It’s the beginning of autumn, why don’t you go to the grassland?

No grassland

China's mountains and rivers will be less magnificent

No nomadism

The Chinese nation will lose a bit of its heroic spirit

grassland

It occupies 40.9% of China’s land area

The most extensive

In the west and north

(Diagram of grassland distribution in China, drawn by @Zheng Yi/Planet Research Institute)

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From Daxinganling to Tianshan

From Tianshan Mountains to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

China here is covered with large areas of grassland

Hulunbuir grassland is endless

The Qilian Mountain grasslands are covered with green grass in the desert Gobi

The Yili grassland is a patchwork of grassland and mountains.

Qiangtang grassland is a place of survival in the cold wind of snowy areas

(Grassland collection, photographers @米雪爽&张忠庆&水冬青&尘月RoyChen&卡布)

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Here live warm and simple people

Mongolian, Tibetan, Kazakh, Uzbek

Kirgiz, Yugur, Tajik

…

(Collection of major ethnic minorities in the west, photographers @Lu Wen & Liang Jiajin & Kui Tao & Zeng Jianjun)

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They live by the water and grass

The changing seasons

Feel the land over time

The place where they live is

Pastoral area

(Hulunbuir grassland, herds of cattle and sheep, photographer @Qiu Huining)

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Vast world

Place the soul that yearns for freedom

Pure folk customs

Accommodate the weary traveler

Walk!

Go to the grassland

01

Wanli Ranch

About the grassland

Your initial imagination may come from this folk song that has been sung for thousands of years

(Northern Qi folk song "Chi Le Chuan")

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Chi Le Chuan, at the foot of Yin Mountain, the sky is like a dome, covering the whole area.

The sky is vast, the fields are boundless, the wind blows the grass low and you can see cattle and sheep.

So, why grassland?

The water vapor from the ocean decreases from southeast to northwest

Grasslands replace forests as the basis of the landscape

Vast world

Start from here

(Distribution of annual precipitation in China and the water vapor obstruction in the northwest, drawn by @郑艺/Planet Research Institute)

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Blue sky, white clouds, herds of cattle and sheep

Flat and vast, with endless greenery

The "model room" of grassland is in Inner Mongolia

In the northeast corner of Inner Mongolia

The border between forest and grassland

There is still plenty of water vapor

"Richly nurtured" Hulunbuir grassland

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Hulunbuir grassland, photographer @Yu Yongle)

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More than 3,000 rivers meander through this area

The Morgele River twists and turns

Known as "the best winding water in the world"

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Morgele River, photographer @张强)

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More than 500 lakes dotted around

Let Hulunbuir Grassland become a representative grassland with abundant water and grass

(Many lakes on Hulunbuir grassland, photographer @Yu Yongle)

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On the south side of Hulunbuir grassland

Equally flat, but larger in area

Xilin Gol Grassland

Means "river on the vast grassland" in Mongolian

The total area is close to the entire United Kingdom

Broad, magnificent, vast and boundless

(Xilingol Grassland, picture source @Visual China)

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To Ordos Grassland

The precipitation is much less than that of Hulunbuir grassland.

The gentle green begins to meet the endless yellow sand

Green grass under yellow sand

Many rare items and countless treasures

(The Maowusu Desert in Ordos, where green grass meets yellow sand, photographer @任世明)

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Continue west

It is flying sand and rocks, desert Gobi

The background is a large area of ​​drought

Is there grassland here too?

Fortunately, there are Qilian Mountains

Water vapor encounters resistance here and forms snowfall

Snow accumulates and compacts into glaciers

(Qilian Mountains, photographer @吴亦丹)

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This stable and huge solid water reservoir

Leave room for the possibility of nurturing civilization in the desert-surrounded northwest

It also marked the beginning of the three-dimensional landscaping of Chinese grasslands.

The tall mountains fold the grassland

There is similar green grass under my feet

But in front of me are rolling mountains

The red layers are connected with the green grassland

(Qilian Mountain Grassland, Photographer @常建儒)

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North of Qilian Mountains

The famous Shandan Military Horse Farm

Since the Han Dynasty, soldiers have been stationed and horses have been raised, witnessing countless wars and smoke

Let the grassland have the momentum of war

(Shandan Military Horse Farm, photographer @孔令盛)

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The Three-Dimensional Aesthetics of China's Grasslands

Starting from Qilian Mountain

Reaching the summit of Tianshan

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Kalajun Grassland in Tianshan Mountains, photographer @万瑞)

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The three-dimensionality comes from the extreme gap

Xinjiang has dangerous peaks at its highest point and basins at its lowest point.

Basin, valley, mountain

Overlapping with grassland

Located in the central basin of the Tianshan Mountains

Bayinbuluke Grassland

There are many lakes and swamps

Swans roost here

A paradise on earth

(Bayinbuluke Grassland, photographer @许杰)

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The Tianshan Mountains open to the west and form the Yili River Valley

The river valley is the fold of the grassland

113 valleys in Tangbula Grassland

The grassland, snow-capped mountains, sea of ​​flowers, and huge rocks

Careful placement, precise cutting

Every ditch has its own scenery, and every scenery is connected

Known as the "Hundred Miles Gallery"

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Tangbula Grassland, photographer @王炳瑞)

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The more ingenious creations are in Kalajun

The grassland tamed the angular mountains

Special planation surface

Solidify the flowing green

Like the ups and downs of the human body

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Kalajun Grassland, photographer @朱聪)

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If the grasslands of Yili

It is a fairy tale created by God in Tianshan Mountain

The grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

It is the ascetic practice under the bitter cold

The average altitude here is over 4,000 meters

Extremely cold and dry

It is the region with the largest area of ​​natural grassland in China.

It accounts for 33.2% of the country’s grassland area

More than Inner Mongolia

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Qamdo, Tibet, photographer @蒋陈南杰)

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The grass that grows here

Most of them are varieties with strong vitality and high cold resistance.

Height is usually less than 10 cm

Bow your head and endure the strong wind

Silently covering the snowy plateau

(Qiangtang Grassland, Photographer @Wyatt)

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Changtang Grassland in Northern Tibet

Tibetan brown bears, Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys

In the deserted wilderness

Reproduce freely

(Collection of plateau animals, photographers @星智&刘树逸&张扬小强&李贞泰)

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In the eastern and southern parts of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Water from the great rivers

With the water vapor brought by the valley

The vast alpine grassland

Create another look

Cold but moist

Due to the cold climate and poor drainage

Swamps, riverbanks, wetlands

Dotted on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Conserving the river rushing out from here

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Big Moon Grassland in Hongyuan, Aba, photographer @王进)

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From Daxinganling to Tianshan

From Tianshan Mountains to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Chinese Grasslands

Its richness and breadth

Shaped by China's mountains and rivers

That's the sentence

(Qiu Chuji's "Luoyi Road")

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How did the world come into being, allowing people to graze horses and cattle?

02

Nomadic Past

The largest area

Only in this way can we develop the broadest mind

No fixed place to live

So the heart is free of restraints

The people on the grasslands chose nomadism

But herders in different regions

How do they live by the water and grass?

Transhumance

Means "walking Aoter" in Mongolian

This is the contract between Mongolian herders and the grassland

The flat and boundless grasslands of Inner Mongolia

Let "black cars and white accounts" run smoothly

A cart made of black birch

Simple structure, durable and easy to repair

Because the bark of black birch is dark brown, it is called "black birch".

Can carry all the belongings of nomads

(LeLe car, photographer @Yu Yongle)

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The white tent is a pure white yurt

This is the portable dwelling of the Mongolian people.

White clouds resting on the grass

It is the most eye-catching color on the green field

(Yurt, photographer @朱聪)

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Herders drive black cars in spring and summer

Let livestock graze to their heart's content in areas with abundant grass and water

In autumn and winter, livestock are driven away

Go to a place that is sheltered from the wind, warm, with tall grass and soft snow

Spend the long winter on the grassland together

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Winter in Ulanbutong, image source: @Visual China)

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Year-round grazing

Seasons

It is a common choice of nomadic peoples

But the most busy

Perhaps it is the Kazakh herders in the Altay region in northern Xinjiang

Altay has complex mountainous terrain

Creates complex climate conditions

The herders need to travel across the mountains to find suitable pastures.

The mountain road is rugged and winding

The longest migration of Kazakh herders is nearly 1,000 kilometers.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, transition to Kazakhstan, photographer @赵来清)

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A poet described

"The people who travel the most in the world are the Kazakhs.

The people who move most frequently in the world are Kazakhs.”

Winter in the plains

Spring and Autumn in the Hills

Summer in the mountains

This transition, year after year

(Kazakh people transfer, photographer @杨志涛)

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The most severe test is in winter.

Looking for a winter home and heading to the winter pasture

It is the top priority for Xinjiang herders.

Shepherds and sheep

Mighty

Walking on the road where the wind, frost and swords are pressing

Let’s pray together that the snow will fall safely this winter

(Tianshan herders on their way to the pasture in winter, photographer @赖宇宁)

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On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Extremely high altitude, fragile ecology

More stringent requirements were imposed on herders

Transition here is a race against time

The practice of restraint

If you stay in one place for too long

Overconsumption of pasture makes it difficult to recover next year

In order to avoid excessive consumption of grass

The herders on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau practice "shallow grazing"

Let the livestock eat big and move fast

Some have to walk dozens of kilometers every day and change places every dozens of days.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Tibetan herders move in the snow, photographer @丁嘉一)

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In transition

The Tibetan herders’ home is a yak tent

Herders twist yak hair into yarn

Weaving brown material into tents

It is soft and fluffy on sunny summer days, but becomes hard and compacted when it is wet on rainy days.

So warm in winter and cool in summer

Black tents are erected

Prayer flags and wind horse flags fluttering on poles

Creation of herdsmen and blessing of gods

Enough to shelter from wind and rain

(Please watch in horizontal screen, the yak tent of the Tibetan herders in Gannan, photographer @戚俊加)

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On the cold Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The spiritual animal that accompanies the herders is the yak.

It is hard to say that humans tamed the yaks.

Or did the yaks accept humans?

The size of yak blood cells is half that of inland cattle

The amount per unit volume is more than three times that

Greatly enhanced oxygen carrying capacity

They move freely on the plateau

The body is heavy, but it is good at walking on steep slopes, dangerous roads, snowy mountains and swamps.

(Yak, photographer @Buqiong)

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On a plateau with an average altitude of more than 3,000 meters

There is only so much that humans can do.

Yaks are creatures that are naturally adapted to this land.

then

The herders choose to release the yaks back into nature

Let them crawl on ice and snow, live on grass

This is the unique semi-wild grazing in Tibet.

(Yak herd, photographer @姜鸿)

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No fixed place to live, just follow the will of heaven

Herders seem to be the freest people

But facing the grassland

Herders in different regions are extremely restrained

They are humble in front of the grassland and put away their arrogance in front of animals.

Grassland as paper

The four seasons are the rhyme

Transition as a sentence

Herders write long poems

Creating a nomadic culture

03

Millennium Fragrance

Nomadic culture

A gift born from the grassland

It is a grand party, exciting competition and delicious food.

The grassland is where herders live.

It is also the stage for the grand event

In summer, the grass is lush and the livestock is fat.

The Nadam Festival was held as scheduled on the Inner Mongolia prairie

The grassland men wrestle with all their might

(Wrestling at the Nadam Festival, image source: Visual China)

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When snow covers the grassland

The boy rode his horse forward in the snow

This is the unique romance and warmth of Nadam in winter

(Horse racing at the Winter Nadam Festival, photographer @Lu Wen)

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Skills born from nomadic life

It has long become an arena for the children of the grassland to show their style

In the north and south of Tianshan Mountain

Kazakh herders show off their superb riding skills in the sheep-grabbing competition

(Picking sheep, photographer @射虎)

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From horseback archery to recreation

The life of people on the grassland is much richer than we imagine.

Tibetans create Shoton Festival with yogurt as the main character

This carnival on the plateau

Opening ceremony with Buddha exhibition

Believers from all over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau flocked to Drepung Monastery, the largest temple in Tibet.

Waiting for the huge thangka painting of Buddha to slowly unfold

Hold your breath and pray silently

(Zhanfo, photographer @Sun Zhijun)

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The climax is the Tibetan opera

Many Tibetan opera troupes perform from day to sunset

Wearing a ferocious mask and colorful clothes

Music, singing and dancing

(Tibetan opera performance, photographer @李小糖)

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Ending with " Crossing the Linka "

"Going through Lingka" is a Tibetan outing

Tibetans seize the sunny days of summer

Dressed in finery, carrying food in the forest meadow

Sunset

(Passing Linka, picture source: Visual China)

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People on the grassland

Most of them are good at making dairy products

This is the gift of grassland and livestock

Milk skin, cheese, milk cake, milk tofu, yogurt, milk tea, milk wine

(Dairy products, photographer @张静)

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Among them

Milk tea plays an absolutely leading role in the lives of pastoral people.

Pastoral people would rather go without food than go without tea

This tea is milk tea

(Herdsmen making milk tea, photographer @曹家麟)

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It is difficult to verify who first added tea to milk.

But when the pastoral people who mainly eat meat and milk

I found that adding this tea from the south to milk

You will feel refreshed and relieve greasiness and fat

Milk tea is like the wind of freedom

Conquered China's vast pastoral areas

Butter tea may be the prototype of milk tea

Tibetans extract butter from yak milk

Then put it into a special butter tea barrel

Serve with salt and boiled tea

Whip hard, blend oil and tea

(Butter tea, photographer @张静)

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Tajiks in Kashgar, Xinjiang

Women often start their busy day by making milk tea.

Treating guests with salty milk tea is the way of hospitality of the Tajik people

(Tajik women in the kitchen, photographer @都文明)

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On the Inner Mongolia prairie

High-quality forage grass creates a unique source of high-quality milk

This is the basis of the delicious salty milk tea in Inner Mongolia

(Inner Mongolia Hulunbuir Grassland Milk, image source @Yili)

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Mongolian herdsmen add milk tea

Fried rice, milk skin, beef jerky, milk tofu

A cup of milk tea can resist hunger and cold

(Mongolian salty milk tea, picture source @Visual China)

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Mongolian herdsmen believe that all things have spirits.

Treat the grassland and all living things with awe

They printed the picture of the horse on paper

It is called "wind horse" and is used to scatter during festivals.

Hope for good luck

They sprinkled milk tea around the yurt as an offering

Pray for divine protection

(In Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, Fengma prays for good fortune and prosperity in the new year. Photographer: @姜鸿)

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Milk tea in three meals a day

Milk tea is also a festival feast

It is a daily routine in the lives of herders.

But it was also given the honorable praise

The nomadic settlements

It is a thousand-year-old fragrance

Milk tea was born in inland China

It is the creation of pastoral people

On the other side of the distant ocean

Arabic milk tea, Indian milk tea, English milk tea

It is also more or less similar to the milk tea in China's pastoral areas.

There are inextricable connections

This directly influenced the prototype of today's modern commercial milk tea.

Milk tea originated in Hong Kong and Taiwan

(Hong Kong-style milk tea, image source @Visual China)

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Milk and tea meet from afar

Sea and land echo across time

In the days of mobility

Under hard and arduous labor

Milk tempers the bitterness of tea

It also reconciles the hardships of life

now

It's hard to limit milk tea

It welcomes all ingredients with an inclusive attitude

All-encompassing

Milk tea is a delicacy presented by pastoral people to the world

The fragrance that has remained unchanged for thousands of years

There is the free wind of the grassland and the melodious pastoral songs of the pastoral land.

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This article was created by

Written by | Yue Fan

Editor | Qingliu

Photo | Zhou Xuguang

Map | Zheng Yi

Design | Feng Yizhuo

Proofreading | Wang Luzhi & Qingliu & Gao Liqian

Cover Photographer | Wang Jianbing & Shui Dongqing & Yu Yongle

This article is provided by

Erie & Planet Institute

Co-production

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