The call of the knot of mountains! What is the Pamir Plateau?

The westernmost point of China

Snow-capped mountains and towering plateaus

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the scenery of the top of Muztagh Ata Peak on the Pamir Plateau, photographer @丁丁)

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It is China's western gate.

The ancients called it Congling

Xuanzang called it Pomilo

The ancient Persians considered it the "Roof of the World"

In the eyes of local people

It is spread all over the rich "Pamirs"

Alpine meadow

So people all over the world

Call it the Pamir Plateau

(Scenery of Taxkorgan County, Kashgar, Xinjiang, in the eastern part of the Pamir Plateau, with the mountains behind it being the Sarekol Ridge, photographer @王伟)

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But for most Chinese people today

Pamirs are unfamiliar because of their distance

The changes in territory make it complicated

Even because of isolation and war, it has become mysterious

The real Pamir

What kind of place is it?

It is a place where thousands of mountains converge

The greatest mountains in Eurasia

Spend hundreds of millions of years running towards each other

It's like tying a huge knot

(View of the Karakoram Mountains from Aksai Chin, photographer @陈剑峰)

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It is a super barrier on the westerly belt.

The most majestic glaciers outside the poles

Millions of years have sculpted the earth

(Part of the Baltoro Glacier with Mount K2 in the background, photo courtesy of @赣州七爷)

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It is also a super hub of human civilization.

Some of the greatest conquerors and explorers in history

Leave an immortal legend here

(The ruins of the ancient Yaltegongbaizi post station in Taxkorgan, which was once a resting place for ancient people traveling to the Pamir Plateau. Photographer: @莎洛曼蛇)

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Where exactly is the Pamir Plateau?

Why are there so many unique identities?

01

The mountains gather

The Pamir Plateau is located in the westernmost part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

South to the great king of the mountain world

Himalayas

(Namnanyi Peak in the western part of the Himalayas, photographer @小队)

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Looking north to the majestic Central Asian water tower

Tian Shan Mountains

(Landscape of the Southern Tianshan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan, image source: @Visual China)

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From the perspective of the entire Eurasian continent

These two mountain ranges represent

The 65-million-year-old Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt

and the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, which is more than 300 million years old

The Pamir Plateau is located between two major orogenic belts.

A number of super mountains gather here

In addition, the plateau is also full of mountains and forests.

The mountains seem to be on the ground

Tie a huge knot

Because of this

The Pamir Plateau is also called

An extremely important " mountain knot " on Earth

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the relationship between the main orogenic belts in Eurasia and the Pamir Plateau is shown here. Map by @张松楠&张琪/Planetary Research Institute)

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then

The Pamir skyline

Full of proud ice giants

Nanga Parbat, 8,126 meters above sea level

Located at the westernmost tip of the Himalayas

Guarding the southern gate of the Pamir Plateau

(Nanga Parbat in the sun, the mountain is referred to as Nanga Parbat, photographer @天书)

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K2, the world's second highest peak

With an impressive height of 8611 meters

Rising from the Karakoram Mountains

Located in the southeast of the Pamir Plateau

(Please watch in horizontal mode, K2 and surrounding peaks, photographer @桃叔)

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Tirichmir Peak at 7,690 meters

It guards the southwest of the Pamir Plateau.

With huge body

Overlooking the Hindu Kush Mountains

(Tirich Mir Peak behind Chitral City, Pakistan, image source: Visual China)

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Between these two mountains

Hindu Kush-Karakoram Mountains

Draw a huge arc on the earth

But as the Indian subcontinent continues to move northward

More arc-shaped mountains were born to their north.

Building the majestic body of the Pamir Plateau

(Topographic map of the Pamir Plateau, drawn by @Zhang Songnan & Zhang Qi/Planetary Research Institute)

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In the dense arc mountains

Some famous mountains

Also attracting the attention of the world

Here are Soviet scientists in 1937

Karl Marx Peak and Engels Peak

These two greatest thinkers in modern history

In a nearly eternal way

Continue to overlook the world in the southern part of the plateau

The Pamir Plateau

Deep "Communist Mark"

(Karl Marx Peak and Engels Peak in the Hindu Kush Mountains as seen from the Wakhan Valley. The highest peak is Karl Marx Peak, and Engels Peak is on its right. Image source: @wikimedia commons)

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In the northwest of the plateau

The commanding heights of many small arc-shaped mountains converge

Within a range of 120 kilometers from north to south

Many snow-capped mountains stand side by side

This is the Academy of Sciences Mountains.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, snow-capped mountains and glaciers in the Academy of Sciences Mountains, image source @Alamy)

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Located in the southern part of the Academy of Sciences Mountains

Istiklol Peak is 6940 meters above sea level.

Formerly known as Revolution Peak

Because it gave birth to the longest

Fedchenko Glacier

And on this planet, the most powerful

(Revolution Peak behind the Fedchenko Glacier, Istiklo Peak is the name used in Tajikistan today, and the former name is the name used during the Soviet era. The former names of the peaks mentioned below are the same. Image source: @Martin Mergili (Note 1))

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Ismail Somoni Peak is 7,495 meters above sea level.

Formerly known as Communist Peak

It is located in the middle of the Academy of Sciences Mountains

It is the highest mountain in Tajikistan.

It was once the highest mountain in the Soviet Union.

(Looking south from Korzhenevskaya Peak to Somoni Peak, photo source @Shutterstock)

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These high mountains in the northwest of the plateau are extremely wonderful

But more than 200 kilometers away in the eastern part of the plateau

The western section of the Kunlun Mountains is not far behind.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the Kongur Peak Group (left) and Muztagh Ata Peak Group (right) in the West Kunlun Mountains from the perspective of Karakul Lake, photographer @Lu Yuchun)

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It is the eastern border of the Pamir Plateau

Rising from the southwest side of the Tarim Basin

Kongur Peak, Muztagh Ata Peak and other snow peaks

Like a giant array

Guarding the Pamir Plateau

(View of the West Kunlun Mountains from Kashgar, photographer @王炳瑞)

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As the West Kunlun Mountains continue to extend northwest

It also draws an arc on the earth

The Pamir Plateau is rising northwards.

Constructing the northernmost border

The Outer Alai Mountains, which face the Tianshan Mountains from a distance

It is like a continuous mountain wall

It stands on the south side of the flat Alai Valley.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, a panoramic view of the Outer Alai Mountains looking south from the Tianshan Mountains. The valley between the two mountains is the Alai Valley. Image source: @Alamy)

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Ibn Sina Peak is 7,134 meters above sea level.

Formerly known as Lenin Peak

It is the highest peak of the Outer Alai Mountains.

The elevation difference from the foot of the mountain is more than 4,000 meters

Towering and magnificent

(Lenin Peak, the highest peak in the Outer Alay Mountains, photo credit @Alamy)

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that's all

A place where many super mountains converge

Multiple arc-shaped mountain combinations

The Pamir Plateau is guarded by many huge snow-capped peaks.

Appearing out of nowhere in the heart of Asia

In all directions of east, south, west and north

Casting a tall shadow

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Taxkorgan Taheman Wetland covered by snow-capped mountains, photographer @倪鑫垚)

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329 BC

Alexander the Great, who conquered Europe, Asia and Africa

He led the army from west to east to the foot of the Pamir Plateau

But the endless mountains

Block Alexander's progress eastward

Prompted him to turn south to the Indus Plain

Keep fighting

Two hundred years later

129 BC

Zhang Qian, the envoy of the Han Empire

After many hardships, they entered the Alai Valley from east to west

The tall snow-capped mountains on the south also blocked his way.

Prompted him to go north to the Fergana Valley

Continue to search for the Great Yuezhi

(Please watch in horizontal mode, schematic diagram of Alexander's Eastern Expedition and Zhang Qian's opening up of the Western Regions, map by @张松楠&张琪/Planetary Research Institute)

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When the two people's footsteps gradually overlap

Pamir Plateau

It seems like history is playing a joke

Maybe it was from that time

It starts out as a super barrier

Appearing in the vision of both Eastern and Western civilizations

02

Super Barrier

The Pamir Plateau has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters.

Not only is it a very qualified terrain barrier

It will also come from

The Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, etc.

The westerly winds bring water vapor to freeze on the mountain tops

Unleash the magic of ice and snow

(Diagram of the Pamir Plateau blocking westerly winds and the distribution of major glaciers, drawn by @张松楠&张琪/Planetary Research Institute)

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Academy Mountains

It is the first stop for the Pamir Plateau to welcome the water vapor from the westerly winds.

Snow freezes on many 6000-7000m peaks

Gradually formed many large glaciers

The longest one

It originated from the northern slope of Revolutionary Peak.

Fedchenko Glacier

After the convergence of many small glaciers

Flowing northward

(Part of the Fedchenko Glacier, taken near the observation station in the middle of the glacier, photo credit @Martin Mergili (Note 1))

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Its length can reach 77 kilometers

It is the longest valley glacier outside the Earth's poles.

(Sketch of the range of the Fedchenko Glacier, drawn by @Zhang Songnan & Zhang Qi/Planetary Research Institute)

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More than that

The westerly winds continue to move forward, bringing water vapor

It also created more glaciers

On the east side of the plateau

Several main peaks surrounding the western end of Kunlun Mountain

Water vapor gave birth to the glaciers in the West Kunlun Mountains

(Glacier under Gongger Jiubie Peak in the West Kunlun Mountains, photographer @李彦昭)

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in particular

The thick and round shape of Muztagh Ata

It gave birth to several glaciers that extended in all directions.

Known as the "Father of the Iceberg"

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Muztagh Ata Glacier, with the Kongur Peaks in the background on the left, photographer @丁丁)

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But then

The westerly winds carry water vapor to the southeast of the Pamir Plateau

Creation of the Karakoram Mountains Main Peak Area

It's a miracle

Because this is where the Earth is concentrated.

The most dense super glacier

They are the second longest glaciers outside the poles.

72km Siachen Glacier

The third longest glacier

67km Biafo Glacier

The fifth longest glacier

63km Baltoro Glacier

The seventh longest glacier

57km Batula Glacier

(Please watch in horizontal mode, a partial view of the Baltoro Glacier under the starry sky, photographer @高承)

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So far

The world's top ten longest glaciers outside the North and South Poles

Half of them were born in the Pamir Plateau

Make it a veritable ice and snow temple

(Baltoro Glacier in the main peak area of ​​Karakoram, photo source @Alamy)

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But in places far away from the water vapor source area

The cost of building an ice and snow temple is extremely high

Because a lot of water vapor freezes on the top of the mountain

The westerly winds are getting drier

The eastern part of the Pamir Plateau, which is located downwind,

Arid desert area

and exacerbated the Tarim Basin

and drought in other parts of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

(The high-cold desert landscape of the West Kunlun Mountains in Taxkorgan County, with the Panlong Highway below, photographer @刘剑伟)

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Pamir Plateau

Therefore, it becomes a super barrier to water vapor

But the barrier that gave birth to the super glacier is also a water tower

Meltwater from glaciers gathers and flows

Many rivers were born

(Aerial photography of the Karakoram Mountains from Pishan County, with the Sangzhu River flowing from the mountains into the desert, photographer @陈剑峰)

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Born in the eastern part of the plateau

Muji River, Taxkorgan River and other rivers

The water flows together in the flat Taxkol Basin.

They flow through the constantly gushing mud

Mujin Mud Volcanoes

Against the backdrop of the Eighteen Arhats snow-capped peaks of the West Kunlun Mountains

Becoming a wonder at the westernmost tip of China

(The Muji mud volcano group under the Eighteen Arhats Peaks. Mud volcanoes are formed by underground natural gas carrying mud to the surface. They are not real volcanoes. Photographer @张扬小强)

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They gave birth to Baisha Lake, the westernmost lake in China.

White sand and blue water

Complement each other

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Baisha Lake overlooking Muztagh Ata Peak, photographer @米藏达哇)

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They eventually cut through the Kunlun Mountains and flowed into the Tarim River.

Constructing the East-flowing Water System of the Pamir Plateau

Participating in the development of the ancient Tarim Basin oasis culture

It is an important part of Chinese civilization

(Please watch horizontally, the Oytag Red Canyon in the Western Kunlun Mountains, the Gezi River flows out of the canyon to irrigate the Kashgar Oasis, photographer @赖宇宁)

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In the southern Pamirs

Many rivers born from glaciers cut through the majestic mountains

It gradually flows into the Indus River

When it finally breaks out of the Himalayas

It also built the southern river system of the Pamir Plateau

The vast Indus Plain

It is one of the four ancient civilizations of mankind.

The ancient Indus Civilization was born

(Scenery of the Indus River Valley, image source: @Visual China)

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In the western part of the Pamir Plateau

Many rivers flowing from east to west

Cascading down between the arc-shaped mountains

It also flows out of the rare green home on the plateau

(Green in the Baltang River Canyon in Tajikistan, image source @Alamy)

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When the river stops

It transformed into lakes scattered all over the plateau

Like pearls

(The scenery of Lake Zokuri in Tajikistan, located in the northeast of the Wakhan Corridor. Some scholars believe that it is the Great Dragon Pond described by Xuanzang. Image source: @Alamy)

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One of the most special lakes

Born in 1911

A landslide blocks the Baltang River

It forms the largest freshwater lake on the Pamir Plateau.

It is also the largest freshwater lake in Central Asia.

Lake Sarez

(Aerial photo of Lake Sarez, image source: @Martin Mergili (Note 1))

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When these rivers burst out of the canyon

It forms the border river between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Penj River

Create the Xiliu River system in the western part of the Pamir Plateau

(The Panj River Gorge around Rushon, Tajikistan. Image credit: @Alamy)

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After gathering more rivers

The Panj River eventually became the Amu Darya River

Together with the Syr Darya River, which originates from the Tianshan Mountains

Becoming two important mother rivers in Central Asia

Together they created the rich Central Asian region

It has been an important settlement for nomadic groups in Central Asia since ancient times.

(Sketch of the main water systems around the Pamir Plateau, drawn by @张松楠&张琪/Planetary Research Institute)

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finally

Central Asia's Super Vapor Barrier

Central Asia

The most important radial water system

Many ancient civilizations

Development is nurtured on the lands watered by these great rivers

And the Pamir Plateau with many white ice and snow palaces

It also became the one that stood between everyone.

Civilization Barrier

(View of the Sarekol Ridge from the Stone City ruins in Taxkorgan County, photographer @马春林)

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But this barrier is not insurmountable.

Just like Zhang Qian's visit

Opened up the road for the Han Empire to enter the Pamir Plateau

Since Zhang Qian

More brave people

Climb the towering snow-capped mountain pass

Walking across the rugged end of the glacier

Walking through deep river canyons

(Afghan herders walking in the snowy Wakhan Valley, photographer @Hans)

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The majestic mountains and barriers of nature

Transformed into a hub of civilization

Use the great connection in the world

Let different civilizations in different regions

Closely connected

03

Great connection

All great connections

There will always be a small cause

Kara Lake in the north of the plateau

Perhaps he is one of the witnesses of this connection.

Meltwater from glaciers all around

Nourished this blue gem

The dry and cold climate and inland environment

The lake water becomes more and more salty

It has become the largest saltwater lake on the Pamir Plateau.

(A yurt of herders by Lake Kara in Tajikistan, photo courtesy @Alamy)

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Its lakeside is lush with water plants

It is a good summer alpine pasture

The herdsmen would drive their cattle and sheep from far away places.

After the livestock have eaten their fill for a summer and autumn

Then return to a place with lower altitude and higher temperature to spend the winter

They call this alpine grassland " Pamir "

In addition to the Kara Lake

Hoshkuk Pamir

There are also many lakes and river valleys with lush aquatic plants.

They are all called "Pamir"

It is the location of the city of Murghab in Tajikistan

Murghab River Wetlands

Sarez Pamir

(River wetlands around Murghab, Tajikistan, image source: @Visual China)

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Taxkorgan County

Wetlands along the river

Takedunshi Pamirs, Kariku Pamirs

Sarykupami

(Golden Grassland Wetland Landscape in Taxkorgan County, part of the Sareku Pamirs, photographer @水冬青)

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All these alpine meadows in the heart of the plateau

Together with the various "Pamirs" on the outskirts of the plateau

The origin of the name "Pamir Plateau"

(Distribution map of water systems and alpine grasslands in the Pamir Plateau, drawn by @Zhang Songnan & Zhang Qi/Planetary Research Institute)

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Looking at the long river of human history

These many "Pamirs"

In fact, they were also the ancestors of the surrounding civilizations.

Early connections made in the plateau

Long before Zhang Qian arrived

From the East and West

Different ethnic groups, languages, cultures, religions and arts

They have coexisted, connected, and integrated here for thousands of years.

(Please watch horizontally. The Zoroastrian ruins of the black and white stone tombs in Girzankale, Taxkorgan, is a man-made beach of black and white stones running east and west. It has a history of 2,500 years. Photographer: Wu Xinhua)

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Based on these ancient connections

From the 2nd century BC

Behind Zhang Qian

The birth of a greater Silk Road

Larger-scale, government-driven

Caravans, monks, and the military

Continue to travel across the Pamir Plateau

Making the tough but great connections

(Route changes of the Silk Road in the Pamir Plateau, map by @Zhang Songnan & Zhang Qi/Planet Research Institute)

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One of the most famous passages

Wakhan Valley in the south

It relies on its narrow and flat terrain

Oasis villages along the river

and the lower mountain pass at the end of the valley

Gradually became the southern route of the Silk Road

The most important corridor across the Pamir Plateau

It has the reputation of "Wakhan Corridor"

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the scenery of the Wakhan Corridor, photographer @汉斯)

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Faxian, a famous monk in the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Xuanzang, a famous monk in the Tang Dynasty

Marco Polo, the 13th-century Viennese explorer

Other Chinese and foreign explorers

They all crossed the Pamir Plateau from the Wakhan Corridor

The difficulties and obstacles along the way

Engraved in the history of the East and the West

This is written by Faxian

There is snow in the Pamir Mountains in winter and summer, and there are poisonous dragons.

If its intention is lost, it will spit out poisonous wind, rain, snow, flying sand, and gravel.

Anyone who encounters this difficulty will be left unscathed.

(From "Records of Buddhist Countries", the picture shows the scenery of the Wakhan Corridor, photographer @汉斯)

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It was written by Xuanzang

So the cold winds are fierce, snow falls in spring and summer, and there are winds day and night.

The ground is alkaline and full of gravels, so it is difficult to grow crops and there are few plants.

As a result, it became deserted and no one came to stop.

(From "A Record of the Western Regions in the Great Tang Dynasty", the picture shows the scenery of the Wakhan Corridor, photographer @汉斯)

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It was written by Marco Polo

I promise you,

Because the Pamir Plateau is extremely cold,

Even the flames are not as bright as elsewhere,

Even the colors are different.

Unable to cook food thoroughly.

(From The Travels of Marco Polo. There is no unified original manuscript for this book, so there are many versions. In addition, the details of the text may differ in different years of translation. This article describes the chapter on Wakhan translated from the English version of the travelogue. The picture shows the scenery of the villages in the Wakhan Corridor. Photographer @汗斯)

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More important than the initial connection

Over twenty centuries

Long-term protection by various civilizations around the plateau

Deep in the Wakhan Corridor

There are still ruins of ancient fortresses.

The soldiers of the Kushan Empire once

Watching the travelers coming and going

Watching the vastness of the Wakhan Corridor

(The ruins of Yamchun Fort overlooking the Wakhan Valley, built in the 3rd century BC during the Kushan Empire, picture source @Visual China)

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Stone Town in Taxkorgan County

There were also soldiers from the Tang Empire

Watching the clear sky and the eternal snow-capped mountains

Watching the Tang Dynasty border and the Silk Road

(Scenery of Taxkorgan Stone City, a military fortress built before the Common Era, photographer @李毅恒)

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When time entered the 20th century

Although the political landscape of the Pamir Plateau continues to change

But by China, Afghanistan, Pakistan

The Pamir Plateau shared by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

Still being protected by various countries

(The busy Taxkorgan Panlong Highway under the Milky Way, photographer @杜铭伟)

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Soviet Union and later Tajikistan

The ancient roads that will be spread all over the plateau

Renovated into the Pamir Plateau Highway

Although it is often simple

But it also makes ancient history

Lighting up the future in new ways

(Pamir Plateau Highway beside Kara Lake in Tajikistan, image source: @Visual China)

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The China-Pakistan Friendship Highway across the Khunjerab Pass

It took twelve years to complete the construction.

China and Pakistan have made great sacrifices together

The dangerous ancient trade route through the Karakoram

Becoming today's magnificent and smooth road

(Canyon scenery of the Pakistani section of the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway, image source: @Visual China)

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Connecting Kashgar Oasis, Alai Valley and Fergana Basin

China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Highway

Following the route Zhang Qian took

A smooth road between two mountains

Continuously pass on wealth and civilization

(Trucks queueing at the Irkeshtam Port on the China-Kyrgyzstan border. The port is the starting point of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Highway. The snow-capped mountains behind are the Outer Alai Mountains. Photographer: @飞翔)

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In the past that can be traced back

and the foreseeable future

More and more modern engineering

With the joint efforts of the countries surrounding the Pamirs

Let the connection across history continue forever

Let the exchanges between civilizations continue

Make the ancient Silk Road accessible again

(Sketch of the main transnational highways on the Pamir Plateau, drawn by @张松楠&张琪/Planetary Research Institute)

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Maybe one day

The unstable situation in Afghanistan

The Wakhan Corridor has become closed and dilapidated.

Will become stable and prosperous

Even built modern roads and railways

Let goods, messengers and tourists

Like most of human history

Continue from here across the Pamir Plateau

Let the Wakhan Corridor once again become a link between the East and the West

Let the great connection between civilizations

Continue to write new chapters in history

(Scenery of the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan, photographer @Hans)

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Maybe then

This is a very important civilization hub in Eurasia.

Will be reborn in the new century

Because the greatest mountain knot on earth

Always calling on the power of civilization

Because of the majestic Pamir Plateau

Will eventually shine with the power of civilization

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the eastern section of the Wakhan Corridor in China, photographer @高一蒙)

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This article was created by

Written by : Cloud Dance Empty City Photo : Xu Ying

Design : Zhang Qi Map : Song Nan

Proofreading : Shi Xiaofei & Li Chuyang & Zheng Yi

Cover Photographers : Ren Lin, Hans

Note 1:

This image was taken by Martin Mergili and published on imaggeo.egu.eu. It is used under the CC 3.0 license.

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