It’s time to go to Gannan!

At this time, the mountains and rivers are hot

The plateau is cool

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in southwest Gansu Province.

This is the place

When the morning sun shines on Zhagana

(Zhagana, Diebu County, photographer @蒋小翼)

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When herds of cattle and sheep stroll on the Luqu grassland

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Gaxiuyun Valley in Luqu County in autumn, photographer @拉玛蔡丹)

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When the romantic river meanders through the Yellow River wetlands

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Awancang Wetland, Maqu County, photographer @万诱引力)

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When the clear morning mist shrouds Langmusi

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the Buddha Sunning Festival in Langmusi Town, photographer @Ran Chuangchang)

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You who are in it

You will definitely feel that this is the paradise on earth.

I was amazed at how these beautiful sights could appear in

Impression of drought in Gansu

Why is Gannan so unique and beautiful?

According to the Planetary Research Institute

Gannan is located on the border between nature and humanity.

Thus, the mountains, rivers and living beings here

All show diverse beauty

01

Mountains and rivers divide

Gannan is located in the southern part of Gansu Province

Adjacent to Sichuan and Qinghai provinces

The average altitude is up to 3000 meters

When we look down at this land from the sky

You will find that Gannan is located on the edge of three major topographical regions.

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Loess Plateau, Longnan Mountains

Meet here

(The location and topography of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The Taizishan Natural Forest Reserve and Lianhuashan Scenic Forest Reserve in the picture are both under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Forestry Department. Map by @Zhou Jinyu/Planetary Research Institute)

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The edge of Gannan is first reflected in the east-west boundary

The western part has the highest average altitude

Closest to the heart of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

On the flat plateau

Scattered with gently undulating mountains

This type of terrain is called a yamahara.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Hongke Ranch, Luqu County, photographer @拉玛蔡丹)

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The average altitude in its eastern part is relatively low.

But it is rugged and steep, with obvious differences

(Jiutianshimen in Zhuoni County, photographer @木子)

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This change in terrain is consistent with

The division between the first and second level terraces of China's terrain

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau on the first step thus fell to

The Loess Plateau and Qinling Mountains on the second step

(Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture geographical location diagram, map by @Zhou Jinyu/Planet Research Institute)

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at the same time

The edge of Gannan is reflected in the north-south boundary.

Kunlun Mountains and Qinling Mountains meet in Gannan

The eastern end of Kunlun Mountains

Animachen Mountain

Extending into Maqu County, Gannan

(The Amnye Machen Mountain in Qinghai Province is only for reference. Photographer: Xing Yulin)

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The western end of Qinling Mountains

Dieshan

It stands between Zhuoni County and Diebu County in Gannan.

Becoming the boundary mountain separating the north and the south

(Dieshan, photographer @Lama Caidan)

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It borders the Min Mountains to the south.

Leaving behind mountains and valleys

(Minshan Mountain shrouded in mist after rain in the southern part of Gannan Prefecture, source: Visual China)

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Adjacent to the Loess Plateau to the north

Large hills stretch across here

(Zhoni Terraces, source @Visual China)

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Coincidentally

It is the boundary between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.

On one side, the Bailong River rushes southeastward

Merges into Jialing River

(Baiyun Village along the Bailong River, photographer @张翼翔)

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On one side, the Tao River and the Daxia River flow northward.

Through the endless loess

Merge into the Yellow River

(The Tao River and the Yellow River meet in Linxia. The Tao River is the more turbid one. Photographer: Li Junbo)

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At this point, Gannan, a marginal area

Because of these mountain and river boundaries, different worlds are created

It may be a mountain plain, a plateau, or a high mountain valley.

They have different terrains and distinct scenery.

(Sketch of natural zoning in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, drawn by @周晋宇/Planet Research Institute)

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besides

Gannan is still in

The edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the eastern monsoon region

The climate is also very different

So, Gannan under the double edge

In these three different areas

What kind of beauty is shown?

02

Different colors of mountains and rivers

Gannan on the edge

It is one of the wetter areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Nearly 600 mm of precipitation per year

Comparable to the coastal Shandong

Under the influence of this

Gannan is covered with more vivid colors

The western mountainous area is the hardest hit.

Higher altitude, cool and humid climate

Let this place be more lush

Even in spring

There is also heavy snow here.

Create a snow country between heaven and earth

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Gannan is covered with heavy snow, the road from Xiahe County to Gangga Grassland winds up the mountain, photographer @陈尚志)

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Wait until spring turns to summer and the ice and snow melt

The withered grass is rejuvenated

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the grassland of Luqu County, photographer @戚俊加)

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Small animals such as marmots and pikas

Sometimes the roadside grass flashes

(Gannan's marmots and pikas. Marmots are also known as marmots. If you encounter them in the wild, please do not touch them at will. Photographers @肖文凯&张耀南; Design @刘志鹏/Planet Research Institute)

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You may also encounter vultures

Pecking at the long-dead yak

(Please watch in horizontal mode, vultures and yaks, source: Visual China)

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When snowmelt and precipitation

Converging into the basin here

Over time, lakes and swamps are formed.

Such as Gahai Lake, the largest lake in Gannan

Born in the embrace of the mountains

If it shines with the blue sky

Showing the purity of plateau lakes

(Gahai Lake in Luqu County, which together with Zecha Stone Forest forms the "Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve", photographer @丁星星)

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Many migratory birds stop by

There are many rare birds such as black-necked cranes, red-crested pochards, and bar-headed geese.

Look, the bar-headed goose is carrying its baby

Foraging in the wetlands

Preparing for future migration

(Bar-headed geese at Gahai Lake, photographer @董晨阳)

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In Maqu County in the southwest

The Yellow River surrounds the Animachen Mountains

It left behind its first turn to the north

Riverbank

Zoige Wetland spans three provinces: Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai

The total area exceeds 30,000 square kilometers

Equivalent to two Beijing cities

(The first bend of the Yellow River and the Ruoergai Wetland, drawn by @Zhou Jinyu/Planetary Research Institute)

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When the river swings

A river that is too curved

They will be cut off and kicked out of the group chat.

These remaining river channels are curved like oxbows[è]

Known as the "Oxbow Lake"

The winding river

(The Yellow River's first bend wetland in Maqu County, the river is winding, photographer @周治中)

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Abundant rainfall and water storage

This wetland has also become an important source area of ​​the Yellow River.

Supplying more than 30% of the Yellow River's water volume every year

(Wetlands along the Yellow River, photographer @胡卫东)

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However, Gannan is more colorful than this.

In the northeast, where the altitude tends to decrease

It focuses on another scene

Due to its proximity to the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

It is also connected to the Loess Plateau

The climate becomes warmer as the altitude decreases

More and more forests are taking over this area

(Please watch in horizontal mode. Yehai Lake in Yeliguan Town is also known as Changye Pond. It is surrounded by lush forests. Photographer: @木子)

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Tao River, Daxia River, Yemu River

Cutting a wide river valley on the plateau

Warm climate and gentle terrain

It supports nearly half of Gannan’s population.

The most important of these is the Tao River

Connected within a hundred kilometers

The three counties of Luqu, Zhuoni and Lintan

(Please watch in horizontal screen, Luqu Xicang Town in the upper reaches of Tao River, photographer @拉玛蔡丹)

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The valley nurtured by the Daxia River carries

Labrang Monastery, the largest temple in Gannan

(Please watch in horizontal mode, a panoramic view of Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County in winter, with the Daxia River flowing along the valley, photographer @王炳瑞)

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Finally, as we turned south

Along the Roque Road

Crossing the North-South Dividing Line in Gannan

Dieshan

The most mysterious and beautiful southeastern half of Gannan

Suddenly came into view

This is very different from the plateau valleys in the northeast.

Most of them have large gaps

This is because the southern slope of Dieshan has more precipitation.

Large and small streams converge, and the terrain slopes down sharply

It cuts out many steep valleys.

Even the highest and lowest points in Gannan

Appear in this area

(The canyon on Die Mountain, the road under the cliff on the left is built along the mountain. This is the so-called Rock Road. It is said that this is the road that the Western explorer Joseph Rock took when he came to Gannan for exploration, but it is actually the Jiangdie Highway. Photographer @极行远方的易川)

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The highest point is at Comei Peak, which is 4,920 meters above sea level.

It is the highest peak of Dieshan.

It is also the highest peak of the Qinling Mountains in a broad sense.

The main peak of the narrow Qinling Mountains is much higher than 3,000 meters.

Taibai Mountain, Shaanxi

(Looking at Dieshan from a distance, photographer @拉玛蔡丹)

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The lowest point is located at the junction of Dieshan and Minshan

Guazigou, Zhouqu County, is only 1,172 meters above sea level.

And between the highest and the lowest

The scenery is full of steep and unique

On the Dieshan Mountain

The greatest glacier in geological time

A deep U-shaped canyon is left here.

Coupled with the steep and rugged limestone on both sides of the canyon

A sense of majestic loneliness arises spontaneously

(U-shaped canyon in the mountains, photographer @张颖康)

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Actually

This limestone landform

There are scattered distributions throughout Gannan.

But Dieshan concentrated on it.

The most stunning, spectacular and beautiful part

When you walk in the valley you can see

The exposed limestone body rises steeply

Like a giant barrier with layers of staggered

Covering the beauty of the mountains covered with forests

(Valleys and forests in the mountains, photographer @方叹士)

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These stone barriers

And under the erosion of years of water

Forming narrow canyons such as Runwugou

(Runwugou Canyon in Zhagana, photographer @山叔夏河)

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However, such a complex mountain environment

But it is rare animals such as giant pandas and sika deer

As well as spruce, fir, rhododendron and other plants

Excellent place to live

(Sika deer in Gannan. Wild sika deer are first-class protected animals in China. Photographer: @眭为民)

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So far

The beauty of Gannan's mountains and rivers

All of them are presented before our eyes

But to survive and develop in such a marginal place

It looks beautiful but it is not that simple

03

Landscape and Countryside

From grasslands to forests, from mountains to valleys

All of these show that Gannan's topography is extremely diverse.

Nomadic and agricultural production methods

Here we take root

(Please watch in horizontal mode, herders and yaks in the morning fog in Gannan, with a wooden drying rack in front of them, used to dry crops such as barley or broad beans, source: Visual China)

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So-called nomadic

It is a production method that follows water and grass

The herders follow the rotation of seasons and the replacement of pastures.

Move livestock to suitable pastures

Therefore, the traditional Gannan herdsmen

Often live in tents all year round

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Maqu grassland and the tents on the grassland are mainly made of yak hair, suitable for high-altitude cold environments, photographer @戚俊加)

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Men grazing outside

Women do housework at home, such as milking cows.

People collect yak dung and dry it for fuel

(On the Gannan grassland, herders are milking cows, photographer @刘辰)

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Maqu grassland with abundant grass and water

Raised the strong Hequ horse

Therefore, at the Gannan Horse Racing Festival

Sometimes you can see top racehorses

(A scene from the 12th Gesar Horse Racing Festival in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, source: Visual China)

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Ganga Tibetan sheep produced in Xiahe County

It is also a local feature

(Ganga sheep in Xiahe County, photographer @Ma Honghai; design @Liu Zhipeng/Planet Research Institute)

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However, after the 1980s

More and more herders settled down

Gradually, they began to lead a herding life instead of traveling.

In addition, the grassland contracting system is gradually being implemented.

Every household has built its own pasture

The year-round nomadic life changed to the rotation of winter and summer pastures.

(Shepherds at the Nordan Tent Camp in Gannan, source: Visual China)

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And when we walked into the eastern part of Gannan

Herds of cattle and sheep became scarce

The cascading terraces come into view

Planting crops such as wheat, barley, and rapeseed

(Terrace fields in Zhagana, photographer @Lu Weiping)

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In Yeliguan

Ten thousand acres of terraced fields and the mountains and forests behind

(Terrace fields in Yeliguan Town, Lintan County, photographer @仇梦涵)

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In Lintan County

Continuous terraced fields linger on many hilltops

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the terraced fields near the Gawanliang Observation Deck in Lintan County, photographer @倪淇)

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In Zhuoni County

Terraced fields surround towns and spread across the mountains

(Please watch in horizontal screen, the terraced fields in Zhuoni County, photographer @石耀臣)

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Actually

In addition to simple nomadic and farming

Many places in Gannan maintain

Semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production mode

People cultivated fields around the settlement

(Bajiao Ancient City and Baishi Cliff in Xiahe County, photographer @陈佳祺)

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And in the distant pastures shepherding sheep and cattle

(The grassland under Baishi Cliff, photographer @刘冰)

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Farming and nomadism coexist here

Become people's reliance for thousands of years

Gannan, located on the edge of agriculture and animal husbandry,

Therefore, in more than a thousand years of history

Always on the edge of ancient regime and culture

Several regimes took control of this place.

Nomadic and agricultural civilizations alternated

However, due to its location in the border area, disputes continued

(Gannan's historical changes are shown. After the Yuan Dynasty, it has been under the jurisdiction of the central government. Map by @刘遥/星球研究院)

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Niutou City, built on the mountain and experiencing many vicissitudes of life

Witnessed the rise of the nomadic regime Tuyuhun

Yangba Ancient City, an important ancient military town

Witnessed the battle between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo

(The "Yangba City Theory" in Zhuoni and the "East of Sun and Moon Mountain Theory" in Qinghai are both theories about the ruins of Shibao City fought over by the Tang Dynasty and Tubo, which are still controversial. Li Bai once wrote a poem "Reply to Wang Twelve on Drinking Alone on a Cold Night" to satirize the costly battle of Shibao City.)

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"You can't learn from Geshu to run rampant in Qinghai at night with a knife, and to slaughter Shibao in the west to get the purple robe."

Taozhou Weicheng with well-preserved city walls

This shows that the Ming Dynasty had stationed heavy troops here.

In this way, "the barbarians in the west were controlled and the Hehuang River in the north was protected."

At that time, the imperial court not only stationed troops and cultivated land here,

Tens of thousands of people from Jianghuai were relocated here to cultivate land and cultivate crops.

Old customs still exist today

(Taozhou Weicheng in Lintan County, photographer @游科; design @刘志鹏/星球研究院)

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Despite occasional conflicts

But trade has never been cut off.

Even once prosperous

Because Gannan in the marginal area

It is easier to become the Tibetan area in the west of the Central Plains

A strategic location connecting Bashu in the south and Hexi in the north

Tuyuhun once operated a business route here

A large amount of silk fabrics were traded here in exchange for cattle and horses.

By the Song Dynasty

The government set up horse companies in Xizhou, Hezhou, Taozhou, and Yazhou.

To run the tea-horse trade

The Ming Dynasty also inherited the practice since the Song Dynasty

Several ancient trade routes have passed through here, leading to all directions

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the ancient Gannan trade route is shown here, Taozhou is now Lintan County, Gannan Prefecture, map by @刘遥/Planetary Research Institute)

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For a long time

People merge through collision and communication

Finally formed in Gannan

The coexistence of multiple ethnic groups including Tibetans, Han Chinese and Hui people

It also formed

A rural landscape where nomadic pastoralism and farming coexist

(Diagram of ethnic composition and proportion in Gannan, drawn by @Liu Zhipeng/Planet Research Institute)

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04

end

When we look back at Gannan again

It is located at the border of nature and humanity.

A different beauty was born

That is the boundary between mountains and rivers

The coexistence of plains and high mountains and deep valleys

(The scenery of Dieshan in Zhuoni County, photographer @木子)

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It is also in the mountains and rivers with different colors

Coexistence of vast grasslands and lush forests

(Awancang Wetland, source @Visual China)

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Still in the mountains and rivers

The fusion of nomadic travel and cultivation

(Gannan scenery, source: Visual China)

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However, the marginal areas

But there are also some inhumane disadvantages

That is the dilemma that coexists with beauty

The terrain here is complex and the ecological environment is relatively fragile

It was not until 2019 that Gannan Prefecture announced that the entire prefecture had been lifted out of poverty.

(Gannan Hezuo City, photographer @木子)

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Whenever there is heavy rainfall in the mountainous areas

Pay special attention to the occurrence of natural disasters

The mountain floods in Xiahe County in July this year are just around the corner

The 2010 Zhouqu County landslide

It is still a pain in the hearts of many people.

(August 10, 2010, debris flow disaster area in Zhouqu, Gansu, source @Visual China)

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More than ten years have passed

Gannan Prefecture has also ushered in better and better development

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Locke Road, paving construction will be carried out in July 2023, photographer @张超)

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Perhaps people come here to appreciate it.

I also felt its changes

That is the resilience that continues to grow in the face of adversity.

This is Gannan today.

The beauty that belongs to the edge

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the sun halo in Zhagana in May, photographer @拉玛蔡丹)

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This article was created by

Written by : Wang Luzhi Editor : Li Chuyang

Image : Zhang Zhaohai Design : Liu Zhipeng

Map : Zhou Jinyu & Liu Yao

Proofreading : Li Chuyang & Shi Xiaofei & Chen Jingyi

Cover Photographer : Xu Xiaoping & Yu Haitong & Zhang Kun

【References】

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Planetary Research Institute

Focus on exploring the extreme world from a geographical perspective

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