of four to five thousand meters, are like a wet island extending into the arid area of ??the northwest. It has become the dividing line between the arid and semi-arid areas of the Asian continent. It not only blocks the eastward advance of the desert, but its high mountains The glaciers formed by snow also provided abundant water resources for the interior, thus nurturing the Hexi Corridor and the Silk Road, and allowed Chinese civilization to move along the Qilian Mountains to the Tianshan Mountains and the Pamir Plateau.

The Qilian Mountains are composed of a number of parallel mountains and canyons running northwest to southeast. The average altitude is more than 4,000 meters, and the highest peak is 5,827 meters. The entire mountain system is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast, but the north and south wings are extremely asymmetrical. The relative height of the northern slope reaches 3,000 meters, while the relative height of the southern slope is only 500~1,000 meters. Different geographical locations and altitudes have created different geological structures and meteorological conditions in the Qilian Mountains, and also created environments for different natural resources and products.

Towering snow-capped mountains, steep cliffs and mysterious uninhabited canyons, as well as fertile farmland and endless prairie, are the proud features of the Qilian Mountains. There are as many as 1,000 natural glaciers that have been sleeping for thousands of years. There are more than 3,000 rivers with a total area of ??more than 2,000 square kilometers and a water storage capacity of more than 130 billion cubic meters.

Many years ago, I visited the "Qiyi Glacier" in the Qilian Mountains. Due to a temporary decision and insufficient preparation, the unprepared altitude sickness and the difficult gravel mountain road made the young children suffer. It is unspeakable that I was forced to give up midway and the regret of not being able to climb the glacier has always made me awe but still worried about the Qilian Mountains.

On this trip, we once again included the Qilian Mountains as our destination, but we chose the Qilian Prairie and Danxia Landform, which are the most beautiful in the season. We will start from the Salt Lake in Qinghai on the south side of the Qilian Mountains, cross the Qilian Mountains laterally to Zhangye Danxia National Park, and return deep into the hinterland along the north side of Qilian, passing through the Qilian prairie and returning to Xining Airport. It is very bumpy and hard, but But you can visit places that ordinary tour groups cannot set foot on.

(14) Crossing the Qilian Mountains

Along the long light and shadow of the Salt Lake, the car began to head west. Gradually, the dazzling silver light strip finally disappeared completely, and we entered The narrow winding road in the Qilian Mountains has towering steep peaks on both sides. The road winds along the ridges of the mountains. The driver warned everyone to be prepared to cross the mountain pass.

"Qilian is full of snowy peaks, and there is little smoke along the way to the west. The mountains are low and the clouds are clear, and the land is broad and the rocks are short of water sources." Compared with the description thousands of years ago, almost nothing has changed except that the viewing mode uses cars instead of galloping horses and roads instead of mountain roads. Continuous mountains are connected one after another, and as far as the eye can see, there are all kinds of strange towering boulders and cliffs, while on the towering peaks in the distance, the snow gleams faintly under the sunlight. The highway was built by cutting rocks among the lofty mountains. It stretches along the mountains and terrain, and passes through tunnels or mountain passes in the stone mountains from time to time. You can imagine the difficulty of the construction and the infinite power of human beings to conquer nature!

The longer we drove, the higher the altitude and the lower the temperature. At a mountain pass with gentle terrain but high altitude, we decided to stop and rest. This is the pass of Dadongshu Mountain, 4120 meters above sea level. It is said to be the dividing ridge between Kunlun Mountain and Qilian Mountain. There is a gentle slope of about 100 square meters on the top of the mountain. In the middle, there is a stone tablet marking the place name and altitude. Surrounding the stone tablet There were four or five resting cars parked.

Unexpectedly, as soon as I opened the car door, the cold and biting wind carried the sand and gravel from the plateau and almost blew me down. What a strong plateau wind! He held on to the car door and barely stood firm, but the wind was already hitting his bones. It took only a few seconds to realize the power of the Qilian wind.

We held each other hand in hand, braved the incredible strong wind and biting cold, breathed the thin air of the plateau, and arduously snaked to the foot of the stone monument to take pictures. However, the hand holding the camera was clearly messy and trembling in the wind, and the person taking the picture was clearly shaking. The smile on his face was deformed by the fierce caress of the plateau wind. The mountain pass with an altitude of 4120 meters was the highest point I had reached in China at that time. It was a place I might not have the chance to visit a second time!

After crossing the mountain pass, we went all the way down, and soon we went uphill and crossed another mountain pass. We climbed over mountains and ridges and turned around. We were so dizzy that we were too lazy to record and take pictures. Anyway, we were all in the Qilian Mountains with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. The veins are really mountains and mountains, stone upon stone. Facing the rolling mountains and towering snow-capped peaks, I suddenly thought, if I shouted "I'm coming", would gods wearing long coats and knights holding sharp swords appear on the cliffs?

After finally coming out of a tunnel, the car entered a relatively gentle and broad area. The valley was very wide but the quality of the road was significantly reduced. The road surface was bumpy and forked from time to time, and there was obviously more traffic. Many of them were large trucks carrying coal and ore. It turned out that we had entered the mining area in the hinterland of Qilian.

Those heavy-duty trucks filled with stone and coal rush over from the opposite side to meet each other, which is frightening. Simple mining areas can be seen in the distance at the end of some forked roads. The rocks beside the road also have traces of being collected. Some have been blasted with large holes, and some have been dug with ditches and stripes. Traces of human beings are like hateful scars left on the body of the majestic mountain. If the mountain has a spirit, I believe it will be sad and angry! It was very sad and heartbreaking to see the mess everywhere. It is human instinct to utilize natural resources, but while enjoying nature, humans destroy nature with greater power. Shan, my heart aches for you!

After several hours of bumpy driving, we turned a mountain road and saw an open area and many houses in front of us. It turned out that this was an unknown coal mining town located in a wide valley. The town is not small, with many four- and five-story buildings. In addition to hospitals, schools, and banks, there are also entertainment facilities such as shops, supermarkets, game rooms, and karaoke. But everything is covered with a thin layer of gray. layer, a little dark. The exterior walls and window sills of the houses were stained with black soot powder, the road surface was covered with black gravel dust, and the wind blowing was gray-black. Even when we entered the indoor toilet of a paid karaoke entertainment hall, our fingers ran across There were also light marks on the sink countertop. I really don’t know how people survive here.

At the corner of a street, our car moved at a rare snail's pace. It turned out that there was a farmer's market next to the road. The farmer's market is one of my favorite places to visit during my travels. It is a window to understand local culture and life. Unfortunately, I don't have time to stay today. People stood in twos and threes chatting on the street, and our car slowly passed through the crowd carefully.

I looked around boredly through the car window, and was suddenly shocked by what was at the feet of three men. On the dark ground, a big head stared at me with big copper bell eyes. Oh, My God, a fresh cow head dripping with blood! The black hair is a little curly, the brown-white horns are very large, and the eyes are clear and sharp without the confusion after death. I looked at the bull head with fear, imagining the shape of the head that needed to be configured, imagining the sorrow of its wives and concubines, and even imagining its past and present lives. So fierce! The visual impact was too strong. Even today, a long time later, I still feel a little scared when I think back to that look.

At around eight o'clock in the evening, we finally arrived at Qilian Mountain Town. This is a relatively developed town, with a main road running through the whole city, with three- and four-story buildings on both sides, and scattered small shops along the street. We booked a hotel that had just opened. When we saw the splendid hotel lobby, our companions almost cheered, finally returning to modern society. Looking at this luxurious decoration level, it seemed that it was seriously out of touch with the local living standards!

After checking into the room, I discovered that it turned out to be a four-star hotel with three-star service. However, this condition is already very rare in the west. Compared with the accommodation I had a few days ago, I am very satisfied. Dinner was served at the hotel restaurant. A solid table of meat and pasta only cost more than 200 yuan, but it made us walk along the street three times after the meal. In a small supermarket, I bought a lot of Red Bull, coffee and snacks for the driver to take home. After all, we were enjoying the scenery while he was working hard.

(15) Zhangye Geopark

The next morning, we enjoyed a not too late sleep, and the fatigue of the bumpy plateau was gone. Accompanied by the rising sun, we set off to Zhangye National Geopark, one of the most beautiful Danxia landforms in China.

Since the Cretaceous, the Qilian Mountains have gradually formed mountains and valleys high in the northwest and low in the southeast due to crustal movements. Different altitudes and orientations have different landforms, from thousand-year-old glacial snow peaks to precipitous peaks. There are many cliffs and rocks, from majestic mountain peaks to endless prairie. In the Zhangye area at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, there is a large area of ??Danxia landform with bright colors and the richest landforms. It is famous all over the world as one of the most beautiful Danxia in China.

The geological structure of the Danxia landform is very unique. The red sandstone has been peeled off by nature for a long time and the peaks and rocks formed by flowing water erosion have formed various beautiful natural landscapes in the long-term geological development. . Zhangye Danxia is the only complex area of ??Danxia landforms and colorful hilly landscapes in China. It includes two scenic spots, Binggou Danxia and Colorful Danxia, ??with a total area of ??about 536 square kilometers. The two scenic spots are more than ten kilometers apart. We chose the Colorful Danxia Scenic Area which is relatively nearby.

Approaching the scenic spot, the mountains on the side of the road have begun to appear red. When I arrived at the scenic spot and stood in the parking lot and looked around, I couldn't help but be surprised. I turned out to be standing in the middle of a large red painted dinner plate. The clear blue sky was transparent, the warm sunshine was shining passionately, and the rolling red mountains all around were high. The high ring surrounds the top, which is printed with colorful patterns of red, yellow and white, just like the floral skirt of an enthusiastic Spanish girl. Facing the spectacular Danxia rocks, I was surprised to find that I had become a sesame seed on the dinner plate, so small!

Entering the scenic spot, we followed the walking trails to the ridge. Those landscape trails allow tourists to appreciate the masterpieces of nature up close on the red mountains. Braving the scorching sun, we wound our way up the steps to a viewing platform.

The platform is built on a protruding red rock. Looking around, it is full of red passion! The red sun above our heads is full of enthusiasm, and the passionate sunshine touches our skin wantonly, hot, rough and unrestrained; the mountains in the distance are large blocks of red rocks, stretching and winding as far as the eye can see, like many mountains. The beauties draped in red gauze have clear lines in different postures, whether lying or standing. The opposite Hongshan cliff is covered with large red, white and yellow stripes, like giant rock paintings, and some lines and blocks of color are bold and rough. , seeming to be splashed and smeared randomly, with the artistic conception of Picasso's abstract works, and some of the lines are slender and orderly, without losing the rigor of gongbi painting, more like exquisite paintings produced by computers.

The plank road undulated and stretched on the red rocks. We walked along the plank road towards the depths of Danxia. The plank road became higher and higher, and there were fewer and fewer tourists. Soon we stood panting. on the top of a red rock.

This is a quiet fairy tale world. The endless red mountains are silent, giving us a dreamlike feeling of standing on the surface of Mars and looking up at the universe. The sky is blue, clear and transparent without a trace of cloud; the earth is fiery red, passionate and beautiful as an oil painting; the undulating mountains in the distance are like red waves, and the strange rocks nearby are like monsters surrounding them... intense The colorful colors impact our senses, like a dream, and even the hot wind feels gentle on the face. We stood quietly, except for the whistling wind in our ears, the only sounds were our own breathing and heartbeats. What a dreamy colorful world!

According to research by geologists, Zhangye’s Danxia landform was formed 6 million years ago. It is stunning in the world with its towering, vertical and cascading colorful rock cliffs. It has been hidden in the boudoir for a long time until this century. It gradually became known to the world as a result of the filming of the movie. In 2011, Zhangye was officially established as a national geological park. The American "National Geographic Magazine" rated Zhangye Danxia as one of the "Top 10 Magical Geographic Wonders in the World". She really deserves this reputation!

Facing the fiery world, our hearts also become fiery, but no matter how fiery the passion is, it cannot withstand the burning of the sun and the high temperature of the barbecue. We reluctantly stagger down the mountain and look back to say goodbye to this warm world. The red world.

This is the farthest destination of our journey. From now on we begin the return journey, heading east along the Hexi Corridor through the Qilian Prairie back to Xining, completing the last leg of this triangular journey. Pen smear.

(16) Rich Granary

Leaving Zhangye, we drove southeast along the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains. The north and south sides of the Qilian Mountains have completely different geological structures and scenery. The relative height of the Qilian Mountains, which is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast, exceeds 2,000 meters between the northern slope and the Hexi Corridor, which is twice the height difference between the southern slope and the Qaidam Basin. One-third of the mountainous area on the north side is a wide valley plain. Moistened by the ice and snow of the mountains, it has become a fertile granary and an important agricultural area in Qinghai Province.

Looking around, you can see the vast river valleys and flat plains, the green prairie dotted with little flowers, and the cattle and sheep are leisurely and contented; the fertile land is dedicated to everything, and the harvest is full of joy. If it weren't for the continuous mountains in the distance reminding us, we would have thought we were in the North China Plain.

On both sides of the road are large tracts of farmland and flower fields. Wheat and corn have given birth to fruits, plump and proud; sunflowers, dahlias, marigolds and many more are not named. The flowers are all blooming coquettishly, waiting for the "flower" students to dedicate themselves. We parked the car beside a flower field that was being harvested. Each of us paid ten yuan to the hard-working female flower farmers, and then went down to take pictures in the golden sea of ??flowers.

This is a large field of golden dahlias. The flowers as big as the mouth of the bowl are golden and round, as plump as a baby's face; the open petals are delicate and slightly curled, as shy as a girl's lips. We stood carefully in the flower field, fearing that we would step on the stems and hurt the flowers. With the clear blue sky and white clouds above your head, you are surrounded by a sea of ??golden flowers. You close your eyes and smell the fragrance of the flowers. Listening to the hum of the bees working hard, you feel immediately happy.

After taking photos quietly in the flower field, I asked the flower farmer about the future growth of this beautiful flower. It is estimated that it will be flown to flower markets across the country for sale. Unexpectedly, the reply from the flower farmers surprised us. They all provide medicines to pharmaceutical companies. Such gorgeous flowers actually have medicinal value. It seems that flowers are not just beautiful in appearance. They devote themselves wholeheartedly to everything they have. Suddenly I feel sad for the flowers. They are so beautiful but can only admire them by themselves. Except for flower fields and pharmaceutical factories, they can't go anywhere, and they don't even have a chance to show their beauty to humans.

Thinking of my mother’s “magic work”, every time there are flowers at home, whether they are her own potted flowers or bought flowers, my mother will ask the men in the family to appreciate and appreciate them. Her theory is very magical. Beauty should be appreciated, especially by the opposite sex. If a flower is appreciated by "big men", it means that it has not wasted its beautiful life, and the flower will bloom when it is in a good mood. More beautiful. I don’t know if this theory has scientific basis, but at least now I feel sorry for the flowers blooming in the flower fields. "The lonely face is full of tears." I wonder if my sigh can relieve their sorrow?

(Seventeen) Delicious restaurants in mini towns

After leaving the flower fields and moving on, we passed by a mini town. The reason why it is called mini is because the town next to this road is too small. There are only a row of houses, two or three small restaurants, a small grocery store and a post office on the side of the road less than 100 meters away. Rest here.

The driver took us to one of the Muslim restaurants, which is a family restaurant run by a young couple. The shop of more than ten square meters is very clean and tidy, and the walls are decorated with green artificial plants. Three small dining tables were covered with plastic printed tablecloths and held with small vases. The male host is a chef and is busy in the kitchen at the back. The hostess is wearing a black patterned Hui headscarf and speaks in a soft voice, refreshing Xiaojiabiyu. Seeing her busy with her pregnant body flexibly, we felt a little embarrassed.

The male host wearing glasses quickly cooked a table of home-cooked dishes, mainly vegetables. It was fresh and light, not salty and not oily, and had a bit of a big city flavor. This was the best meal we had in the past few days. The taste of the dish was great. Everyone swept away everything in a hurry, wishing that the restaurant and the young couple would become more and more prosperous.

The driver on the road told us that if it is an authentic Hui restaurant, we only need to go into the kitchen to have a look. The real Hui people are very particular about cleanliness and hygiene. They will not throw food raw materials on the ground at will. Because being disrespectful to food goes against their teachings. ? (To be continued)