Low-key Ganzi, Sichuan, contains such a unique color aesthetics

Ganzi, Sichuan

A very humble name

It encompasses many of China’s top landscapes

Its mountains

It is Gongga, the "King of Shu Mountains"

The three sacred mountains are Yala, Genyen, Queershan and Daocheng.

Many other mountain leaders

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Gongga Mountain in the sun, photographer @南卡)

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Its river

It is the thrilling Dadu River

The Jinsha River, Yalong River, Xianshui River and Litang River

Waiting for the big rivers

(Yalong River flowing through Shiqu County, photographer @杨建)

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Its city

It is the "City of Love Songs" Kangding and the "City in the Sky" Litang

Danba, the "hometown of beauties", and Seda, the "red Buddhist country".

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Seda Buddhist College, photographer @书是波)

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Its way

It is National Highway 317, 318, 227

Well-known "Landscape Avenue"

(The "Eighteen Bends of the Heavenly Road" on Jianziwan Mountain on National Highway 318, photographer @书是波)

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But it's no coincidence that so many stars are gathered here

Ganzi is a natural kaleidoscope

(Please watch in horizontal mode, distribution map of famous scenic spots in Ganzi District, drawn by @Zheng Yi/Planet Research Institute)

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Its full name is Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Located in western Sichuan

It is the largest prefecture-level administrative region in Sichuan.

It occupies about 1/3 of Sichuan's area.

From the perspective of terrain

It is backed by the Sichuan Basin

Extending to the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

(Ganzi location and topographic map, drawn by @Zheng Yi/Planet Research Institute)

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From the highest point of Mount Gongga, 7508.9 meters above sea level

The lowest point is about 1,000 meters above sea level in the Dadu River Valley

Vertical span of more than 6,000 meters

Half of the country is in the noisy world

Half of the country has entered the misty clouds

It's like building a ladder between the clouds and the world.

(The altitude of Mount Gongga is the latest surveying and mapping data released by the Ministry of Natural Resources in October 2023. The picture shows Xinduqiao Town, Kangding City and Gongga Snow Mountain. Photographer: @杨勇)

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As we walk up this ladder

Layers of colors

Unfold layer by layer

It will shock people again and again

01

Color of the Clouds

Snow Mountain

Endless

Snow-capped mountains visible from above

Defining the Clouds of Ganzi

This color of ice and snow hanging high in the sky

This is the first shock that Ganzi brings to people.

You can do it in almost any situation

Head-on encounter with snowy mountains

Whether in the golden grassland

(The Kemeron Twin Peaks in the Genyen Mountains, photographer @蔬菜的糖果会)

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On the blue lakeside

(On the shore of Yamocuogen Lake in Batang County, photographer @张善友)

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Or climb a mountain

Looking towards another mountain

(Please watch in horizontal mode, looking at the Gongga peaks from Niubei Mountain before sunrise, photographer @龙世杰)

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The whole Ganzi

There are about 50 peaks above 6,000 meters.

There are more than 600 peaks over 5,000 meters.

It is a natural snow mountain viewing platform

(The peak height data comes from the "Information Table of Peaks Above 5,000 Meters Above Sea Level in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province" compiled by the author @7556 meters (Note 1). The following figure is a map of some snow-capped mountains in Ganzi, drawn by @Zheng Yi/Planet Research Institute)

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So many snow-capped mountains were born

Because Ganzi stands on the shoulders of giants.

It belongs to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters.

It is located in the most precipitous alpine canyon area in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Two north-south mountain ranges

Snow Mountain and Shaluli Mountain

The basic framework of Ganzi

Snowy Mountains

Standing in the east of Ganzi

It rises from the deep valleys of the Dadu River and the Yalong River.

Extremely dangerous

South of Snowy Mountains

Mount Gongga, 7508.9 meters above sea level, is the most

Become the commanding height of the entire Hengduan Mountains

It is also the commanding height of the entire Sichuan.

It stands among the peaks

A natural born protagonist

(Looking at Gongga rising among the peaks from the plane, photographer @山风)

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Around it

The glaciers are like ribbons, scimitars, and torrents.

Winding down the hillside

(Mozigou Glacier around the main peak of Gongga, photographer @杨勇)

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Northern Snow Mountains

The Yala Snow Mountain at an altitude of 5,884 meters echoes the Gongga

Sunset

Yala, towering above the wilderness, is shrouded in the sunset glow.

Like a crown of the earth

(Please watch horizontally, Yala Snow Mountain on fire, photographer @范煜杰)

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Saruri Mountain

Across the western part of Ganzi

It is about 450 kilometers long from north to south.

About 200 km wide

It is the widest and longest mountain range in Sichuan.

It is a gentle mountain

Be in it

Sometimes I can’t even feel the mountains.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Haizishan National Park in the middle section of Shaluli Mountain, photographer @君作刀)

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But at the same time, it is tall and majestic

There are many independent peaks over 6000 meters.

In the northern part of the Shaluli Mountains, there is the Queer Mountain, which is 6,168 meters above sea level.

(Queer Mountain photographed from an airplane, photographer @邹涛)

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In its middle section is Mount Genyen, which is 6,174 meters above sea level.

(The main peak of Mount Genyen in summer and autumn, photographer @胡添龙)

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Its southern section consists of three 6,000-meter peaks.

Daocheng Three Sacred Mountains

The three sacred mountains are only 5-7 kilometers apart.

Surrounded by three mountains

Gives a strong visual shock and spiritual impact

(Please watch in horizontal screen, Daocheng Three Sacred Mountains, from left to right the three protruding peaks are Xianuoduoji, Yangmaiyong, and Xiannairi, photographer @习小远的视界)

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The altitude that reaches the sky

Coupled with the relatively primitive environment

This makes the air here extremely clean and light pollution small.

Night falls, the Milky Way rises

The color of the clouds turns into a breathtaking starlight

(Please watch in horizontal screen, Gongga Moonlit Golden Mountain and the Milky Way Arch Bridge photographed from the direction of Lenggacuo, photographer @何林)

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Ganzi above the clouds

Gathering the silver of snow-capped mountains

And the splendor of the universe

Weaving the romance that everyone yearns for

But in real situations

Extremely high altitude and rugged terrain

But it puts the world to the test

02

Colors of the world

People in steep mountain valleys

Or on the high and cold plateau with lack of oxygen

Carve out a foothold

The narrow river valley is the first choice for settlement

The altitude is low and the climate is warm

Fertile soil, close to water source

People cultivate terraced fields on limited land

Planting crops such as highland barley, barley, and corn

(The countryside in the river valley of Xiangcheng County, photographer @李珩)

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The warm river valley is also a hothouse for fruits

The dry and hot environment allows them to accumulate a lot of sugar, making them sweet and delicious.

So people planted loquats, cactus fruits and other subtropical fruits along the river.

Planting temperate fruits such as apples, cherries, and grapes on hillsides

(On the hillside of the Dadu River Valley, farmers are harvesting grapes for winemaking. Photographer: @山风)

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Because the valley is relatively rich in resources

Villages, towns and cities in Ganzi

Most of them are built along rivers

Where a river splits the mountain

"Cliff River City" - Yajiang County

Backed by mountains and backed by water

Build a three-dimensional county town on the narrow river bend

(Yajiang County by the Yalong River, photographer @李泳锡)

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At the confluence of the Zheduo River and the Yala River

It is the city of love songs "Kangding"

The narrowest part of the city is only about 100 meters wide.

It is more than ten kilometers long

It can be called a "first-tier" city

(The long and narrow Kangding City is the capital of Ganzi Prefecture, photographer @杨建)

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Where five rivers meet

Danba County is a multi-ethnic coexistence

Different ethnic groups live in each valley.

Speak their own dialect

(Please watch in horizontal mode, aerial photography of Danba County, photographer @天空影像)

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Outside the Warm Valley

Vast grassland

Another ideal habitat

There is little good farmland here.

It is a natural pasture

(Kangding Tagong Grassland, photographer @佐蚁)

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People graze and race horses on the vast grasslands.

Living by the water and grass

(Rainbow and horse herders on the grassland, photographer @lion新新)

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It is not easy to settle on the plateau

There are more tests in nature

High and barren land

Traffic blocked by mountains

A flash flood in the canyon

Frequent tremors along the fault zone

It may cast a shadow over people's lives at any time.

(After the 2022 Luding earthquake, rescue workers built a temporary steel pipe bridge over the turbulent river to reach the disaster relief site. Photographer @Shangyou News Reporter Ran Wen)

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Fortunately, from ancient times to the present

Constantly adapting and creating

Became the background color of this world

To resist the cold of the plateau

People weave cloth from the fur of animals such as goats

Sewing a long-sleeved robe

Developed distinctive Tibetan robes

(Bridesmaids wearing Xiangcheng Tibetan robes, which are made of high-quality wool cloth and are an important dress for local women during festivals and weddings. Photographer: @姚璐)

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To combat the poverty of resources

People raise yaks

Get nutrition from yak milk and yak meat

Yak wool woven cloth to make tents

Lighting a yak dung fire

(Herdsmen in the snowy transfer area of ​​Ganzi County, photographer @丁嘉一)

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The mountains are rich in soil and rocks

People have made the most of these simple building materials

Build a solid tower

(The walls of the white Tibetan house in Xiangcheng are built with rammed mud, and the interior is supported by dense beams and columns. It is a civil structure building. The walls are poured with white mud. The first picture is the Qingde Tibetan village in Xiangcheng County, and the second picture is a close-up of the white Tibetan house. Photographers @何世海、姚璐)

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Also explored the exquisite stone masonry technology

Build a tower several tens of meters high

Guarding the home

(Zhonglu Tibetan Village in Danba County, the towering watchtowers have stood for hundreds of years, photographer @王进)

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Daofu County, located on the Xianshuihe Fault Zone, is prone to earthquakes.

Gradually, a kind of wooden house was created - "Bengke"

Effectively resistant to earthquakes

In 1981, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake occurred in Daofu

The county town was almost razed to the ground

The brick and stone houses almost all collapsed.

The damage to the Bengke Tibetan house was much less than that to other houses.

(Daofu folk houses, commonly known as "Bengke", photographer @Cao Tie)

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Today, people use more ways to improve their living conditions

Build high bridges over natural ravines

(Xingkang Bridge in Luding County, photographer @张翔升)

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Build roads connecting the wilderness

Connecting mountains and valleys, clouds and the human world

(The Sichuan-Tibet Railway under construction on Maoya Grassland, photographer @李珩)

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that's all

People living in Ganzi

Firmly develop this land

Guarding silently

The bitter cold plateau

(Harvesting barley, photographer @王治)

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Steep canyon

(Women working on the hillside in the Dadu River valley pass by a buckwheat field, with the sacred Mount Merduo in the distance. Photographer: @山风)

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Painted with brilliant colors of life

(Little girls after school, photographed around Muya Temple, photographer @苏凌汉)

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but

Whether it is the white cloud hanging high in the clouds

Or the brilliant colors in the world

It is only the most remote, narrow and crowded area in Ganzi.

Free life in the wilderness

He is the real ruler of this land.

03

The color of the wilderness

This is a natural wilderness.

(Magpies at the foot of Mount Merdo, photographer @何世海)

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The pika is small, only a dozen centimeters long.

Eat grass

(Pika, photographed in Kangding, photographer @邹涛)

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The chubby marmot emerges from its burrow

Seems to be enjoying the sunshine

Actually, I am standing upright and looking

(Marmots are very defensive and stand up for easier observation. Photographed in Kangding by @wukong)

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Compared to the marmot's cautious vigilance

The white-eared pheasants ate tender leaves and grass seeds more leisurely.

(White-eared pheasant and marmot, photographer @唐振明)

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Another pheasant, Golden Pheasant

More vivid and beautiful colors

(The colorful male Golden Pheasant and the gray female Golden Pheasant, photographed in Kangding, photographer @邹涛)

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Hoofed animals

Can better adapt to the ruggedness of the mountains

Blue Sheep

Walking on the steep cliff

While looking around confusedly

Flying over eaves and walls as if walking on flat ground

(Blue sheep, photographed in Kangding, photographer @邹涛)

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The taller white-lipped deer

It has wide hooves to help it climb.

They live in mountains at an altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 meters.

It is the deer species that inhabits the highest altitude.

(White-lipped deer, photographed in Daofu County, photographer @张扬小强)

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In this seemingly peaceful wilderness

The predator has come out

(Wolves preying on plateau pikas, photographed in Shiqu County, photographer @邹涛)

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Snow leopard at the top of the food chain

Go down the mountain for inspection

(Snow leopard photographed around Gongga using an infrared camera, photographer @周华明)

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Tibetan foxes frequently look back

Sharp eyes

(Tibetan fox, photographed in Shiqu County, photographer @博涵)

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Golden eagle circling in the mountains

Seeing everything on the ground

(Golden eagle, photographed in Kangding, photographer @邹涛)

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In Ganzi

There are more than 600 species of wild vertebrates

More than 5,000 species of higher plants

The species account for about half of the entire Sichuan Province

Such a rich variety of flora and fauna

The diverse natural environment brought by the high mountains and valleys

The lowest valleys are dry and warm

Drought-tolerant cacti cover the hillside

(Pear cactus in the Dadu River Valley in Luding, photographer @Zou Tao)

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At higher altitudes, in areas with better water conditions

Subtropical and temperate trees with larger leaves dominate

(Colorful forest in Danba in autumn, photographer @唐振明)

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The altitude is increasing

Trees' leaves shrink and thicken to cope with cold temperatures and strong sunlight

Common alpine oak in Ganzi

Has short, hard, leathery leaves

Highly adaptable

Distributed from 1600m to 4300m above sea level

(Alpine oak refers to a type of evergreen hard-leaved broad-leaved plant in the genus Quercus, with a total of 9 species, all called the alpine oak group. The picture shows the alpine oak forest covered with usnea around Lieta Lake in Jiulong County. Photographer @邹涛)

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Even in the same frame with coniferous forests with smaller leaves

(On the Kazila Mountain, which is over 4,000 meters above sea level, alpine oak forests and coniferous forests grow together. The alpine oaks are yellower, shorter, and shaped like cauliflower. Photographer: @书是波)

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As the altitude increases, the leaves of plants become smaller and smaller.

The plants also become shorter to resist cold and wind.

Willow of the genus Sclerophyllum

Much shorter than the willow trees commonly seen in eastern my country.

It has changed from a tree to a shrub.

Another type of shrub - Rhododendron

More colorful and eye-catching

They climbed up the hill

(Azalea in Daocheng Yading, photographer @张善友)

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Covering the fields

Blooming in high-altitude cold environments

(Azalea sea in Yamocuogen, Batang County, photographer @张善友)

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Even the seemingly delicate herb

Meconopsis

(Meconopsis, photographed in Kangding, photographer @邹涛)

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Gentian

(Gentian at the foot of Mount Genyen, photographer @山风)

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Rhubarb

(Rhubarb on the shore of Sister Lake in Haizi Mountain, photographer @艾斌)

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It is also accumulating strength year after year

Waiting for the right time to bloom

Then wither and scatter seeds to the earth

Various kinds of life

Blooming brilliantly in a variety of environments

This is the real charm of Ganzi

The true nature of life in full bloom

The nature of the free wilderness

This is the third shocking color of this land.

(The charming blue sheep in Daocheng Yading, photographer @wukong)

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Protecting the true nature

The significance of human beings

Maybe it means more to nature

Humanity needs nature's healing

When we get tired in the man-made jungle

In the wilderness

There is still twilight spreading over the snow-capped mountains

There are still clouds rolling

There are still millions of lives running

You can leave, arrive and see at any time

(During the Geminid meteor shower at Yaha Pass in Kangding, the main peak of Gongga is illuminated by moonlight. Photographer: @美特斯匡玮)

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This article was created by

Written by : Wenjie Photos : Long Shijie

Map : Zheng Yi Design : Chen Yizhuo

Reviewer : Mirror Little Golden Bean

Cover Photographer : Jin Sang-jin and Huang Xiaonan

Head Photographer : Kim Sang-jin

Note 1 : The data mentioned here that "Ganzi has about 50 peaks above 6,000 meters above sea level, and more than 600 peaks above 5,000 meters above sea level" comes from the "Information Table of Peaks Above 5,000 Meters Above Sea Level in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province" compiled by the author @7556 meters. The statistical peaks include independent and non-independent peaks, mountain tops, mountain peaks, and mountain ridges.