Newly published book series "Introduction to Xinjiang" (Volume 1, Combined Edition)

Author: Liu Changming, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-14
Features: Tian Shan, the symbol of Xinjiang. Tian Shan is one of China's three major transverse mountain ranges. Anciently known as Beishan, Snow Mountain, Bai Mountain, and Yinshan. The Tian Shan mountain range is one of the largest mountain systems in Asia. The Tian Shan mountain range within China extends from the Kizil Valley in Wuchai County at the Pamir Knot in the west, stretching eastward until beyond the Xingxingjia in Hami. The western part of Tian Shan is higher than the eastern part, with a length of over 1,700 kilometers, a width of 250 to 350 kilometers, and a maximum width of 400 kilometers. The average elevation is 4,000 meters, with the main peak, Tomur Peak, reaching an altitude of 7,435 meters. The Tian Shan mountain range consists of three parallel transverse ranges: the Northern Tian Shan, which includes Altai Mountains, Poluoqionu Mountains, and Yilianhabierga Mountains; the Central Tian Shan, which includes Wusun Mountains, Narat Mountain, and Erbin Mountains; and the Southern Tian Shan, which includes Kokshaal Mountains, Harketaw Mountains, Kokteke Mountains, and Hor Mountains. East of Bogda Peak lies the Eastern Tian Shan, including Bogda Mountains, Balinkun Mountains, and Halik Mountains. The peaks of Tian Shan are majestic, with sparkling snow and clouds shrouded in mist. The western part of Tian Shan has over a dozen peaks exceeding 6,000 meters, forming vast glacial clusters. Each peak stretching eastward, over 4,000 meters high, is covered with glaciers, making it the largest glacial distribution area in Xinjiang. According to the "Glacier Catalog," there are 9,128 glaciers in Tian Shan, covering an area of nearly 9,260 square kilometers, with a water storage equivalent to the annual inflow of the Yangtze River. Tian Shan glaciers are Xinjiang's largest solid water reservoir. Every summer, the melting of large and small glaciers and snow in the mountains flows into rivers such as the Ili River, Aksu River, Manas River, and Urumqi River, nourishing the vast basins and oases north and south of Tian Shan. Tian Shan winds and rises, with towering peaks and magnificent scenery, featuring many spectacular wonders. The crystal-clear snow peaks and ice cliffs, like crystal, have left footprints of Chinese climbers. The Tianchi, a high-altitude lake, is a mirror on the comb of the Queen Mother of the West in mythology, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and beautiful lake scenery. The vast natural pastures are covered with lush green grass and blooming wildflowers, as if embroidered with brocade. The mountain streams flowing through the valleys and gorges toss pearls and splash jade, creating a scene of blossoms and clouds. The lakes on the highland plains are clear and beautiful, with rippling green waves. Tian Shan is adorned with the traces of history and has witnessed the beauty of the world. Tracing back over 2,000 years, Tian Shan welcomed the troops of Zhang Qian and Ban Chao, and welcomed the carriages of Jieyou and Fengyi. The long ice valleys were the arduous journey of the monk Xuanzang seeking Buddhist scriptures. The winding ancient roads were the Silk Road for merchants from China and beyond. The oases and grasslands were the battlefields where Genghis Khan rode his horses. The rivers and streams were the milk of the Gobi desert, sand dunes, and alkali flats. The beauty of Tian Shan lies more in its grandeur and uniqueness. Snow peaks, pine forests, and meadows are the three key elements of Tian Shan's scenery. Below the snow line, dense primeval forests stretch, with open alpine grasslands beneath them. The combination of snow peaks, dark pines, and grasslands creates a striking aesthetic experience, elevating the beauty of Tian Shan. From an airplane, the Tian Shan mountain range appears as a vast ocean of white waves, with layered peaks like frozen waves, surging and magnificent, leaving one in awe and expanding one's horizons. Since ancient times, Tian Shan has been the home of nomadic peoples. On these vast grasslands, there are Kazakh yurts, Mongolian yurts, and stone houses for winter grazing. As you wander in Tian Shan, when you find yourself alone with no villages in sight and no carriages behind, a sudden sense of solitude may arise. Suddenly, a white yurt appears in your vision, bringing a sense of familiarity as if you've met again after a long time. The curling smoke rising from the stove, the pastoral songs drifting in the air, and the sheep flocks drifting like clouds form a magical landscape, captivating all who see it. Tian Shan is a treasure mountain, rich in rare gems and treasures. The Tian Shan mountain range contains abundant coal, copper, nickel, iron, manganese, lead, and zinc, with substantial reserves of rare metals like lithium and beryllium. It also holds high-quality non-metallic mineral deposits such as mica, quartz, bentonite, and marble. For example, the Eastern Tian Shan mining belt alone has 76 types of metal and non-metallic mineral deposits. The Tian Shan mountain range is indeed a resource-rich area in Xinjiang. Tian Shan is also a famous protected area for wildlife and plants, home to numerous rare birds and animals such as deer, wolves, bears, tigers, jackals, gazelles, vultures, and eagles, with dozens of wildlife species roaming here. Wildlife are friends of humanity, and protecting wildlife is protecting ourselves. Tian Shan also yields many traditional Chinese medicines, with the most prized being the snow lotus. During the right season, if you bravely climb above the snow line, you can see clusters of snow lotuses, like jade carvings, absorbing snowwater and enduring snowlight, exuding elegance and purity. Snow lotuses are precious medicinal herbs, and the timid cannot gather them. Generations of literati have extolled the beauty of Tian Shan. The poem "Chu Sai" by Yang Su of the Sui Dynasty includes the line, "Under the bright moon of Jiaohe at night, Yinshan seems like mist in the morning." The great poet Li Bai's verse, "The bright moon rises from Tian Shan, amidst vast clouds and seas. The long wind blows for tens of thousands of miles, passing the Yumen Pass," is widely celebrated. The frontier poet Cen Shen writes, "April is still cold, Tian Shan is shrouded in snow," capturing the scenery of Tian Shan. The ancients could not praise, write, or paint Tian Shan enough, and even today, we find it difficult to do so. The beauty of Tian Shan is endless, it is vast and profound, it is charming in a thousand ways, and it is tuy?t v?i. 2-3