Is Qinghai Lake a city?

I think it was a slip of the tongue

Qinghai Lake

English: Qinghai Lake

Tibetan: mtsho-sngon?

Overview of the lake

Qinghai Lake is also known as "Kuku Nur", which means "blue sea" in Mongolian. It is located in the Qinghai Lake Basin in the northeastern part of Qinghai Province. It is not only the largest inland lake in China, but also the largest saltwater lake in the country. It is 105 kilometers long, 63 kilometers wide, and the deepest reaches 38 meters. The lake's water catchment area is about 29,661 square kilometers, and the lake's altitude is 3,196 meters. It is nearly 450 square kilometers larger than Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. The source of lake water mainly relies on surface runoff and lake precipitation recharge. There are more than 40 rivers entering the lake, including Buha River, Bago Ulan River, Sidedang River, etc., among which Buha River is the largest.

Qinghai Lake was called "West Sea" in ancient times, also known as "Fresh Water" or "Fresh Sea". It is called "Kukunuoer" in Mongolian and "Cuowenbo" in Tibetan, which means "blue sea" and "blue ocean". Since the area around Qinghai Lake previously belonged to Beiheqiang pastureland, it was also called "Beiheqiang Sea". Some people in the Han Dynasty also called it "Xianhai". It was only from the Northern Wei Dynasty that the name was changed to "Qinghai". Qinghai Lake is located in the northeastern part of the plateau. The lake is surrounded by towering mountains. To the north is the majestic Datong Mountain, to the east is the majestic Riyue Mountain, to the south is the rolling Qinghai Nanshan Mountain, and to the west is the towering Rubber Mountain. It is about 200 kilometers away from Xining and has an altitude of 3,200 meters. With a circumference of 360 kilometers and an area of ​​4,583 square kilometers, it is the largest saltwater lake in my country. There are nearly 30 large and small rivers in the lake area. There are two sub-lakes on the east bank of the lake, one is Gahai, covering an area of ​​more than 10 square kilometers, and is salt water; the other is Erhai, covering an area of ​​4 square kilometers, and is fresh water. Looking from the bank of Qinghai Lake, you can see green distant mountains surrounding it; The clear lake water has sparkling waves; the green grassy beach has flocks of sheep like clouds. On the endless lake, blue waves stretch to the sky, snow-capped mountains are reflected, fish are jumping for joy, and thousands of birds are soaring. Qinghai Lake is surrounded by vast grasslands. The lakeside terrain is open and flat, with sufficient water resources and a relatively mild climate. It is a natural pasture with abundant water and grass. In summer and autumn, the prairie is covered with green fungi. Golden rapeseed is fragrant in the wind; herdsmen’s tents are dotted here and there; herds of cattle and sheep are fluttering like clouds. The charming scenery of sunrise and sunset is full of poetry and painting, making people relaxed and happy.

Qinghai Lake is located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai Plateau. It has a vast territory, vast grasslands, numerous rivers, rich water and grass, and a quiet environment. The lake is surrounded by four towering mountains: to the north is the magnificent Datong Mountain, to the east is the majestic Riyue Mountain, to the south is the winding Qinghai Nanshan Mountain, and to the west is the towering Rubber Mountain. The altitude of these four mountains is between 3600 meters and 5000 meters. Looking around, it looks like four high natural barriers, tightly surrounding Qinghai Lake. From the foot of the mountain to the lakeside, there is a vast, flat, boundless grassland. The Qinghai Lake, with its vast mist and blue waves, is like a huge emerald jade plate embedded in the mountains and grasslands, forming a picture of mountains and rivers. The magnificent scenery and beautiful scenery of mountains, lakes and grasslands complement each other.

The scenery of Qinghai Lake is completely different in different seasons. In summer and autumn, when the surrounding majestic mountains and the vast grasslands on the west coast are covered in green, the Qinghai Lake has beautiful mountains and clear waters, high skies and crisp air, and the scenery is very beautiful. The vast and undulating grassland is like a thick green carpet. The colorful wild flowers embellish the green carpet like brocade, and there are countless cattle and sheep and fat and strong horses. The horses are like colorful pearls scattered all over the grassland; the large and picturesque farmland beside the lake is rolling with wheat waves, and the cauliflower is golden and fragrant; the Qinghai Lake, with its vast expanse of blue waves and the same color of water and sky, is like a glass of nectar gently rippling. In the cold winter, when the cold snap arrives, the surrounding mountains and grasslands turn yellow, sometimes even covered with a thick layer of silver. Every year in November, Qinghai Lake begins to freeze. The vast clear lake surface, covered with ice and jade and covered with silver, is like a huge mirror, shining in the sun and emitting dazzling brilliance all day long.

Qinghai Lake is famous for its abundance of Huang fish and its fish resources are very rich. It is worth mentioning that the ice fish produced here is more famous. During the ice season, after Qinghai Lake freezes, people drill holes in the ice to catch fish. The underwater fish will automatically jump out of the ice holes under the temptation of sunlight or light, and they are delicious when cooked.

Qinghai Lake Bird Island Haixin Mountain and Bird Island in Qinghai Lake are both tourist attractions. Haixin Mountain, also known as Longju Island, covers an area of ​​about 1 square kilometers. The island has rugged rocks and beautiful scenery, and is famous for producing dragon colts. Bird Island is located in the west of Qinghai Lake, near the Buha River, the largest river in Liuzhu Lake. It covers an area of ​​only 0.5 square kilometers and is home to more than 100,000 migratory birds in spring and summer.

Qinghai Lake is a magical tourist destination and a huge treasure lake that has attracted the attention of scientists around the world. The government has conducted multiple comprehensive inspections of Qinghai Lake and found that Qinghai Lake is rich in mineral resources. The lake is rich in Huang fish and is the largest natural fish bank in northwest my country.

In April and May, fish swim to nearby rivers to spawn. Dense schools of fish cover the water at the mouth of the Buha River, making the lake appear yellow. The fish swim loudly, flip and jump, which is extremely spectacular.

The Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and other ethnic groups living here live in harmony and work together to protect, develop and build this vast treasure lake. The beautiful scenery of Qinghai Lake attracts thousands of tourists and has become a tourist attraction gathered by domestic and foreign tourists. In order to develop the emerging plateau tourism industry, the Qinghai Tourism Department established a tourist spot in Qinghai Lake. Visitors here can not only enjoy the scenery of the plateau pastoral areas, but also ride horses and yaks, roam the grasslands, climb sand dunes, or visit herdsmen’s homes to appreciate the customs of Tibetan herdsmen. The ranch also sets up various tents specifically for tourists, and provides milk tea, butter, fried noodles and highland barley wine for tourists to taste.

Geological formation

Qinghai Lake is a structurally faulted lake, and the edge of the lake basin is mostly connected to the surrounding mountains by faults. The lake was first formed 200,000 to 2 million years ago. It was originally a large freshwater lake connected to the Yellow River system. At that time, the climate was mild and rainy, and the lake water was discharged into the Yellow River through the Daitang River in the southeast. It was an outflow lake. By 130,000 years ago, due to the neotectonic movement, the surrounding mountains were strongly uplifted. From the end of the Pliocene, the Riyue Mountain and the Bison Mountain in the eastern part of the lake rose rapidly, blocking the Daotang River that originally fed into the Yellow River, forcing it to flow from the east. It flows westward into Qinghai Lake, where Gahai Lake and Erhai Lake appear, and later separates into Haiyan Lake, Shadao Lake and other sub-lakes. Due to the blockage of the leakage channel, Qinghai Lake evolved into a closed lake. Coupled with the drying of the climate, Qinghai Lake has gradually transformed from a freshwater lake into a saltwater lake. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, the circumference of Qinghai Lake was said to be thousands of miles. In the Tang Dynasty, it was 400 kilometers, and during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was reduced to 350 kilometers. There are ancient lake embankment ruins about 20 kilometers from the front edge of the Buha River Delta; Chahan City (built in the Han Dynasty), 25 kilometers away from the east bank of the lake, was originally on the lakeside. The east and west sides have retreated by 25 kilometers and 20 kilometers respectively, and the water level has dropped by about 100 meters. At present, Qinghai Lake is oval in shape with a circumference of more than 300 kilometers. In 1908, the Russian Kozlov speculated that the water level of the lake at that time was 3205 meters, and the lake area was 4800 square kilometers; surveying data in the 1950s showed that the lake area of ​​Qinghai Lake was more than 4568 square kilometers; the topographic map published in the 1970s measured the lake The water level is about 3195 meters. The lake area is 4473 square kilometers; in 1988, the water level was 3193.59 meters, and the lake area was 4282 square kilometers. By 2000, through remote sensing satellite data analysis, the area of ​​Qinghai Lake was more than 4256.04 square kilometers. The current volume of the lake is 73.9 billion cubic meters, with a length of about 104 kilometers, a maximum width of about 62 kilometers, a maximum water depth of 3.14 meters, an average salinity of 12.32 grams per liter, and a salt content of 1.24%.

The water level of Qinghai Lake drops at an average rate of 12.1 centimeters every year. In 2000, the water level dropped the fastest, falling by 21 centimeters in one year. At this rate, Qinghai Lake loses an average of 4.36 centimeters per year. billion cubic meters, is splitting from a single large plateau lake into a group of lakes with "one large and several small". The main factors causing the shrinking of Qinghai Lake include climate warming, intensified human activities, and reduced rainfall. In particular, blind land reclamation around Qinghai Lake has destroyed the water sources of water-filled rivers. At present, 50% of water-filled rivers in Qinghai Lake have dried up. According to statistics, due to the significant reduction in water supply rivers, the amount of water entering the lake has also decreased by 60% compared with 20 years ago.

Some experts predict that if it continues to shrink at the current rate, Qinghai Lake, with an average water depth of 18 meters, will completely disappear in 200 years. At present, due to the warm and dry climate and the degradation of the entire basin ecosystem, the general trend of Qinghai Lake water level decline is difficult to change in the short term.

In order to protect Qinghai Lake, Qinghai Province has implemented ecological construction projects such as closing the lake for fish cultivation and returning farmland to forests and grasslands. It is hoped that Qinghai Lake will regain its former beauty in the near future.

Lake water system

The water supply source of Qinghai Lake is river water, followed by spring water and precipitation at the bottom of the lake. There are more than 70 large and small rivers around the lake, showing an obvious asymmetric distribution. The north, northwest and southwestern shores of the lake have many rivers, large drainage areas and many tributaries; the southeastern and south shores of the lake have few rivers and small drainage areas. The Buha River is the largest river flowing into the lake. It originates from the Amuniku Mountains, a branch of the Qilian Mountains. It is about 300 kilometers long. The main stream is 92 kilometers long. There are dozens of tributaries and more than 10 larger tributaries. The river downstream is wide. About 50 to 100 meters, 1 to 3 meters deep, PH 8 to 8.2. The basin area is 16,570 square kilometers, accounting for about 1/2 of each river basin in the lake area. The annual runoff is 1.12 billion cubic meters, accounting for 60% of the runoff entering the lake. Qinghai Lake mainly receives annual runoff supplies from the Buha River, Shaliu River, Wuhaalan River and Hargai River. The annual runoff of these four rivers reaches 1.612 billion cubic meters, accounting for 86% of the runoff into the lake. It is an area where fish migrate to spawn and birds are concentrated. Qinghai Lake recharges 1.335 billion cubic meters of water every year from rivers, 1.557 billion cubic meters of precipitation, and 401 million cubic meters of groundwater. The total recharge is 3.493 billion cubic meters. The wind in the lake area evaporates quickly, and the lake water recharges every year. The evaporation volume is 3.93 billion cubic meters, with an average annual loss of 437 million cubic meters.

Climate Characteristics

Qinghai Lake has a plateau continental climate, with sufficient sunlight and strong sunshine; cold winters and cool summers, a short warm season, a long cold season, strong winds and sandstorms in spring; rainfall A little less, with rain and heat in the same season, and distinct dry and wet seasons.

Lighting

Most of the annual sunshine hours in the lake area are more than 3,000 hours, which is about 700 hours higher than the same latitude area east of Qinghai; the annual sunshine percentage reaches 68-69% . The total annual radiation is between 171.461 kcal/cm2·year and 106.693 kcal/cm2·year, which is 10 to 40 kcal/cm2·year higher than that of the North China Plain and Loess Plateau at the same latitude.

Temperature

The temperature in the east and south of the Lake District is slightly higher, with an average annual temperature between 1.1℃ and 0.3℃; in the west and north, the temperature is slightly lower, with an average annual temperature of - Between 0.8℃～0.6℃, the average maximum temperature is between 6.7℃～8.7℃, the average minimum temperature is between -6.7℃～4.9℃, and the extreme maximum temperature is between 25℃ and 24℃ ．4℃, the extreme minimum temperatures are -31℃~ and -33.4℃.

Moisture

The lake area receives less precipitation throughout the year. But the east and south are slightly higher than the north and west. The annual precipitation in the east is 412.8 mm, in the south is 359.4 mm, in the northwest is 370.3 mm, and in the west is 360.4 mm and 324.5 mm. The annual evaporation reaches 1502 mm, which far exceeds the precipitation. The precipitation in the lake area changes greatly seasonally, with most precipitation concentrated from May to September, with rain and heat in the same season.

Strong winds and sandstorms

The Lake District is one of the areas with more days of strong winds and sandstorms in the province. From February to April every year, strong winds often occur from afternoon to evening, and northwest winds prevail. Take Gangcha as an example. There are an average of 47.3 days of strong winds (≥17 meters/second) per year, with the most days from February to April, with an average of 5.9 to 9.3 days, and up to 19 days in March. Sandstorms last an average of 14 days per year. The Buha River Estuary-Niaodao area in the key protected area is subject to northwest winds, with the maximum wind force reaching level 9 to 10. Due to the high altitude of the lake area, there are many winds in the west of the lake, and the high air has a great influence. It is mostly under the control of westerly winds throughout the year. The wind speed is the highest in winter and spring, and smaller in summer and autumn. Under the influence of wind, the general wave level is level 2 to 3, with the maximum level being level 7 to 8. The number of days with waves above level 6 is about 40 days throughout the year.

Water temperature

The water temperature of Qinghai Lake changes with the seasons. The temperature of the lake water in summer has an obvious positive thermosphere phenomenon, with a maximum temperature of 22.3℃ and an average of 16℃ in August; the temperature of the lower layer of water is lower, with an average water temperature of 9.5℃ and a minimum of 6℃. In autumn, the lake water is agitated due to windy conditions in the lake area, causing the water temperature stratification phenomenon to basically disappear. In winter, the lake surface freezes, and the lake water temperature appears to be an inversion layer phenomenon. In January, the upper layer temperature of the subglacial lake water is -0.9℃, and the bottom water temperature is 3. 3℃. After the spring thaw, the surface water temperature of the lake begins to rise again, gradually returning to the water temperature of summer and winter.

Ice conditions

Because the water content of Qinghai Lake contains inorganic salts, the freezing temperature of the lake water is slightly lower than 0℃. Starting from mid-November every year, the temperature in the lake area drops below 0°C, and reaches its lowest temperature in January of the following year. A stable ice cover forms over the entire lake. The average annual ice-free period is 108 to 116 days, with the shortest being 76 days and the longest being 138 days. . The ice thickness is generally 40 cm, with a maximum ice thickness of 90 cm. After the ice is sealed, the ice surface is flat, and cracks and grooves often appear due to strong winds. Come to enjoy the lakes and mountains in winter, everything is white and silvery. In mid-March, the ice cap broke and ice floes appeared on the lake. Under the influence of wind, huge icebergs were formed and floated to the shore. The largest iceberg volume was about 10 cubic meters. After mid-April, the ice in the lake completely melted.

Islands in the lake

There are 5 islands in Qinghai Lake

Bird Island

Also known as Xiaoxishan or Egg Island (because of the bird Eggs everywhere (hence the name). Located 4 kilometers north of the mouth of the Buha River, the east end of the island is large and the west end is narrow and long, shaped like a tadpole, with a total length of 1,500 meters. After 1978, the lake bottom on the north, west and south sides were exposed and connected to the land. Bird Island has a gentle slope and the surface is covered with sand and rocks. There are several springs flowing in the southwest of the island. The main plants include Brachyphylla bifidus, Chenopodium truncatula, wheatgrass, Echinacea falciparum, Polygonum sibirica, Songweed, Poa annua, etc. Bird Island is a unique bird breeding ground in Asia and is the first of the eight major bird sanctuaries in my country. It is an important place for Qinghai Province to open to the outside world. Every year from March to April, geese, ducks, cranes, and gulls migrating from the south come to Qinghai Lake to build nests. From May to June, bird eggs are everywhere, and the young birds flock in groups, which is very lively and can be heard for miles. At that time, there were more than 30 species of birds on the island, with a population of more than 165,000. From July to August, the autumn air was crisp, and the birds soared in the blue sky and cruised the lake; they began to migrate southward at the end of September. In order to protect birds for people to watch, the Bird Island Nature Reserve was established in August 1975. It was listed as a national nature reserve in 1980. In 1986, the provincial government allocated 600,000 yuan to build tunnels, bunkers, lookouts and other facilities. , for tourists to watch, etc., there are roads from north to south to reach Bird Island.

Haixin Mountain

Located slightly south of the center of Qinghai Lake, about 25 kilometers away from Bird Island, the island is long, wide in the middle and narrow at both ends, 2.3 kilometers long and 2.3 kilometers wide. 0.8 kilometers, with an area of ​​1.14 square kilometers. The highest point on the island is 3266 meters above sea level. It is composed of granite and gneiss. There is a spring on the east edge of the island for drinking. The rocks on the southern edge are exposed to form steep cliffs, and the east, west and north are gentle beaches. Most of the island is covered with sand, and grows ice grass, Achnatherum splendens, Echinacea falciparum, Songweed, Goldenrod lanceolata, Polygonatum sibirica, etc. The vegetation coverage is more than 50%, and birds are concentrated on the cliff edges and gravel of the island. Beach habitat.

Haixi Mountain

Also known as Haixipi, it is located 6 kilometers north of the mouth of the Buha River and Bird Island at the top of the alluvial flats of the Buha River. There is a fault on the northeastern edge of the island. The cliff is close to the lake. Outside the cliff, there is an approximately cylindrical rock standing in the lake. It is a breeding ground for cormorants. The vegetation coverage on the island is more than 90%.

Sha Island

Located in the northeast of the lake, in Haiyan County, it was once the largest island in the lake, about 13 kilometers long, about 2.8 kilometers wide at its widest point, and covering an area of ​​18 square meters. km, the highest point on the island is 3252 meters above sea level. It is formed by the sand ridges in the lake protruding from the water surface and accumulated by wind and sand. In 1980, the northeastern end of Shadao was connected to the land to form a peninsula, and surrounded the 33-square-kilometer Shadao Lake. The surface is covered with gravel and has no vegetation. It is a habitat and breeding ground for fish and gulls.

Three Stones

Also known as Gucha Mountain, it is located in the southwest of the lake. It is composed of 7 densely packed limestones and reefs. It is about 17 meters high and covers an area of ​​about 0.056 square kilometers, 20 kilometers away from Bird Island and Haixin Mountain. On the island, only wormwood and other plants grow in the gaps between gravels. Vegetation coverage is less than 5%.

Socioeconomic

There are vast natural pastures on the shores of Qinghai Lake, large fertile fields and rich mineral resources. It is snowy in winter, rainy in summer and autumn, with abundant water resources and abundant rainfall, which has good conditions for the development of animal husbandry and agriculture. As early as in distant ancient times, this was an important production area for horses, cattle, sheep and other livestock. The horses produced in the Qinghai Lake area were famous in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and were called "Qin Horses" at that time. The ancient masterpiece "The Book of Songs" once described the majesty and galloping ability of the "Qin Horse". Later, during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the horses produced here were improved by mating with "Wusun horses" and "blood-sweat horses" and developed into unique and good horses. It is not only famous for its ability to gallop, but also for its ability to conquer battles.

The terrain around Qinghai Lake is flat, the land is fertile, and agricultural production also has broad prospects. While giving priority to the development of animal husbandry, the local people have also planned to reclaim forage and feed bases, set up state-owned farms, develop crop production mainly focusing on oil and feed, and have successively built many agricultural projects on the once desolate and lonely grasslands. A number of emerging towns such as Daotanghe were followed by a number of factories and mines, including coal, building materials, machinery repair, fur processing, ethnic products, etc.

Humanities and Culture

The legend of the "sea monster" in Qinghai Lake

The "sea monster" has been circulated among the indigenous herdsmen around the lake for hundreds of years. The "Xin Zhi of Xining Prefecture" compiled in the early years of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty contains specific records: "A man living in Mongolia in Qinghai saw something in the sea, with the body of a cow and the head of a leopard, with white matter and black writing, and hair mixed with red and green, leaping into the waves, and flying rapidly. Like a startled magpie, when it sees a person near the shore, it immediately dives into the water without knowing what kind of beast it is.”

It is said that the herdsmen who saw the "sea monster" were so frightened that they worshiped, worshiped the sea, and offered cattle and sheep. As a result, various legends about the appearance of the sea god spread from ten to ten. .

In recent decades, information about the "sea monster" in Qinghai Lake has been circulating from time to time. For example, in 1947, a Tu lama named Qi Liushi from the Quezang Temple in Huzhu County went to Tibet to worship with his teacher and passed by Qinghai Lake. When the sun was about to set, a monster four or five times larger than the Yan Niu surfaced. It swims toward the shore through the waves, looking like a dragon but not a dragon, with a round head and gleaming eyes. In the spring of 1949, Masanwa, a Han farmer from Fei Village, Harazhigou Township, Huzhu County, was forced to go out to pan for gold. When he was resting and dining by Qinghai Lake, a thick black "log" appeared floating and sliding on the lake. About ten feet long, the slowly gliding "log" stretched out its long neck, with a snake-like head on it. Its scales shone like black gold under the sunlight, and floated towards the center of the lake, disappearing in the blink of an eye. In 1982, when a motorized sailing boat was operating on the lake, the people on the boat saw something like a fishing boat floating and bouncing in the waves not far ahead. When they were about to get closer and take a closer look, they had already jumped into the water. In 1987, an unnamed gentleman from a travel agency in Qinghai went to the lake to take pictures in the afternoon. He suddenly discovered a monster as big as two or three cows emerging from the rippling blue lake. It had a gray-brown back. He thought it was a monster. It was a big fish. In an instant, the monster raised its slender neck like an ostrich, and its head was triangular, as if water droplets were spraying from it. He suddenly realized that this might be a plesiosaur, so he took a black and white photo. When he took the next photo, the monster had sunk into the water for about 20 to 30 seconds.

There are still dozens of people who have witnessed the monster in the lake. This is indeed a mystery and needs to be further explored by scientists. The legend about the "sea monster" in Qinghai Lake has cast a thick layer of mystery on Qinghai Lake.