Altun Mountains: China's Most Obscure No Man's Land!

Today, as human civilization spreads across continents and oceans

and has long ventured into the vast universe,

this place has retained its most primitive appearance.

Across tens of thousands of square kilometers of land,

this is the most ordinary scene on this earth.

(Altun Mountains, wild yak skulls scattered in the wilderness, photographer @ Jiang Hong)

(Thick dark clouds loom over the desert, gloomy and oppressive, photographer @ Wang Wei)

It is the Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve,

one of the harshest regions in terms of natural environment,

and was once the least studied blank spot

in China and even the world.

What exactly made it such a place,

and what has shaped its present form?

A narrow mountain range sandwiched between the Kunlun Mountains and the Qilian Mountains,

stretching across the borders of Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu provinces,

but located south of this mountain range

is the Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve

(hereinafter referred to as the Altun Mountains).

However, there is no geographical connection.

The main body of the reserve lies in the largest basin of the Kunlun Mountains.

Its total area reaches up to 45,000 square kilometers.

(Please view horizontally. The Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve, though sharing its name with the Altun Mountains, has no geographical connection to the mountain range and is entirely independent of it. Map by Zhang Songnan & Han Qing/Planet Research Institute.)

National nature reserves such as Hoh Xil, Lop Nur, and Changtang

are collectively known as China's four major uninhabited zones by the public.

(Distribution map of the four major nature reserves. Map by Zhang Songnan & Han Qing/Planet Research Institute.)

Some are infamous for tragic poaching incidents,

while others attract the public with their mysterious ancient civilizations.

No extra ink in the world is spent to write about it,

nor are there complete film works documenting it.

But this does not mean it was born mediocre.

This is the almost forgotten corner—

(Please view horizontally. A herd of wild yaks traverses the endless desert, appearing tiny amidst the vast sands. Photographer: Tao Shu.)

Its average elevation exceeds 4,000 meters,

but warm moments are extremely fleeting.

Thus, its annual average temperature is only 2°C,

dropping below -30°C in the coldest winter periods.

(The snow-covered eastern Kunlun Mountains at the border of the Altun Mountains. Photographer: Jiang Hong.)

The despair of the Altun Mountains does not end here.

It is encircled by even higher mountains,

such as the Qimantag Mountains, which rise over 5,000 meters.

(The Qimantag Mountains are a range in the northeastern part of the reserve, with only a corner shown in the image below; photographer: Hao Pei)

Peaks such as Muztagh, standing at nearly 7,000 meters in elevation

(The towering and massive Muztagh Peak; photographer: Wen Xinghua)

Surrounded by mountains that block moisture

It grows even drier in this arid region

The warm, humid air currents from the Bay of Bengal

After traveling nearly 2,000 kilometers

Finally become a raindrop drifting over the Altun Mountains

(Moist clouds among the Qimantag Mountains; photographer: Jin Lei)

But in this place closest to the sky

It receives up to 2,900 hours of sunlight annually

Resulting in an evaporation rate as high as 2,500 millimeters

Thus, an extremely arid zone is born

(Cracked earth caused by the dry climate; photographer: Shen Jiuquan)

It also fuels the rise of another force

Yet the fierce winds bring no additional moisture to the Altun Mountains

Instead, they carry countless grains of sand

(Pyramid-shaped dunes as tall as mountains; photographer: Tao Shu)

Crescent-shaped dunes that indicate wind direction

(Crescent-shaped dunes; photographer: Tao Shu)

forming chains of dunes like waves in a sandy sea

often extending for tens of meters or even several kilometers

(Winding chains of dunes, photographer @ Wang Wei)

(Distribution of deserts in the Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve, mapped by @ Zhang Songnan & Han Qing/Planet Research Institute)

It is also the highest-altitude desert in the world

Connecting desolation is an even vaster desolation

Beyond solitude lurks an even deeper solitude

(Kumkuli Desert, photographer @ Dreamscape)

Is this plateau, shrouded in extreme cold, hypoxia, drought, and sandstorms, destined only for despair devoid of life?

When we observe this region from satellite maps

areas that should be extremely arid

water systems scattered in different corners

(Distribution of water systems in the Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve, mapped by @ Zhang Songnan & Han Qing/Planet Research Institute)

If we take a closer look at some of these lakes

their clarity is even more astonishing

(Please view horizontally, panoramic view of Rabbit Lake, photographer @ Hao Pei)

Encircled by a ring of high mountains around the Altun Mountains

in areas with elevations exceeding 5,500 meters

eventually forming 388 glaciers

(Glaciers developed on Bukadaban Peak, areas above 5,500 meters in the reserve are permanently snow-covered, photographer @ Bu Qiong)

Among them, the Muztagh Peak at the southwestern corner of the Altun Mountains

is also the region richest in modern glaciers

It boasts glaciers such as Binglinchuan, Linglong, and Yueya

totaling 116 glaciers of various sizes

with a combined area exceeding 680 square kilometers

(Glaciers on Muztagh Peak, photographer: Wen Xinghua)

All the glaciers scattered around the Altun Mountains

are equivalent to nearly 70 billion cubic meters of freshwater reserves

enough to meet Guangzhou's domestic water demand for nearly 7 years

This is a glimmer of hope for the Altun Mountains

However, the streams formed by melting glaciers are extremely fragile

and still insufficient to combat the boundless drought

they gain unstoppable momentum

(Please view horizontally, rivers breaking through the desert in the Altun Mountains, photographer: Li Xueliang)

Converging and intertwining across the vast wilderness

(Braided rivers, photographer: Zhang Lei)

They can even move freely above and below ground

Some seep underground, flowing silently as hidden currents

(Springs resembling animal eyes in the Kumukuli Desert, photographer: Wang Hanbing)

In the low-lying areas enclosed by mountains

as well as numerous scattered small lakes

They not only nourish the arid land

but also become the brightest embellishments on the vast wilderness

(An unnamed lake in the Kumukuli Desert, photographer: Shen Jiuquan)

Ayak Kumuk Lake in the northern part of the reserve

(The azure waters of Ayak Kumuk Lake form a sharp boundary with the brown shores, photographer: Chai Jianghui)

Aqike Lake located at the northwestern corner of the reserve

(Aqike Lake, photographer: Wen Xinghua)

As long as the hundreds of surrounding glaciers do not vanish

this hope will continue to irrigate the land endlessly

But in this wilderness fraught with challenges

it is still not enough to create a thriving and enduring land of life

All creatures must rely on their unique skills

and can no longer adapt to such dry and cold conditions

Thus, there are no lush forests in the Altun Mountains

yet this place is filled with a different kind of vitality

(Nitraria, photographer: Jiang Hong)

However, these survival skills honed in adversity

With the dramatic uplift of the Tibetan Plateau

have also profoundly impacted all life that once thrived here

Some of them scattered in search of new homes

while others headed straight for extinction

Most of the flora and fauna living here today

gradually diverged in appearance, organs, and genes

from their ancestors

before finally finding a foothold on this plateau

(Lush marsh horsetail in the waters of Lake Yixiekepati, photographer @ Hao Pei)

In the desert areas far from water sources

especially the vast saline-alkali lands left after water evaporation

but some hardier plant communities refuse to surrender

(Vegetation growing in arid saline-alkali soil, photographer @ Li Xueliang)

In places with strong winds, drought, and poor soil

plants can still rely on creeping growth

to cleverly evade these survival challenges

(Delicate cushion-shaped Androsace tapete, photographer @ Jiang Hong)

Meanwhile, the unseen extensive root systems underground

also help many plants survive droughts and other hardships

such as the vibrant-flowered Iris lactea

(Iris lactea blooming between the Gobi and snow-capped mountains, photographer @ Jiang Hong)

But there is one skill all plants must master

Even during the warmest hours of each day, they strive to grow

Only in this way can they survive in this harsh land

Oases with vastly different appearances and vibrant life

(Please view horizontally, wetlands by Lake Yixiekepati, photographer @ Hao Pei)

It is also home to approximately 200 species of wild animals

And the ways these animals survive adversity

(Tibetan antelopes at the foot of snow-capped mountains, photographer @ Jiang Hong)

Have evolved warmer fur than their ancestors

(Wild yaks running on snow, photographer @ Guo Xilai)

They possess larger and uniquely structured nasal cavities

As well as thicker blood vessels and larger hearts

(Comparison between Tibetan antelopes and goats; "Tibetan antelope" is the formal name, illustration @ Hanqing/Planet Research Institute)

While gentle Tibetan antelopes are seen as prey by many predators

They rely on their "wind-like" speed

Tibetan antelopes can reach ultra-high speeds of 80-100 km/h

Without needing to stop for traffic lights

They could circle Beijing's Fourth Ring Road (65.3 km) in one go

(Tibetan antelopes running under snow-capped mountains, photographer @ Jiang Hong)

Besides escaping predators by running

Tibetan antelopes also retain the habit of regular migration

This also allows them to reproduce more safely

They will collectively migrate to fixed breeding grounds

They return once again to areas with more abundant water and grass

Many stumbling Tibetan antelope calves appear among the herd

This is also on this harsh wilderness

(There are also a few calves in the Tibetan antelope herd, photographer @ Wang Peng)

They have shorter tracheas and more developed hearts and lungs

Thus enabling them to cope more easily with oxygen-deficient environments

(Comparison of body structures between wild yaks and water buffaloes, illustration by @ Hanqing/Planet Research Institute)

These enhanced physical adaptations

Not only allow them to adapt effortlessly to the plateau environment

Even against highly ferocious animals like wolves and brown bears

("Yak" staring intently, photographer @ Hua Shi)

Their traces are scattered across different corners of the reserve

Or crossing deserts in large groups

(Please view horizontally, wild yaks traversing the desert, a beauty where vitality and desolation coexist, photographer @ Tao Shu)

(A lone wild yak walks to the edge of a sand spring, photographer @ Wen Xinghua)

In this vast and free expanse of land

It accommodates approximately 12,000 wild yaks

(Please view horizontally, a "convoy" of wild yaks on the grassland, photographer @ Jiang Hong)

(Please view horizontally, a "caravan" of Tibetan antelopes in the snow, photographer@Jiang Hong)

(Please view horizontally, a "caravan" of wild Tibetan donkeys in the wilderness, photographer@Wang Bin)

(Two pikas curiously observe what lies ahead, photographer@Wen Xinghua)

(A "smiling" Tibetan fox, photographer@Wang Zhiwei)

(A brown bear basking in the sun on the grassland, photographer@Jiang Hong)

(Tibetan gazelle, photographer@Sang Jiejia)

The sometimes fierce, sometimes adorable Upland Buzzard (kuáng), and more

(A curious Upland Buzzard tilting its head, photographer@Hao Pei)

Though most lack the vibrant colors and delicate forms of tropical flora and fauna

They are all warriors and victors against the adversities of the plateau

And the greatest hope in this wilderness

(Please view horizontally, a herd of wild yaks climbing a towering dune beside a large lake, photographer@Lu Quanguo)

The hope of the Altun Mountains has been fully revealed

Yet it never fades because of its existence

Whenever a rainbow arches across the desert and clouds

Whenever sunlight pours unreservedly onto the sacred peaks of snow-capped mountains

Whenever creatures gallop joyfully across the boundless wilderness

The dawn of hope once again illuminates the shadows of despair

Perhaps something we can never personally experience

也许就是我们永远无法亲自体会的

(A wild wolf and a wild yak stand together at the foot of a majestic and broad snow-capped mountain. Photographer: Jiang Hong)

Editor: Wang Kun Images: Pan Chenxia

Design: Han Qing Maps: Song Nan

Cover source: Visual China Group/Jiang Hong

Lian Xinming, Researcher, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Not all precipitation in the Altun Mountains region comes from the warm and humid air currents blowing from the Bay of Bengal.

[References] Scroll up and down to view

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