Nyainbo Yuze Berg

On the Tibetan Plateau, the vast Kunlun Shan has its west and east sec-tions. The south satellite of East Kunlun Shan is Bayan Har Shan, the main peak of whick, Nyainbo Yuze, stands in Jigzhi County of Qinghai Province on the east section of Bayan Har Shan.

Rising 5369 meters above sea level, Nyaibo Yuze lies at 101.1 0 E and 33.3 0 N. The peak top is composed of 3 pinnacles which are capped by snow all the year round and towers over the blue sky. Quite many ridge and gorges formedby them make up of Nyainbo Yuze Feng and take the shape of petals when you overlook at it over a distance. The gorges, however, mainly consist of glaciers and hanging glaciers which, after thawing, give birth to over 160 lakes of vaious sizes in the valleys around the snowy peaks. Thus, the snowy peaks and the mirror-like lakes add radiance and beauty to each other, presenting a multifarious natural scene. The reason why the local herdsmen admire it as a “divine mountain” may most probably lie in its solemn, quiet and graceful scenic beauty. Besides, what makes it even more enchanting is that, common as its height is, the main peak enjoys forests of massif, monstrously steep and lofty rocks.

Lying at the fringe of the subtropical climate zone of monsoons, highland and high peaks, the Nyainbo Yuze area boasts various plants, herbal medicines anv animals. Age-old forests of dragon spruce, pine trees and many other old trees tower into the sky and hide the peidmont from view. The mountain slopes, however, are overgrown with such precious traditional herbal medicines as Chi-nese caterpillar fungus, fritillary, rhubarb, etc. The foot of the mountain proves to be a haaunt of such rare animals as wild asses, wild yaks, pantholop hodgsoni, bharal, white-lipped deer and Asiatic black bear, which move about in the forests and on the prairies in flocks. More than 20 kinds of fish, peculiar to plateaus, are living in the lake. It is not exaggerating to say that you will find yourself truly back into nature as soon as you set foot on it.

The way to the mountain: First, drive southward for 875 kilomerters from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, to Jigzhi County. Then, trek a long way for 60 kilometers on horse back, and you will get to the mountaineering base camp site at the foot of Nyainbo Yuze.