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Loess Plateau
A term found in geography books
Most people's impression of the Loess Plateau
The song "Loess Plateau" may have stayed in the 1980s
Or the oil and coal everywhere
The resulting gloomy weather and the sudden wealth of people
Or in "White Deer Plain" and "Ordinary World"
Gully land, loess everywhere, legendary figures
Or the phrase "I am so angry that I forget about love"
And these are just the tip of the iceberg of the Loess Plateau
Ansai Waist Drum
Loess Plateau
A place created by wind and water
Dust particles as small as microns
Formed a huge loess kingdom
The thickest loess accumulation layer can reach more than 300 meters
The most "earthy" place on earth
Among the four major plateaus in China
The majestic snow-capped mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
The majestic Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau has high mountains and deep valleys
The Inner Mongolia Plateau has boundless grasslands
The magnificent scenery makes everyone yearn for it
However, the understanding of the Loess Plateau is extremely monotonous.
What does the real Loess Plateau look like?
Today I will reveal them to you one by one
For tens of millions of years
Strong winds brought dust from the northwest desert
Because of the obstruction of Taihang Mountains, Qinling Mountains, Luliang Mountains and other mountains
The dust is left here bit by bit
Until now
70% of the earth's loess is here
Forming a loess kingdom covering 420,000 square kilometers
The mutual infiltration of huge loess deposits and groundwater
Formed fragile and porous sandstone
After tens of thousands of years of carving by wind and water,
Forming the most spectacular Danxia landform on the Loess Plateau
Today, the Lotus Vessel in Fugu County, Yulin City
It is the Danxia wonder carved by the wind
Pyramid-shaped earthen peaks
Dyed in red, white, yellow and green
Located on the banks of the Yellow River
The Wave Valley in Jingbian County, Yulin City
The total area is about 44 square kilometers
It is the largest Danxia landform on the Loess Plateau.
The Danxia here is of various types
Some are like fingerprints, water waves
These were carved by the wind.
Some form deep canyons, with smooth curves.
This is carved by flowing water.
Speaking of the Danxia Canyon eroded by water
Yucha Grand Canyon in Ganquan County, Yan'an City
The undisputed King of the Canyon
There are more than 120 Danxia canyons here.
Some are covered with moss, forming a unique green canyon
Some are very narrow, the narrowest is only 5 cm
Some rock walls are bright red, and the light and shadow cast down are like burning flames.
100,000 years ago, the Loess Plateau had vast forests
Every hill, every beam
They are all grasslands with lush grass and water
The suburbs of Datong City, Shanxi Province
100,000 years ago, it was a huge lake.
To the east of the lake, there are more than a dozen volcanoes.
The world has changed dramatically, and the lake is no longer there.
But it left behind hundreds of earth pillars tens of meters high.
Forming a spectacular earth forest landscape
Like a ghost town
And those tall volcanoes
It gradually settled and became a dead volcano.
It is one of the six major volcanic groups in China.
From Hekou Town in Inner Mongolia to Yumenkou in Shanxi
725 kilometers long, passing through 27 provinces and cities
This is the Shanxi-Shaanxi Grand Canyon
The longest continuous canyon on the mainstream of the Yellow River
The valley depth along the way is more than 100 meters
The Yellow River flows through here, washing away the loess on both sides
Although the basin area here
It only accounts for 15% of the Yellow River basin area.
But 56% of the Yellow River's sand comes from here
It is called "one stone of water, six buckets of mud"
This formed the world's largest yellow waterfall
Hukou Waterfall
Where does such a large amount of mud and sand come from at Hukou Waterfall?
Let's look upstream of Hukou Waterfall
The seven perfect 320-degree bends of the Yellow River
This is Qiankun Bay
The area north of Qiankun Bay is full of high mountains and deep valleys.
The Yellow River rushes down, but it cannot wash away too much silt
Until we arrived at Qiankun Bay
The Yellow River is blocked by mountains
It chose to take a detour
Winding around the mountains
The silt on both sides of the river
Also because of the impact and collision of the water,
This creates the magnificent scene we see
The most magnificent scenery of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Grand Canyon
Right in Laoniuwan
This is the border between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia
The Great Wall and the Yellow River meet here
Selected by China National Geographic
“One of the ten most beautiful canyons in China”
Deer call, eating wild apples
I have guests, playing the harp and the sheng.
——The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Deer Singing
Unexpected?
This poem describes the scene of the Loess Plateau in ancient times.
Green trees and lush water plants
According to historians' calculations
The Loess Plateau during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties
The forest coverage rate is as high as 53%.
It's a very livable place
About 4,000 years ago
The ancestors of Shimao lived here
Build a huge prehistoric city
The total area can reach 4.25 million square meters
It is the largest prehistoric site discovered in China so far.
Some scholars currently speculate
The ancient city of Shimao may be the location of the legendary Yellow Emperor's tribe
Shimao Site
At the northernmost end of Jingbian County, Yulin City
We have arrived at the famous Maowusu Desert
In the middle of the desert stands a tall white city
This is the only capital site preserved by the Huns.
This is the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty
The last remnant of the Great Xia Dynasty founded by Helian Bobo
This is Tongwan City
Tongwan City Ruins
On the cliffs of Wuzhou Mountain outside Datong City, Shanxi Province
45 caves of various sizes were excavated, with more than 59,000 stone statues.
This is also the cultural heritage of the minority regime
It comes from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period
Northern Wei Dynasty founded by the Xianbei people
It is the Yungang Grottoes, one of the four major grottoes in China.
The Yellow River runs through the Loess Plateau and flows downstream
Natural shipping conditions
Yellow River ferry crossings were built on both sides of the Yellow River.
Merchants come and go, goods go in and out
Qikou Ancient Ferry is the best-preserved ancient ferry city on the banks of the Yellow River.
The existing carved beams and painted pillars, cave dwellings and courtyards in the city have hundreds of years of history.
Still telling of the prosperity of the past
October 1935
A group of ragged soldiers came to northern Shaanxi
Many people at that time did not expect
It is they who will shoulder the heavy responsibility in the future.
Defeat the once invincible enemy
It is in the red city of Yan'an
On the thick loess earth
Red Star Over China
Countless ancestors sacrificed their lives
Dare to change the sun and the moon to create a new world
Yan'an Revolution Memorial Hall
Route through the Loess Plateau
Xiaoxia feels from the bottom of his heart
This Northwest land is underestimated
If you like natural scenery
There are magical landscapes and magnificent scenery here
If you like humanities and arts
There are ancient buildings and stone carvings here that are not inferior to anywhere else
A calm river cannot give birth to a brilliant civilization
Only by truly setting foot on this hot land
Only then will you understand
What does it mean that the local environment and soil nurture the local people?
You will also appreciate the cultural heritage created by the local environment.
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