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You may have traveled to numerous mountains, lakes, and oceans, and experienced the diverse cultural landscapes of various regions, but you often overlook one particular landscape: the glaciers that cover 11% of the world's land area. my country boasts a wealth of breathtakingly beautiful glaciers, some ferocious and some serene.
Walking and looking on the way to the glacier and snowfield is like stepping into the last wilderness, or entering a fairy tale kingdom. In front of such beautiful scenery, all words are redundant. This time, let's savor the unique charm of the glaciers on the Chinese mainland.
📍Location: Taxkorgan County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, near National Highway 314
Muztagh Ata, known as the father of glaciers, looks soft and thick. It snows all year round, which is very conducive to the development of glaciers. It has cold inverted glaciers with a huge area, like the silver beard fluttering on the chest of a hermit.
These massive glaciers, crisscrossing the mountains like silent waterfalls, cascade down the vast mountain, blanketing the entire peak. Standing at the foot of the mountain and gazing out into the distance, they resemble silver sculptures of jade gleaming in the sunlight, silently proving the title "Father of Glaciers" is truly worthy.
📍Location: Zhaosu County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in the Khan Tengri Peak glacier area in the western Tianshan Mountains
This unique natural glacier in the world is a steep and dangerous high mountain route on the ancient Silk Road. The terrain is dangerous, and the glaciers, ice cracks, glaciers, seracs, icebergs and the turbulent Muzart Glacier all pose unimaginable dangers.
The Muzart Glacier is on the famous Xiata Ancient Trail. Due to the intense glacial movement there, it is difficult for ordinary people to set foot there. Ordinary outdoor enthusiasts only need to stroll at the beginning of the Xiata Ancient Trail to see the Muzart Glacier from afar. Along the way, there are wild flowers, cattle, sheep, and streams, as if walking into the garden of the gods!
📍Location: Aoyitake Town, Akto County, Kezhou Prefecture, southwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
The Aoyitake Scenic Area best satisfies people's imagination of the western plateau: colorful mountains, rivers, grasslands, forests, snow-capped mountains, glaciers, waterfalls...all the landscapes have their own characteristics.
The silver-grey glacier is covered in cracks that resemble the work of a knife or an axe. The surging currents carve out vast ice caves that resemble enchanting crystal palaces. Loud "crackling" sounds can be heard from time to time, and walking on the glacier is a thrilling experience.
📍Location: Between Ganzi and Derge, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province
The magnificent glaciers and snowfields, the brilliant stars at night, and the emerald-clear Yulong Lacuo at the foot of the mountain, Queer Mountain may be the most gentle and beautiful of the 6,000-meter-high snow-capped mountains.
Convenient transportation, dense ice cracks and mature commercial mountaineering cooperation have attracted a large number of climbers, making it the preferred peak for climbers to climb technical snow-capped mountains.
📍Location: At the junction of Kangding, Luding, and Jiulong counties in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Want to see glaciers but don't want to hike? Or take a long drive? Then you absolutely have to go to Hailuogou, the lowest of the many low-latitude glaciers and the closest glacier to a city in my country.
Hailuogou Glacier originates from Mount Gongga, the king of Sichuan Mountains. Surrounded by majestic peaks such as Zhongshan Peak, Shenying Peak, and Jinyin Peak, all over 6,000 meters above sea level, it closely embraces and guards the large ice waterfall with a drop of up to 1,050 meters. It is majestic and spectacular.
📍Location: The intersection of Riwuqie Valley and Moxi Valley in Kangding County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Leduomanyin Peak, with an altitude of 6,112 meters, is located in the north of Gongga Mountain, the highest peak in the Hengduan Mountains. Its scenery is steep, magnificent and beautiful, and it has always been a mountain challenged and pursued by international mountaineering and skiing experts.
Looking from the pass, the mountain looks like a huge wall. Large and small avalanches are rushing down the mountain, and new glaciers are formed at the same time. The two meet and gather in the mountain depression to form the huge Ledomain Glacier that looks like a snow basin.
📍Location: Heishui County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Dagu Glacier is located on the winter edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The main peak is over 5,100 meters above sea level. You can take the cable car to experience the fantasy world of snow.
Here, you can get up close and personal with typical glacial landforms like cirques, U-shaped valleys, and moraine lakes. Autumn is the perfect time to visit, where you can sit in the "world's loneliest cafe" and gaze at the distant glaciers under a pristine blue sky. The ancient Tibetan villages and temples, faintly visible among the colorful forests, create a harmonious and tranquil atmosphere.
📍Location: Tanggula Mountain Township, Golmud City, Qinghai Province
The Geladandong Glacier is located in the southwest of Golmud City, Qinghai Province. Together with the Jianggendiru Glacier to its southwest, they are the source of the Tuotuo River, one of the sources of the Yangtze River.
The Geladandong Glacier stands at 6,620 meters above sea level, while the Jianggendiru Glacier stands at 6,548 meters. Two large, semi-isolated glaciers, one in the north and one in the south, are flanked by a two-kilometer-long forest of seracs at their tails. These towering snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear glaciers are the source of the Yangtze River, creating an ideal destination for adventure tourism, mountaineering, and scientific research.
📍Location: Qifeng Tibetan Township, Sunan County, Gansu Province (116 kilometers southwest of Jiayuguan)
The July 1st Glacier is the closest glacier to the city in Asia. It is located at an altitude of about 4,600 meters in the hinterland of the Qilian Mountains in the southwest of Jiayuguan City.
In summer and autumn, the Qiyi Glacier shimmers brilliantly under the sun, resembling an inverted Milky Way from afar and a mysterious curtain of ice from up close. A 5-kilometer pedestrian trail leads to the glacier's viewing platform, providing easy access to the glacier and allowing regular visitors to experience it up close.
📍Location: Yeniugou Township, Qilian County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, on the southern slope of the southern mountain in the middle section of the Qilian Mountains corridor
The Bayi Glacier is an ice cap glacier developed on the top of a gentle mountain. It is still undeveloped. You can choose to charter a car to go there and enter the depths of the most pristine glacier.
The glaciers cascading down the mountains like waterfalls are truly spectacular. No special outdoor gear is required for simply viewing and taking photos.
📍Location: Shibaocheng Township, Subei Mongol Autonomous County, Gansu Province
Mengke Glacier is originally Mongolian, meaning "high and wide snow mountain". It is also known as Laohugou Glacier No. 12. It is located in the western section of Qilian Mountains in Subei Mongolian Autonomous County.
The transparent Mengke Glacier is large and gently sloping, making it easy to access and climb without the need for any additional equipment. Hiking through it, visitors can admire the majestic glacier beneath their feet and the vast snowfields. The vast snowfields are pristine, and the towering snow-capped peaks showcase the beauty of northern China.
📍Location: Changlong Township, Jilong County, Shigatse City, Tibet Autonomous Region
There are many glaciers deep in the northern slope of the Himalayas. The Qudennima Glacier in Gangba County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet, has three lakes: gold, silver, and copper, located in the east, west, and south of the glacier respectively.
Looking at the glacier up close, the only thought that comes to mind is: the "shock" that can only be felt when you are there in person. There is a very dreamy blue fault on the cross-section of the glacier, which is dozens of meters high. You have to be very careful when going down to the fault under the glacier because there are ice cracks.
📍Location: Ranwu Town, Basu County, Qamdo Prefecture, Tibet
Laigu Glacier is a general name for a group of glaciers. It is close to Ranwu Lake, is the source of the Parlung Tsangpo River, and is also one of the three largest glaciers in the world.
The name of Laigu Glacier comes from a small Tibetan village nearby - Laigu Village. The village is surrounded by beautiful lakes and magnificent snow-capped peaks. Six marine glaciers can be seen here. This is an excellent place to view glaciers in my country.
📍Location: 90 kilometers northeast of Shuanghu Special District in northwest Qiangtang
The Puruogangri Glacier is located in Shuanghu County, Nagqu City, Tibet. It belongs to the core area of the national-level Qiangtang Nature Reserve and is the third largest glacier in the world after the Arctic and Antarctic!
There is a heart-shaped glacier here that is a masterpiece of nature. There are many lakes around the ice field. Along the way, you can also see herds of Tibetan antelopes, Tibetan wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys and other wild animals. The diverse landscape is very attractive.
📍Location: Near the border between Nagarze County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region and Bhutan
Also known as the Tsogyal Glacier, it is 5,300 meters above sea level and is the most accessible land mountain glacier discovered so far. It can be accessed up close without the need for special equipment.
The 40 glaciers are well-developed and have rich landscapes. Walking among them, you feel like you are in a maze of ice towers. In 2018, due to weather reasons, the local government issued a notice temporarily prohibiting tourists from visiting. We, like all tourists, are looking forward to the reopening of the 40 glaciers.
📍Location: At the junction of Langkazi County and Gyantse County in Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, about 71 kilometers from Gyantse County
The huge glacier extends from the misty mountain top to the roadside just a few hundred meters away from the highway, like a giant thangka hanging on the mountain wall, shining brightly.
📍Location: Puzonggou, Yangxiu Township, Burang County, Tibet Autonomous Region
The biggest feature of the Sap Glacier is the coexistence of marine glaciers and mountain glaciers. The vast ice surface is comparable to the blue ice in the Arctic Circle, and you can enjoy a visual feast in minutes.
If Tibet is a book, then Sap is the most incomparable page in the book: the holy snow-capped mountains are given flesh-and-blood characters. Here, the snow-capped mountains are towering, the glaciers are beautiful, the grasslands are lush, and the poignant and moving mythological story of the Sap family is also circulated.
Walking into the glacier is like walking into a dreamy crystal palace, or like walking into the most magnificent wilderness on earth!
As researchers and travelers continue to explore and travel in depth, these glaciers have gradually come into people's view. Compared with popular scenic spots that are crowded with tourists during the peak season, glaciers welcome tourists with the purest and most niche beauty all year round.
