How scary is Hoh Xil? Can I travel to Hoh Xil?

Kekexili has always been a beautiful romance, but don’t be fooled by this appearance. The Hoh Xil no-man's land, known as the "forbidden zone of life", is far from being as peaceful as it appears on the surface, and is quite dangerous. So how scary is Hoh Xil? Can you travel here?

Can I travel to Hoh Xil?

The no-man’s land in Hoh Xil is called a restricted area of ??life and cannot be visited.

The land without people is beautiful, but you only live once! Please be careful and travel safely.

Kekexili is far less quiet than its name seems. Hoh Xil means "Blue Mountain Ridge" in Mongolian and "Aqing Gongga" in Tibetan. Hoh Xil is located in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Region, Qinghai, in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of more than 4,600 meters.

There is no sea in Hoh Xil. The place with an average altitude of 4,500 meters has a lot of bad weather, a lot of wild Gobi, and a lot of dead animals.

The Hoh Xil, including the part of northern Tibet known as the "Qiangtang Grassland", the area south of the Kunlun Mountains in Qinghai and the adjacent areas of Xinjiang and Tibet; the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve is located in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southwest Qinghai, covering an area of ??4.5 Thousands of square kilometers. "Kekexili" means "beautiful girl" in Mongolian. Tibetans call this area "Aqin Gonggar". It is currently one of the areas with the best preserved original ecological environment in the world. It is also one of the nature reserves with the largest area, highest altitude and richest wildlife resources built in my country. Also known as the Hoh Xil No Man's Land, it is the largest, highest and most mysterious "death zone" in China. The entire Hoh Xil is about 5,000 meters above sea level. The climate is dry and cold, there is a serious lack of oxygen and fresh water, and the environment is dangerous and daunting. Therefore, it is also called the "life forbidden zone". Humans cannot survive there for a long time, and can only vaguely see wild animals and plants that have adapted to the alpine climate. But precisely because of this, they have created unique living conditions for wild animals on the plateau and become a "wild animal paradise." Tibetan antelope, known as the pride of Hoh Xil, is a unique species in China and a national first-level protected animal. At the same time, a movie "Kekexili" brought the Tibetan antelope into people's sight, and also made people full of longing and yearning for this mysterious place.

How scary is Hoh Xil?

The source of danger in the no-man’s land of Hoh Xil is its harsh meteorological and natural conditions. The average altitude is 5,000 meters. If you stay here, the probability of bronchitis and respiratory infection within three days is more than 80%. Once pulmonary edema and cerebral edema occur, death is easy. Moreover, although there are more than 100 lakes in the Hoh Xil no-man’s land, they are all saltwater lakes. Fresh water is hard to find and there are no living conditions.

But this is not the scariest thing. The landform here is very complex, and the uninhabited area is full of quagmires, swamps, deserts, and wetlands. The car accidentally got stuck and it was impossible to cross the no man's land alone. In addition, communication equipment cannot be used. If something goes wrong, we just have to wait a few days. A group of people who once went to explore the road lost their way and lost their lives here.

: Notes

1. Hoh Xil is one of the highest altitude areas in Qinghai, with an average altitude of more than 4,500 meters, and poor medical and health conditions. Tourists who have not fully adapted to the plateau climate are best to stay in Golmud for a few more days.

2. Don’t get too close to wild animals, especially bison. If you see them, be sure to stay away from them. In addition, antelopes and Tibetan antelopes have a habit of racing with cars. The atmosphere is bloody, but you'd better be careful, something could easily happen.

3. It is best to have a variety of capable people, especially vehicle maintenance, tour guides, and doctors. In Hoh Xil, it is too difficult to get support from the outside world.

4. The environment in Hoh Xil is already very fragile, so we must pay attention to environmental protection. Non-biodegradable garbage must be taken out, and decomposable garbage must be buried on site.

5. Hoh Xil belongs to the plateau, and the oxygen content in the atmosphere is only about 70% of that in the mainland. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, lung disease, severe obesity and other diseases, it is best not to go.

6. You should get enough rest and be prepared before departure. Avoid colds and strenuous exercise. There will be varying degrees of altitude sickness after departure. Get more rest and eat more rhodiola. Do not move too fast, do not bear weight, do not run, do not smoke, which will increase the burden on the lungs, do not drink alcohol, prevent blood pressure from rising, and get enough sleep. Just relax. After two days or a few hours, altitude sickness will subside. If it is difficult to overcome, oxygen therapy may be an option.

7. Most Western temples do not allow casual photography. Photography in the temple has a clearly marked price. You are not allowed to wear hats, spit or disrespect lamas when visiting temples. No photos can be taken without the other person’s consent.