Sourcing the Yellow River

The cradle of Chinese civiliza- tion， the Yellow River is known as the “mother river” of the Chinese nation. For this reason， its source on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau bears special spiritual symbolism in the hearts of many Chinese people. In October 2013， I joined several of my travel-loving friends to trek hundreds of miles to the source more than 4，000 meters above the sea level.

The source of the Yellow River is located in Madoi County， in northwestern China’s Qinghai Province. In fact， Madoi means the “source of the Yellow River” in Tibetan. About 60 kilometers separates the county seat from the Yellow River Source Scenic Area.

As early as the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， renowned poet Li Bai penned a verse claiming that “water of the Yellow River comes from heaven.” The feudal governments of the Tang， Yuan （1271-1368）， and Qing （1644-1911） dynasties each dispatched explorers to find the source of the Yellow River. However， not until 1985 did the Yel- low River Conservancy Commission assert that the river originates in Yoigilangleb， an olive-shaped basin extending 40 kilometers from east to west and 60 kilometers from south to north. Spring water sprouting from the basin merges with the Gar River， which feeds the Maqu River， the uppermost reaches of the Yellow River， which local Tibetans call Peacock River. The river flows from snow-capped mountains into

Gyaring Lake. From the lake’s southeastern tip， a tributary leads to Ngoring Lake.

Accurately known as “sister lakes nearthe source of the Yellow River，” Gyaring and Ngoring are the two biggest freshwater lakes in the source area， at an altitude of 4，300 meters. The two lakes are separated by a mountain， with the shortest route between them measuring a dozen kilometers. A valley connects the lakes， which from an aerial view resembles a butterfly’s wings. After nourishing the two lakes， the Yellow River makes its way through a vast alpine grassland.

Words couldn’t possibly do justice to the beauty of Ngoring Lake when we firstsaw it： The azure lake appeared boundless， with white clouds reflecting across its glassy surface. Although winter was already creeping across the plateau during our October visit， we still marveled at birds hovering over the lake and wild animals such as Tibetan antelopes， wild donkeys， and Mongolian gazelles roaming its shoals.

The seeming vitality of the area masked the fact that it suffered an ecological crisis just a few years ago. Due to climate change and the rampancy of plateau pikas as well as overgrazing and overfishing， nearby pastures had deteriorated substantially， and lakes and swamps witnessed a sharp decrease in both number and size. Dubbed a “county of thousands of lakes，” Madoi once had more than 4，000 lakes. A 2003 survey showed that half ofthem had disappeared， including Xingxiuhai （Starry Sea）， which was mistakenly considered the source of the Yellow River for a long time. Historically， ponds dotting the vast marsh were as countless as stars in the sky， hence its name. Now， the scene is gone except during rainy seasons.

Fortunately， after years of efforts to rehabilitate the grassland， control the plateau pika population， and prevent desertification， the ecosystem of the Yellow River’s source area has been restored to some extent. A recent satellite image showed that compared to a decade ago， the surfaces of Ngoring and Gyaring lakes expanded by 70 square kilometers and 100 square kilometers， respectively. Many of the thousands of lost lakes in Madoi have reappeared. Moreover， densely-grassed pastures are expanding by 2，300 square kilometers each year in Qinghai， and some wild animals that were pushed out have resettled.

After veering just off the zigzagging road connecting Ngoring and Gyaring lakes， our vehicle climbed 4，610-metertall Cuorigaze Peak. Atop the peak is an Ox’s Head Monument， a symbol of the source of the Yellow River that is revered by both Han and Tibetan people. Colorful prayer flags attached to the monument’s balustrades ruffled in the wind. Like the mani stone mounds that we often encountered along the way， the flags symbolize local Tibetans’ beliefs and wishes. Overlooking the vast lake from atop the peak， we were impressed by the awesome power and beauty of the Yellow River. The mighty river originates in lofty mountains and flows all the way into the sea after gaining momentum across the boundless plateau， injecting vitality and hope to all creatures on the vast land of China along the way.

Tips

How to get there： Tourists can travel to Xining first by plane or train， and then rent a vehicle to reach the source of the Yellow River. Due to underdeveloped road conditions， off-road vehicles are recommended. Self-driving tourists should take State Highway 214 to Madoi， which is 480 kilometers away from Xining. The Yellow River Source Scenic Area is about 60 kilometers from the county seat of Madoi. When to visit： The best season to visit the source of the Yellow River is July to September， when the climate is mild and wild animals are easy to see. Prepare： Altitude sickness may affect tourists from low-elevation areas. Tourists are suggested to bring saffron crocuses or oxygen bags that can help relieve altitude sickness.