Dreaming of the Grasslands

Author: Gai Shanshan Gai Zhiyong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Once, while flipping through a Chinese geological map, I discovered an interesting phenomenon: in Inner Mongolia, there are so many Quaternary volcanic basalt lava flows and volcanic cones, such as Abaga Volcano, Dalinor Volcano, Dainan Volcanic Field in the south, and Wulanhada Volcano. These extinct volcanoes sparked my great interest. The Wulanhada Volcanic Group is distributed in the northern edge of the Chahar Lava Plateau. Due to its elegant and distinctive appearance, it has attracted many geologists to explore it. In the summer of 1969, I went to Wulanhada Sumu in Chaoyouhouqi for a business trip and met a colleague from the Inner Mongolia Geological Bureau. He invited me to examine the Wulanhada Volcanic Group. There are a total of nine volcanic cones, clearly divided into two east-west rows. Except for Alichoushan Volcano, all nine volcanoes are typical truncated cone-shaped volcanoes, with intact, fresh, and striking forms. The eastern row consists of five volcanoes: Xihuoishan, Zhonghuoishan, Donghuoishan, and Daxongshanzi, which are clearly aligned in a straight line. Because the three Huoishan volcanoes and two Hongshanzi are located at both ends of the volcanic row, they appear like two mountains from a distance. The local Mongols call this landscape "Haoyaoer Nuden," meaning "two eyes protruding from the earth." The sizes, heights, and shapes of the volcanoes vary. Taking Xihuoishan as an example, it is a horseshoe-shaped volcanic cone with an elliptical crater, a crater diameter of 140 meters, a short axis diameter of 80 meters, and a depth of 6 to 7 meters. The broken crater opens to the southeast, forming gullies that reach the foot of the mountain outside the crater. On the southwest slope of the volcanic cone, the tongue-shaped lava flows are very prominent. The crater rim is mostly composed of lava fragments. The center of the crater resembles a pot bottom. When I knocked on the rocks there with a stone, I heard a dull echo, as if it came from the deep chest of the earth. The western row volcanoes are located 3 kilometers southwest of the Wulanhada Station and consist of four volcanoes aligned in a northeast direction. Three of the volcanic cones have similar shapes, typical truncated cones, and from a distance, they resemble an anvil. Therefore, the locals call them "Anvil Mountains." Additionally, because the craters of the three volcanoes are relatively complete and round when viewed up close, they resemble furnaces. The locals, who are Han Chinese, call them "Alchemy Furnaces," as it is said to be where the Old Lord refined elixirs. Among these four volcanoes, the northern Alchemy Furnace is the closest to the Wulanhada Station and is also the most typical one in the western row. It has a complete form, a round crater, and is about 50 meters high with a crater diameter of 50 meters and a depth of about 30 meters. The crater rim is flat, with a slope of about 10 meters. The cone body is mainly composed of pumice-like lava fragments, volcanic debris, volcanic bombs, and volcanic gravel. The lava flows mainly flow southeast, forming serpentine and rope-like lava flows that make the ground uneven. P83
Chalerhao riding a camel continued northward. When night fell, we arrived at Shaitai Banmu Baoertaogai. There is a long lake on the eastern shore, with a high sand dune nearby. I heard that during the "Great Leap Forward" era, this place was still a fishing ground. When we gathered firewood to cook, we found ancient pottery fragments and stone tools used by ancient humans on the ground exposed by the wind near the lake. These silent yet radiant artifacts showcase the civilization of the area. We then climbed to the peak of the vast desert...