Natural resources. Tibet. Natural resources The world's largest high-altitude vegetation zone

Hello dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

Tibet is an amazing place. An interesting and sometimes sad story, a placer, caves, the highest mountain peaks of the Himalayas, dozens of different nationalities make this area unique. But a separate interesting topic is the animals of Tibet.

Today we want to introduce you to the fauna of the Tibetan expanses. The article below will tell you what kind of animals can be found on a trip to Tibet, how they differ from their relatives living in our area and what danger they face today.

We are confident that today you will discover something new for yourself.

Diversity of the animal world

Tibet has a rather harsh climate. In summer, the average daily temperature here is 5-15 degrees Celsius, in winter the thermometer drops below zero, and the cold can reach -20 degrees. At the same time, in general, a little precipitation falls during the year.

This climate naturally affects the flora and fauna. Most of the Tibetan expanses are located in the highlands of the Himalayas or at the foot of the mountains, on the soil of which it is difficult to grow a large number of crops.

That is why Tibetans are mainly engaged in animal husbandry. They have long known what the "domestication" of animals is.

70 percent of all Tibetan land is grassland, where huge herds are constantly movinghomeanimals.

The locals are very careful about our younger brothers, so they managed to keep such types of beasts of burden, which in our time are considered rare:

• bactrian camel;
• Przewalski's horse;
• kulan is a wild Asian ass.

Kulan (wild donkey)

In addition, goats and sheep graze on the pastures. Such animals are unpretentious in food and are able to withstand even significant temperature fluctuations.

He influenced the attitude of the Tibetans towards animals, which prescribes to take care of all living things, not to harm, to refuse excesses in the use of meat. In the middle of the 17th century, the V Dalai Lama issued a special decree protecting animals andnature, which Tibetans still observe.

Walking along the steppes of Tibet, you can immediately notice small burrows of small mammals: hares, marmots, ground squirrels, jerboas, ferrets, voles, gerbils, ermines and pikas - small cute rodents that look like a cross between a hamster and a hare.

Of the predators in Tibet, plain gray wolves and mountain red wolves, lynxes, Tibetan foxes, a pik-eater bear, and leopards are very rare. Pandas that feed on bamboo are found only in the west of the Tibetan expanses.

Tibetan fox

But most of all, ungulates are found here, which feel great in hilly terrain.

These include:

• Tibetan gazelle;
• white-lipped deer;
• lama;
• kulan
• kiang - a cross between a kulan and a horse;
• Mountain sheep;
• antelope orongo;
• antelope of hell;
• bharal - wild sheep;
• musk deer - cloven-hoofed deer-like;
• takin is a stout man, similar to a bull, but larger in size.

Kiang

There are many among the representatives of the animal world and birds. Some of them, for example, crows, live close to dwellings, often causing considerable damage to the economy.

Others are considered scavengers, and huge flocks can be observed when other animals die. These include the Himalayan vultures, snow vultures, also known as "kumai".

According to Tibetan beliefs, kumai helps a person after death, freeing him from the physical body and escorting him to heaven.

Cranes, ibises, red ducks settled near the water and in swampy areas, ulars, finches, Tibetan saji settled in the steppes.

Unknown animals

As you can see, the fauna of Tibet is striking in its diversity. At the same time, some animals seem so familiar and dear, while many have only heard about others. We want to introduce you to some of the amazing inhabitants of the Tibetan vastness.

It is a large animal from the mammalian family, similar to bulls and bison. Wild yaks can be over four meters long and over two meters high.

Domestic yaks are slightly smaller in size. Strong and hardy, with short powerful legs, they are able to carry loads of many kilograms.

Yaks are now known in many countries, but it is believed that they are from Tibet - here they appeared about ten thousand years ago. In the highlands, yaks feel great: in winter they live at an altitude of 4 thousand meters, and in summer they rise even higher - by 6 thousand meters. They do this because at temperatures above +15 they begin to experience overheating, and the higher it is in the mountains, the colder it is.

A yak on the farm is a great wealth. In addition to helping to carry heavy loads, yaks are used for meat. And their wool and skin are used for different purposes. It is made from it:

• yarn;
• cloth for clothes;
• ropes;
• harness;
• souvenirs.

The cost of yaks on the farm is practically zero - they protect themselves from the cold and enemies, they get food on their own.

Musk deer

It is a small, cloven-hoofed animal, similar to a deer, but smaller in size. In length it reaches only about a meter, in height - 70 centimeters, the tail is very short - about five centimeters. But the main thing that distinguishes them from deer is the absence of horns.

Musk deer is amazingly jumpy - it can climb trees and jump from branch to branch to a height of four meters. Fleeing from predators, she, like a hare, covers her tracks.

The main jewel of the musk deer is the musky gland on the belly of males. One such gland contains ten to twenty grams of musk. This is the most expensive animal product - it is used in medicine and especially in perfumery.

Takin

Takin also belongs to artiodactyls. At the withers, it reaches a meter, and its length is about one and a half meters. For its size, it is very massive - more than 300 kilograms.

At the same time, the takin's movements may seem clumsy from the outside. He lives in bamboo mountain forests at an altitude of four kilometers. But in winter, when there is not enough food, it descends to the 2.5 km mark.

Orongo

Orongos are often called antelopes, but in fact they are also close to saigas and goats. Their dimensions are 1.2-1.3 meters in length and approximately a meter in height, and they weigh only about 30 kilograms.

In the mornings and evenings, orongo can be seen grazing in the steppes, and day and night, when cold winds blow, they hide in special pits. They dig these holes themselves with the hooves of their front legs.

In 2006, a railway was built to Lhasa, which passes right through the habitats of the orongo. In order not to disturb the animals, 33 passageways were specially built for their movement.

Zo is an unusual pet, obtained by crossing a cow and a yak. In Mongolia it is known as hainak, and in Tibet and Nepal as dzo.

Genetics really works wonders: Zos are stronger than ordinary cows, and they also give much higher milk yield. Dzo bulls cannot have offspring, therefore, when interbreeding with ordinary bulls, Dzo cows give birth to calves that are only one-fourth of the yaks - they are called "ortum".

Many animals of Tibet are in danger - thirty species are already included in the Red Book. Among them are musk deer, takin, orongo already known to us. The situation is complicated by the fact that for thousands of dollars, wealthy tourists can even hunt for endangered species.

Conclusion

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• Read: Asia

Tibet: physical geography, nature, people

Tibet is the largest, highest and youngest mountain plateau in the world. Therefore, Tibet is called the "roof of the world" and the "third pole".

Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three main regions - east, north and south. The eastern part is a wooded area that covers approximately one quarter of the territory. Virgin forests stretch throughout this part of Tibet. The northern part is open plains where nomads graze yaks and sheep. This part occupies about half of Tibet. The southern and central part is an agricultural region that occupies about one fourth of the land area of ​​Tibet. With all the main Tibetan cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse located in the Tsetang region, this region is considered the cultural center of Tibet. The total area of ​​the Tibet Autonomous Region is 1,200,000 square kilometers and the population is 1,890,000.

The number one mountain peak on Earth is Everest, which is 8,848.13 meters high. It is a silver peak that sends out a silvery glow year after year. Its narrowest part is hidden in the clouds. Among the 14 peaks, the height of which is more than 8,000 meters, 5 are located in Tibet. In addition to Everest, these are the peaks of Luozi, Makalu, Zhuoayou, Xixiabangma and Nanjiabawa, which constantly compete with Everest for the highest altitude.

Many people have a misconception about the nature of Tibet as a constantly snow-covered land. Its old name - "land of snow" - is the name by which it is actually known all over the world and which gives an idea of ​​the country as a territory of almost permafrost with subtle signs of life. In fact, it is, but only in areas located in Ima, Tisi and the like. This mountain range, which has covered almost the entire country, and its high peaks, up to the very blue skies, are covered with snow.

In other lowland areas, in fact, it snows only a few times a year, and because of the constant very bright sunlight throughout the day, it is not cold there even in the most severe winters. Tibet is so sunny that there are over 3,000 hours of constant sun throughout the year.

Tibet is full of rivers and lakes, the densely overgrown banks of which are home to numerous swans, geese and ducks.

The length of the Yaluzangbu River as much as 2,057 km, it consists of continuous turns and eddies, meanders like a silver dragon from west to east into the valleys of southern Tibet, and then flows into the Indian Ocean.

There are three rivers in the east of Tibet: Gold Sand, Lancang and Nu river. They all flow from north to south into Yunnan province. The area is popular for the beautiful scenery of the Hengduan Mountain.

The Holy Lake or Lake Manasovara is located 30 km southeast of Mount Holi. Its area is about 400 square kilometers. Buddhists believe that the lake is a gift from Heaven. Holy water can cure all kinds of diseases, and if you wash your face with it, then all their worries and worries are washed away from people. Pilgrimages are even made to the lake, after walking around the lake and taking a bath in turn in four gates, there is a cleansing from sins and the gods give you happiness. The great monk Xuan Zhuang called this lake "The Holy Lake in the Western Heaven."

The area of ​​another lake Yangzongyong is 638 sq. km, and the length of the coastal line is 250 km. The deepest place is at a depth of 60 meters. The lake contains a greater amount of natural food for fish. It is estimated that the lake has a fish stock of approximately 300 million kg. That is why this lake is called the "fish treasure of Tibet". Many waterfowl live on its expanses and along the banks.

Lake Namu area - 1940 sq. km, it is the second largest salt water lake. On the surface of the island there are 3 islands, which are the ideal habitat for all types of aquatic life.

Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern outskirts of China, between 26 deg. 50 minutes and 36 degrees. 53 minutes north latitude, 78 deg. 25 minutes and 99 degrees. 06 minutes east longitude. The area of ​​the TAP is 1200 thousand sq. Km. (roughly one-eighth of China's territory) equals the area of ​​Great Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg combined. In terms of area, TAP ranks second among the provinces of China after the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR). In the north, TAP is adjacent to XUAR and Qinghai province; in the east and southeast - with the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, in the south and west it borders on Burma, India, Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal, as well as on the Kashmir region. The length of the state border within the TAP is 4000 km.

Administratively, TAP is divided into 6 districts: Shannan, Lingzhi, Ngari, Shigatse, Nagchu and Chamdo, there are two cities: Lhasa (at the county level) and Shigatse (at the county level) and 71 counties. The capital of TAR is Lhasa. The second largest city is Shigatse. In addition, important settlements are Zedang, Bai, Nagchu, Chamdo, Shiquanhe, Gyangdze, Zham.

According to the 5th All-Chinese Census of 2000, the population of TAP is 2,616.3 thousand people, Tibetans make up 92.2%, Han people - 5.9%, Menba, Loba, Hui, Naxi make up 1.9%. TAP is the area of ​​the lowest population density in China, on average per sq. km. there are less than 2 people.

The alpine position has led to harsh climatic conditions and a large temperature difference between day and night. But thanks to strong insolation in winter in Tibet it is not so cold at all, in southern Tibet the average annual temperature is 8 degrees Celsius, in the northern regions the average annual temperature is below zero, in the central regions in winter there are almost no severe frosts, and in summer there is rarely a strong heat. The best season for tourism is from March to October.

TAR is an area of ​​unique natural manifestations and numerous cultural and historical attractions. On the one hand, a tourist sees high mountain peaks piercing the sky, covered with eternal snow, full-flowing stormy rivers, calm lakes, a change of vegetation belts on the mountain slopes, a rich animal world. On the other hand, visitors will be able to get acquainted with such cultural and historical monuments as the Potala Palace, the Jokhang, Tashilumpo, Sakya, Drapung monasteries, the ancient settlement of the Guge kingdom, and the tombs of the Tufan kings. Some of these monuments are included in the list of protected monuments of national importance in China. Tourists will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the customs and life of the Tibetans and folk culture. In many respects, Tibet ranks first in China, Asia and the world. It contains 5 tourist landscape areas of the "4A" category of the state, 3 nature reserves of state significance, one landscape area of ​​the state category, one forest park and one geological park of state significance, the ancient city of Lhasa and more than 100 cultural and historical monuments, among which 3 are officially included to the list of world cultural heritage. Tourism development prospects in Tibet are excellent. According to experts, Tibet may well become one of the tourist regions of world importance.

Rich natural resources

Zoological and relief features

The Gyghai-Tibetan plateau is one of the youngest highlands in the world; it also has no equal in area and height above sea level. No wonder it is called "the roof of the world" and "the third pole of the Earth." In terms of unique natural conditions and specific ecology, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an ideal place for tourism. Since the Tibetan Plateau is the main component of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the Tibetan Plateau is often referred to as the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

As evidenced by the fossils of three-hoofed animals that lived in the early Pliocene, as well as numerous relict plants, in the late Tertiary period, present-day Tibet rose only 1 000 meters above sea level, tropical jungles and grasses grew here, the climate was hot and humid. And only in the next 3 million years, as a result of mountain building, Tibet rose to an average of 4000 meters above sea level. Moreover, the process of land uplift took place especially quickly in the last 10 thousand years, on average, the uplift was 7 cm per year, in total, such rates remained during the increase in height above sea level by 700 meters. Accurate measurements show that the process of land uplift in Tibet has not stopped today.

Today, the average height of the Tibetan plateau above sea level is 4000 meters, there are about 50 mountain peaks over 7000 meters high, among them 11 peaks are over 8000 meters high. Among them is the highest peak in the world, Chomolungma. The Tibetan plateau has a pronounced slope from northwest to southeast. The relief is complex and diverse: along with snowy mountains there are deep gorges, glaciers, bare rocks, there are areas of permafrost, deserts, heaps of clay rocks, gobi, etc. About Tibet they say that here “on one mountain you can simultaneously observe four seasons”, that "you will not pass even 10, how the landscape has changed all around."

Tibet is rich in minerals. 90 species have already been discovered, and 11 of 26 types of ore raw materials, the reserves of which have been found out, Tibet is in the top five in China.

The mountains

Tibet is called "the sea of ​​mountains" for a reason. In the north of the region stretches the majestic Kunlun ridge and its offshoot - the Tangla ridge, in the south there is the highest and youngest mountain system in the world - the Himalayas, in the west there is the Karakorum ridge, in the east replete with high peaks and deep gorges, the Hengduanshan ridge, inside the Tibetan region the Gangdise ridge - Nanchentanglha and its spurs. All these mountains are covered with snow all year round, have an inaccessible and majestic view.

The Himalayan mountain system has a length of 2,400 kilometers, a width of 200-300 kilometers, on the main ridge the average height of suitable peaks is 6,200 meters, the height of 50 peaks exceeds 7,000 meters. This concentration of the highest mountain peaks is a unique phenomenon in the world.

The Gangdise-Nanchentanglha Ridge is a watershed between South and North Tibet, between the inland and waste rivers of Tibet.

Kunlun is the border between the Tibetan and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions. This highest ridge cuts crosswise the central part of Asia, for which it received the name “the ridge of Asia”. It is one of the most concentrated places of eternal snow and glaciers in China.

The Tangla mountain range is the natural border of Tibet and the Qinghai province, the highest peak of the ridge - Geladendong has a height of 6621 meters, from here originates the greatest river in China - the Yangtze.

Due to differences in altitude, geological structure and geographical location, the various mountains of Tibet differ in their characteristic features and represent an interesting object of observation and study. In winter all the mountains are covered with snow, and in summer the mountains of Eastern Tibet are covered with green vegetation, the mountains of Northern Tibet are yellow-green, the mountains of Shangnan and Lhasa are purple, and the mountains of Shigatse are purple, the Iguna mountains are brown and black.

Usually the most famous mountains of inland China are rich in cultural monuments, architectural structures, rock carvings, drawings and bas-reliefs. In contrast, the Tibetan mountains have retained their natural color and appearance.

Chomolungma peak

Chomolungma Peak, 8848.13 meters high, is the main peak of the Himalayan Mountains and the highest peak in the world, located on the border of China with Nepal, on the Chinese side of Chomolungma it is located within Tingri County. Proudly ascended like a dazzling pyramid, Chomolungma looks great, and in its vicinity there is a radius of 20 km. there are 5 other peaks over 8000 meters (there are 14 such peaks in the world), in addition, 38 peaks over 7000 meters. Such a concentrated collection of the highest mountain peaks is a unique phenomenon in the world.

As shown by geological studies, in the Mesozoic era (230 million - 70 million years ago) the area of ​​the Chomolungma peak was a sea, the rise of the seabed began in the late Tertiary period of the Cenozoic. Moreover, the process of raising the land is still ongoing, the height of Chomolungma increases by 3.2 - 12.7 mm per year.

It is interesting that over the peak of Chomolungma there is always a cloud that takes the form of either a cloud or a white fog, resembling the shape of a flying horse, or the finest muslin in the hands of a fairy. Looking at Chomolungma, a person seems to abandon mortal worries, being transported to transcendental heights.

In recent years, interest in Chomolungma has increased dramatically among mountaineers. Many of them dream of climbing this inaccessible mountain and reaching the top. The best time for climbing is March-end of May and September-end of October, when the weather is relatively warm and there are no heavy rains and snowfalls.

On the northern slope of Chomolungma, on the border of the Zhunbu glacier, there is the Zhunbusi monastery of the Nyigma sect, this is the highest monastery in the world (altitude 5154 m above sea level).

They say that it is best to observe the peak from here. Today this monastery serves as a base for climbers to the peak, it has rooms for living. Tourists can use this base as an alpine hotel.

Kangrinbtse Peak

Kangrinbtse Peak - the main peak of the Gangdise mountain range, has long been revered in Asia as a "sacred" mountain.

The shape of the peak is round, it is distinguished by the correct symmetry of the slopes; the peak is hidden under a snow cap all year round.

The height of Kangrinbtse is 6,656 meters, not far from the peak, several large rivers of the world originate: the Indus River originates in the Shiquanhe (Lion Spring) source, the Bramaputra originates in the Matsuanhe (Horse Spring) source, the Sutlej River originates in the Xiangquanhe (Elephant Spring) source, in the Kuntsuehe spring (Peacock source) the Ganges originates.

The tradition of worshiping Mount Kangrinbtse dates back to several centuries from the beginning of a new era. And now it is considered a "sacred" mountain among the supporters of Lamaism, Hinduism, Jainism and the Bon religion. The adherents of Hinduism consider the peak of Kangrinbtse to be the habitat of the supreme deity Brahma, adherents of Jainism believe that this very peak became the abode of Leshabakh, the first adherent of Jainism who received "liberation", adherents of Lamaism consider the peak of Kangrinbtse to be the personification of the "originally revered" vajra Shenle and his zhenle. Bon religion supporters consider Kangrinbtse to be the center of the universe and the habitat of the gods. The most common cult event is the sacred passage around the mountain, however, adherents of different religions have different routes and ways of worship. The flow of pilgrims does not stop here, not only from the regions of China inhabited by Tibetans, but also from India, Nepal and Bhutan. Cult events are especially solemn in the Year of the Horse according to the Tibetan calendar.

Karst landform

In the northern outskirts of the county center Amdo, located at an altitude of 4,800 meters above sea level, there is Mount Raj, remarkable in that on its spurs there are many limestone pillars formed as a result of karst processes. Some of these pillars resemble pagodas, others have the shape of a spindle, the average height of the pillars is 20-40 meters, but there are also 60-meter rocks. Most of the limestone pillars have caves and grottoes; some of the caves contain stalactites and stalagmites. Local residents consider Mount Razh sacred, tourism authorities believe that it is a great place for rock-climbers, and scientists say that once the relief and landscape in these places were the same as now in Guilin. Karst relief and formations are widespread in Tibet. In addition to Amdo county, they are located in the western suburb of Lhasa, near the new and old county towns of Tingri, in Rutog county, on the shores of Lake Namtso, near the county center of Markam and in other places. They represent the remnants of karst structures formed during the Neogene period (25 million - 3 million years ago). For 3 million years, during the processes of glaciation, erosion and sudden changes in temperature, these terrestrial karst structures disappeared, but then, in the process of raising the land, underground karst formations hidden under the soil cover appeared on the surface, they can be observed today.

The well-known karst caves of Janang, Lkhundze, Damshung, Chamdo, Rivoche and Biru. In the eyes of believers, these caves are surrounded by a supernatural mystery, but the tourist authorities see them as excellent tourist excursions. Macjala Cave in Riwoche County is distinguished by its completeness of form and wonderful landscapes; the attractive Gupu Karst Cave on the top of a mountain (height 5400 meters) in Tsyunka parish, Chamdo district. The cave, meandering, goes far into a depth of 10 kilometers, inside there are stalactites and stalagmites hanging down, and outside the cave there are placers of multi-colored pebbles. On the Zhaxi Peninsula of Namtso Lake in Northern Tibet, there is a cave, inside which there is a stone forest grove, a natural bridge and other attractions.

The Zhayamzong Cave in Janang County, Shannan County is well known not only in Tibet. The cave is located on Mount Zhayamtsun on the northern bank of Tsangpo. The cave has three south-facing entrances, two of which are connected internally. The largest cave is 13 meters deep, 11 meters wide and 15 meters high, with an area of ​​100 square meters. The cave was formerly used as a hall for Buddhist saints and a prayer hall for reading sutras, and there are frescoes on the walls. Currently, the hall of Buddhist saints has been restored. To the west of the large cave, on a steep cliff, there is an entrance to another cave. According to legend, the founder of the Nyigma sect of Tibetan Buddhism Lianhuasheng comprehended holiness in it. This cave is connected to a large cave. Further to the west is the third cave, which is 55 meters long. In all three caves there are bizarre stalactites that make a ringing sound when struck.

Meimu Cave is located at the junction of Biru and Bachen counties. The entrance to the cave is located on the side of a mountain; there is another cave inside the cave. At a distance of 1.5 km. from the cave there is a place where pilgrims come to worship Buddha. They say that more than 500 sacred "signs" and "divine manifestations" appear to man here.

The phenomenon of "clay-sedimentary forests"

Treelike sedimentary strata is another object of interest to the explorer and traveler.

In Dzanda County, in the valley of the Xiangquanhe River, which flows between the Himalayan Range and the Gangdis Mountains, there are powerful sedimentary formations that resemble the trunks of giant trees. These strata, which are compressed deposits of sandstone, clay and pebbles, formed in the Quaternary on the basis of bottom sediments of rivers and lakes. In Dzanda County, these "sandy-loamy forests" cover several hundred square kilometers. In shape, some of them resemble tubs lined up in a row, others look like ancient castles. Looking at them, one involuntarily recalls the table-like sedimentary landscape in the Colorado River Valley in the USA.

In addition, cave dwellings in which people lived in ancient times, as well as rock paintings, have been preserved in the Dzanda county. Therefore, some scholars believe that it was here that the capital of the Xiangxiong kingdom, the city of Qionglun'eka, was located, which is mentioned by the sources of the Bon religion.

Glaciers

Tibet is a place that has no equal in the world for the abundance of glaciers. There are 2,756 glaciers in the area west of Bomi County alone. One of the glaciers of the Himalayan mountains - Tszemayantszun gives rise to the Tsangpo River.

Glaciers are massive accumulations of ice and snow that have formed over millennia. Today glaciers are of great interest to tourists and researchers. Sometimes glacial formations take curious forms, for example, a mushroom-like shape (such ice mushrooms sometimes reach 5 meters in height), the shape of impregnable ice walls and screens, or the shape of ice pagodas, very similar to pyramids or bell towers, or the shape of a spear piercing the sky or the shape a majestically calm giraffe.

In the process of the formation of ice "sculpture", an important role is played by the partial melting of ice under the influence of solar heat, this process usually takes several tens, or even a hundred years.

According to glaciologists, the phenomena of large accumulations of ice pagodas are found exclusively in the Himalayas and Karakorum. The accumulations of ice pagodas in the area of ​​Chomolungma Peak and Shishabangma Peak are well known.

In the basin of Lake Yamjo-yumtso there is a pyramid-shaped mountain peak Karu with a height of 6629 m, from its northern side rises the Neujingkansan peak (7194 m) - the highest peak of the southern watershed of Tibet. On the slopes and in the vicinity of these two peaks, there are 54 modern glaciers. Together they form glaciers) on the Kazhera zone with an area of ​​130 sq. Km. Up from the triangular area on the route is the Qiangyun Glacier. It originated on the northeastern slope of Karusun Peak and is the source of one of the tributaries of the Karusuntsiuhe River. Three peaks: Neijingkansan, Jiangsanlamu and Jiegansusun are already open to tourists and climbers.

The famous Rongbu Glacier is just 300 meters from Rongbu Monastery. The glacier occupies a vast area at the foot of the Chomolungma at an altitude of 5300 - 6300 m. It consists of three glaciers: Western, Sredinny and Vostochny, the total length of the glacier is 26 km, the average width of the glacial tongue is 1.4 km; the total area is 1500 sq. Km. This glacier - the largest of the glaciers in the Chomolungma region - is known in the world as exemplary in terms of the completeness of the formation and the degree of preservation. Here you can observe bowl-shaped hanging glaciers and glacial moraines, hummocks resembling bizarre pagodas, lakes of glacial water and sheer knife-like ice sheets. Ice castles, bridges, table-like and pyramidal formations, figures of outlandish animals - as if a skilled sculptor had worked here. Three glaciers to the north merge into one, bordering the peak of Chomolungma.

In Burang county of Ngari district in the vicinity of Kangrinbtse peak and Mapam-yumtso lake on an area of ​​200 sq. Km. there are 10 mountain peaks with a height of over 6000 m. These peaks, on the slopes of which there are many glaciers, are an excellent place for climbing.

In Bomi, called "Tibetan Switzerland", there are many glaciers that owe their formation to moist winds blowing from the Indian Ocean. Known, for example, are the Kachin, Tsepu and Zhogo glaciers. Including the Kachin glacier is one of the three largest glaciers in China. Its length is 19 km, area is 90 sq. km. It is the largest ice shelf in China.

Water bodies in Tibet are represented by rivers, lakes, springs and waterfalls.

The rivers

Tibet is exceptionally rich in rivers. Not only Tsangpo with its five tributaries: Lhasa, Nyangchu, Niyan, Parlung-tsangpo and Doshyun-tsangpo flows in the region, but also the rivers Nujiang, Yangtze, Lancangjiang (Mekong) and others originate. The Senggge-tsangpo (Shiquanhe) River is the beginning of the Indus, Langchen-tsangpo (Xiangquanhe) is the upper reaches of the Sutlej River.

Tibet accounts for 15% of China's hydropower reserves and ranks first among the provinces of China in terms of their size. Moreover, the hydropower reserves of each of the 365 rivers exceed 10 thousand kilowatts. Tibetan rivers are characterized by an almost complete absence of sandy-silty impurities in the water, exceptional transparency and low water temperature.

From the point of view of tourism, the basins of the Tsangpo River, revered by the Tibetans as the "mother river", and its five tributaries are important.

The Tsangpo River makes a sharp turn here, forming a horseshoe-shaped deep canyon.

Tsangpo is the largest river in Tibet and the highest river in the world. It originates from the Tszemayantszun glacier on the northern slope of the Himalayas, flows through 23 counties of four cities and districts:

Shigatse, Lhasa, Shannan and Lingzhi. Within China, the length of Tsangpo is 2,057 kilometers, the basin area is 240 thousand square kilometers. In the Medog district, Tsangpo goes beyond the borders of China, and there it flows under the name of Brahmaputra. Crossing India and Bangladesh, it flows into the Indian Ocean. The area of ​​the upper course of Tsangpo, above Shigatse, has an exceptionally cold climate and is difficult for tourists to access. From Shigatse to Qiushui Bridge, a road winds along the coast, following which passengers can admire the surrounding landscapes. In the section between the Qiushui Bridge and the Gyatsa Bridge, the Tsangpo expands, the current becomes smoother and more calm. Mountain spurs covered with virgin forest rise on both banks. Tourists are attracted by the lonely peak of Namjagbarwa, a sandbank in the middle of the river and other views reminiscent of paintings in the genre of "mountains and water". This route is one of the most popular in Tibet.

Tsangpo Grand Canyon

In the place where the counties of Manling and Medog border (95 deg. East. Longitude, 29 deg., Sowing, latitude), the Tsangpo current runs into the mountain peak Namjagbarwa - the highest peak of the Eastern Himalayas (7782 m.). The river makes a sharp turn here, forming a horseshoe-shaped deep canyon, on the southern slope of which Namjagbarwa peak rises, and on the northern slope - Galabeley peak (7151 m.). These peaks, towering 5-6 thousand meters above the water surface, gripped the river from both sides as if in a vice, leaving it a way through the "natural gates". The width of the river in the narrowest places does not exceed 80 meters. From a bird's eye view, the river looks like a thread cutting through the bulk of the rocks.

As proved by a scientific expedition organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994, Tsangpo Canyon is the world's first longest and deepest canyon. The length of the canyon from the village of Daduca (height 2880 m.) In Manling County to the village of Batsoka (height 115 m.) In Medog County is 504.6 kilometers, the maximum depth is 6009 meters, the average depth is 2268 meters. According to these parameters, the Tsangpo Grand Canyon leaves behind the Colorado Canyon (depth 2133 meters, length 440 km.) And the Kerk Canyon in Peru (depth 3200 meters). Scientific data, confirming the world championship of the Tsangpo Grand Canyon, shook the world geographic community. Scientists have recognized the "discovery" of the Tsangpo Grand Canyon as the most significant geographical discovery of the 20th century.

In September 1998, the State Council of the People's Republic of China officially approved the name of the Grand Canyon of Tsangpo "Yarlung Zangbo Daxiagu".

Parlung-tsangpo canyon

In April 2002, Chinese scientists announced in Lhasa: a long-term scientific expedition with them proved that the Parlung-tsangpo canyon is the third longest and deepest canyon in the world, yielding to the Nepalese canyon (depth 4403 m). In depth, it leaves behind the Colorado Canyon in the USA (depth 2133 m) and the Kerk Canyon in Peru (depth 3200 m).

The Parlung-tsangpo River originates within the Bashho County, flows through Bomi, Lingzhi and flows into the Tsangpo River. Its length is 266 km, the area of ​​the basin is 28631 sq. km.

The Parlung-tsangpo canyon is located within the Lingzhi county, has an integral gorge relief, its length from Yong Lake is 50 km, and the length from the dam lake near the Gusyan glacier is 76 km.

The Parlung Tsangpo River Basin is one of the three largest virgin forest areas in China, home to the Midui Glaciers, Ravuzo and Yong Lakes and famous landscape areas.

The Parlung Tsangpo Canyon is of great importance in the development of tourist resources and plays a special role in terms of the integral regional geographic relief together with the Tsangpo Grand Canyon.

Lakes

The abundance of lakes is a characteristic feature of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Against the background of mountains, blue skies, white clouds and green steppes, the lakes of Tibet look like shining stars of the constellations, like interspersed sapphires. Lakes Namtso, Yamjo-yumtso, Mapam-yumtso, Bangongtso, Basunzo and others are well known to tourists in China and abroad.

Tibet is not only the largest lake region in China, but also a unique region of high mountain lakes in the world. There are 1,500 large and adal lakes in Tibet. The area occupied by lakes in Tibet is 24,566 sq. kilometers, which is about 30% of the area of ​​all lakes in China. 787 lakes in Tibet have an area exceeding 1 sq. Km. each one.

The lakes in Tibet can be classified as effluent, inland and inland; according to the content of salts in water - into freshwater, brackish and salty; by type of origin - to geological lakes, glacial lakes and dammed lakes formed as a result of a blockage in the path of river flow. Thus, Tibetan lakes include all types of lakes found in China. Tibetan lakes are characterized by the transparency of the water, which allows you to see the bottom, a wonderful landscape environment in the form of snowy mountain peaks and lush meadows, an abundance of fish and waterfowl.

The islands on the lakes are home to flocks of birds. Particularly famous is the "bird island" on Lake Bangongtso in the Qiantan steppe. In addition, in the northern part of the Tibetan plateau there are about 400 salt lakes rich in mirabilite and table salt, as well as many rare earth elements. There are hot and warm lakes in Southern Tibet.

Tibet is characterized by the existence of the cult of lakes. The local population has an unshakable faith in the legends and traditions associated with the lakes. Three large lakes: Namtso, Mapam-yumtso and Yamjo-yumtso are considered "sacred" in Tibet.

Famous for its scenic views, Lake Basunzo is located in Gongbogyamda County, 90 km away. from the county center Golinka, 120 km. from the village of Bai.

This alpine lake lies in the middle reaches of the Bahe River, the main tributary of the Niyan River. The height of the lake above sea level is 3538 meters, the length of the lake is 18 km., The average width is 1.5 km., The area of ​​the lake is 25.9 square meters. km., depth 60 meters.

The water is clean and transparent, the banks are overgrown with dense grass and bushes. The lake view rivals the renowned Swiss views. In summer and autumn, the shores of the lake are covered with a colorful floral dress, a thick aroma spreads in the air, butterflies and bees are circling over the flowers.

The surrounding forests are home to bears, snow leopards, mountain goats, deer, musk deer, and snow partridges.

In the center of the lake there is an island, which is a ridge formed after the sliding of an ancient glacier, and today you can see scratches left by the glacier on the rocks of the island. The island has a monastery of Tsotsong, which belongs to the Nyigma sect and was built in the 17th century. Local residents consider the lake "sacred", on the 15th day of the 4th month according to the Tibetan calendar, a traditional walk around the lake is arranged. In the upper reaches of the lake and nearby rivers there are glaciers, their water is fed by the lake and rivers, and sometimes the tongue of the glacier slides into forest groves, forming glaciers of ice among dense greenery. Today, there is a suburban village in the lake area, where you can rent a house for the duration of the holidays. In 1997, Lake Basunzo was included by the World Tourism Organization in the list of recommended landscape places in the world, in 2001 it became a tourist area of ​​the state category "4A", in 2002 - a forest park of national importance.

Namtso lake

Namtso is the largest lake in Tibet, the highest of the largest lakes in the world, the second largest mineralized lake in China. The lake is located on the border of Damshung County (Lhasa) and Bengyong County of Nagchu County.

In Tibetan "namtso" means "Heavenly Lake". The height of the lake above sea level is 4740 meters, the length of the lake is 70 km, the width is 30 km., The area is 1920 sq. km. The lake is fed by melting snow and ice on the Nyenchentanglha Ridge. In the vicinity of the lake, there are meadows with lush grass - the best natural pastures in Northern Tibet. It is home to numerous species of wild animals, including rare species. In the middle of the lake there are 5 small islands, in addition there are 5 peninsulas. The largest peninsula is the Chzhasi peninsula with an area of ​​10 sq. Km. On the peninsula there is the Zhasi monastery, karst grottoes, a stone grove, a "bridge" of karst origin and other attractions.

Every year, rituals of worshiping the lake are arranged on the lake, to which believers from Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan flock. In the year of the Sheep, according to the Tibetan calendar, there are especially many pilgrims, the procession ceremony around the lake lasts 20-30 days.

Lake Yamjo-yumtso is 110 km away. southwest of Lhasa, within the Nagardse county of Shannan county. The length of the lake from east to west is 130 km., Width is 70 km., The circumference of the lake is 250 km., Area is 638 sq. km., height above sea level 4441 meters, water depth 20-40 meters, in the deepest places 60 meters. This is the largest lake in the northern foothills of the Himalayas, it belongs to the inland lakes, feeds on melting snow and the water in it tastes salty. Lake Yamjo-yumtso is very picturesque, the water in it is clear and clean, it is considered by the people to be one of the three "sacred" lakes.

Lake Yamjo-yumtso is the largest gathering place for migratory birds in Southern Tibet; during the egg-laying season, bird eggs can be seen everywhere along the shores of the lake. The lake is home to lefuyuy (Schizopyge taliensis) and other species of high-mountainous fish. The total fish resources are estimated at 800 thousand tons. Fishery farms have already appeared here, which are engaged in breeding valuable fish species.

In the vicinity of the lake, there are meadows suitable for grazing. In the western part of the lake there is a peninsula where villagers' houses are in close contact with meadows used for grazing. There are about a dozen small islands on the lake, the smallest island is barely 100 sq. meters. Dried meat is a well-known product of the Yamjo-yumtso lake.

Between the Yamjo-Yumtso Lake and the Tsangpo River, the Yamjo Pumping Hydroelectric Power Station, the highest-altitude pumping hydropower plant in the world, has been built. The height of the fall of water is 800 meters, water is supplied to the station through a tunnel 600 meters long, 4 power generating units with a capacity of 90 thousand kW are installed at the hydroelectric power station.

"Sacred lake" Mapam-yumtso

Lake Mapam-yumtso is located in Burang County, at a distance of more than 20 kilometers southeast of Kangrinbtse Mountain and 200 kilometers or more from the Shitsuanhe village. Fresh water reserves in the lake are 20 billion cubic meters. So this lake is one of the few high-mountain freshwater lakes in the world. The height of the lake above sea level is 4583 meters, the area of ​​the lake is 412 sq. Km. In the deepest places, the water depth reaches 70 meters. The water in the lake is clean and clear, it is not for nothing that the Tibetans revered it as one of the three "sacred lakes".

In the manuscript of the Thai monk Xuan Tsang, who traveled to India, ofeepo Mapam-yumtso is referred to as the "Western Jasper Pond". In the 11th century, the sect of Tibetan Buddhism prevailed over the Bon religion, and in commemoration of this event the lake, called "Machuitso", was renamed Mapam-yumtso, which means "invincible" in Tibetan. Adherents of Lamaism believe that bathing in the lake cleanses of sinful thoughts and intentions, and if an ill person drinks water from the lake, his illness will recover very soon. The procession around the lake is considered a great boon. Almost every season of the year, pilgrims come to the lake to drink healing water and take a bath. Together with the Kangrinbtse peak, the Mapam-yumtso lake constitutes the “sacred mountain and lake”.

In summer, numerous flocks of swans arrive in the vicinity of the lake, then the lake landscape becomes even more beautiful. In addition, according to popular belief, eating fish caught in the lake helps women to become pregnant, facilitates difficult childbirth, and cures edema. Analysis of the water showed that it contains some valuable minerals.

It is interesting that not far away, just three kilometers from the Mapam-yumtso lake, is the Langatso lake, nicknamed "the devil's". The water in the lake is salty, storms often occur on the lake, and there is almost no vegetation along the shores.

Lake Bangongtso

Lake Bangongtso, also known as Longneck Crane Lake, is a border lake. It lies to the north of the county town of Rutog, and its western part is within India. The name Bangongtso is of Indian origin, and in Tibetan the lake is called "Lake of Long-necked Cranes".

The lake is 155 km long from east to west, 2-5 km wide, 15 km at its widest point, the lake is made up of three narrow lakes connected by channels, the lake area is 593 sq. km., the height of the lake above sea level is 4242 meters, the maximum water depth is 57 meters. Most of the lake lies within China, and the water in this part of the lake is fresh, while in the part lying within Kashmir, the water is salty. But in terms of vegetation in the vicinity of the lake, the Kashmir coast is much richer than the coastal part of the lake from the Chinese side.

The attraction of Lake Bangongtso is the Lefuyu fish. In this species of fish, there are a number of large scale plates on the sides of the spawning hole and rear fin, so that it seems as if the belly of the fish is open outward. Hence the name "Lefuyui" (fish with a cracked belly "). This species developed in the harsh climate of Tibet.

In the center of the lake there is an island 300 m long and 200 m wide, where flocks of geese, gulls and other birds gather - about 20 species in total. There is a din of birds over the island, and when the flocks rise into the sky, it becomes difficult to distinguish the sun. In addition, there are ancient cultural monuments in the vicinity of the lake.

Lake Senlizo

For a long time, Western scholars have believed that the highest lake in the world is Lake Titicaca (3812 m high), lying on the border of Bolivia and Peru. And in Tibet, at least a thousand lakes lie at an altitude of 4000 meters or more, including 17 lakes at an altitude of over 5000 meters.

According to the Academy of Sciences of the PRC, the highest lake in the world is the Tibetan Lake Senlitso (5386 m above sea level), which is located in Jongba County. This lake is freshwater and wastewater, water from it flows into the Tsangpo River, the lake lies in the permafrost region, where conditions are very harsh.

Alpine salt lakes

The number of salt lakes in Tibet far exceeds the number of freshwater lakes. It is estimated that there are 250 salt lakes, that is, 25% of all lakes in Tibet. The total area of ​​salt lakes is 8 thousand square kilometers, 2.6% of the entire territory of the region.

Salt lakes have their own specific features and attract many travel lovers. For example, Lake Chzhabuechaka, lying at an altitude of 4421 meters above sea level, has a size of 213 square kilometers, resembles a gourd-pumpkin in shape, the North Lake stretches from the narrowest point to the north, and South Lake to the south. The South Lake is covered with a white crust of salt, in the North Lake there is still a layer of water 20-100 cm thick. To the west of the lake rises Mount Zhiagelyan (6364 m), the snow of which feeds the lake with melt water. Lake Zhabuechaka ranks first among the lakes of China in terms of borax reserves. In addition, the lake is rich in mirabilite, sodium carbonate, potassium, lithium and other elements. Also worthy of mention is Lake Margochaka, whose area is 80 sq. km. The bottom of the lake is smooth as a mirror. There are many such salt lakes in Tibet, they contain rich resources of mineral salts. For example, the reserves of sodium chloride in the Margaychak lake alone with an area of ​​70 sq. km. sufficient to meet the salt requirements of the Tibetan population for tens of thousands of years.

In the vicinity of the lake, there are meadows with lush grass, where numerous animal species live. On islands and in coastal thickets, fresh water is often percolated. There are excellent nesting places for waterfowl.

Sources of

Tibet, along with the provinces of Yunnan, Taiwan and Fujian, is a place rich in springs. Tibet ranks first in China in terms of reserves of geothermal energy, 630 places of underground heat release to the surface have been discovered. Almost every county has a hot spring. The classification of types of hot springs has more than 20 varieties. In Northern Tibet alone, there are 300 large geothermal zones.

Most of the Tibetan springs have healing properties. From this point of view, they are valuable for tourists and researchers, and in addition have great prospects for useful applications. Since ancient times, the Tibetans have learned to use spring water against ailments and have accumulated rich experience. In the Lhasa region, the most popular is the Dezhun warm spring within the Majokunggar county. The spring water contains sulfur and other substances useful for humans and is effective against various diseases. In spring and autumn, the water pressure in the spring is minimal, but the concentration of minerals reaches its maximum value, and during this period the effectiveness of treatment is the best. Most of those who have completed the course of treatment leave satisfied, no wonder that the Dezhong spring is very popular and numerous clients come to it.

In Shanan County, warm springs are concentrated mainly in Woka, Sangri County, and around Lake Zhegu within Tsomei County. There are 7 springs in Sangri county, including the Chzholok spring, which was used by the Dalai Lamas. According to legend, the spring water cures many diseases. The water of the Juequiunbange spring, located to the north of the Zholoka spring, cures stomach ailments; nearby there is a Pabu spring, whose water helps against rheumatism, the Nima spring, whose water cures eye diseases, and Bangage spring, whose water cures skin diseases. Many visitors come to these springs in spring and summer. There is a well-known Seu spring in the vicinity of Qusun.

The Kanbu spring in Yadun County is well known. Its water is credited with the ability to cure many diseases. This spring has 14 outlets to the surface of the earth, and the temperature, chemical composition and healing properties of water in them are not the same. The spring water is said to help heal fractures, cure stomach ailments, arthritis and skin diseases.

The springs in the area of ​​Lake Yamjo-yumtso are also popular. In the Rongma area in the north of Nyima County, hot springs are located on an area of ​​several hundred square meters. meters. Hot steam stands above the springs all year round, and the water of the springs helps with arthritis and skin diseases.

There are also many hot springs in Chamdo with good quality water that has healing properties. For example, the sources of Wangmeik and Zujik in Chamdo County, the Izhi spring in Riwoche County, the Ravu and Syali sources in Bashyo County, the Tsiuzik source in Markam County, the source in the Qinni cave in Jiangda County, the source in Buto village in Dengchen, the Meiyu source in Dzogang, and other. In the Yanjing area of ​​Markam County there are springs with a water temperature of 70 degrees Celsius, even the "coldest" springs have a temperature of 25 degrees. With the onset of spring, residents of the surrounding villages and even residents of Deqin County, Yunnan Province come here to bathe.

In the small town of Yumei, through which we pass the route of the expedition to the Tsangpo Grand Canyon, there is a hot spring gushing from a crevice among the stones. Its water flows into the Parlung-tsangpo river. Around there is a virgin forest: pine, spruce, nanmu, birch, cypress, and under the trees lush grass and dense thickets of blooming rhododendron.

Yangbajen Geothermal Area is located in Damshung County, at the southern foot of Nanchentanglha Mountain, 90 km away. northwest of Lhasa city. The Qinghai-Tibet Road passes next to it.

The Yangbajen Geothermal Area is one of the largest exploited geothermal areas in the world. In China, this area was the first area for the economic use of geothermal energy. The annual amount of energy released in the Yangbajen region is equal to the energy of 4.7 million tons of fuel equivalent.

The Yangbajen Geothermal Power Plant, the most powerful in China, operates on underground heat.

Even before the construction of the Yamjoyumtso Pumping Power Plant, the Yangbajen Geothermal Power Plant supplied Lhasa and the surrounding area with electricity.

By the end of 2000, 8 power generating units with a capacity of 25 thousand kW were installed at the Yangbajen power plant. 30 percent of the electricity in the Lhasa grid is generated here.

The Yangbajen geothermal region lies in a high-mountainous basin and covers an area of ​​40 square kilometers. All year round, hot springs supply water to the surface with a temperature of 70 degrees, which is why steam stands above the pit. Especially grand is the gushing geyser, reaching a height of at least 100 meters, its bubbling can be heard from five kilometers away. Against the backdrop of the snowy peak of Nanchentanglha and green meadows, the beating white column of water and steam is impressive.

A bathhouse and a swimming pool at an altitude of 4200 meters are equipped in Yangbajan, the water of the springs heals from stomach, kidney, skin diseases, arthritis, paralysis of the limbs and other ailments. In the near future, hot water from the springs will also be used for other purposes: heating homes, heating greenhouses and fish-breeding ponds. To the east of the Yangbajen geothermal region lies the largest hot lake in China with an area of ​​7,300 square meters, a bathhouse and a swimming pool are equipped on its shore. In the village of Quicai, Ningzhong Volost, there is a group of bubbling springs, the water temperature reaches 125.5 degrees. In 1998, a health center was built here.

Dagejia Geothermal Region

Dagejia geysers are the largest pulsating geysers in China. They are located on the southern spur of the Gangdis Mountains, in the western part of Ngamring County. The release of water from geysers is irregular, as is the duration of their action. Some geysers gush for 10 minutes, while others only for a few seconds. Usually, the ejection of a fountain of water is preceded by a pulsation of water jets at a low level, then an underground rumble like a thunderous rumble is heard, and a column of water and steam, reaching a diameter of 2 meters and a height of 200 meters, beats from the source. But here the water column, scattered like rain, goes underground again and the surface of the source takes on its former form.

Exploding Qupu Geyser

Quipu, located on the southeastern shore of Lake Mapam-yumtso, has a unique exploding geyser. During the action of the geyser, a thunderous rumble is heard, a mixture of hot water and steam bursts out of the ground, raising a column of mud and rock. After the end of the explosion, deep funnel-shaped tubes remain in the ground. One day in November 1975, a geyser exploded. Frightened by the thunderous rolls, the grazing flocks of sheep and herds of cows scattered in all directions. The column of steam reached 900 meters in height, the stones thrown out during the explosion were scattered far over a kilometer.

Pulsing springs in the Bagashan mountains

50 km. to the northwest of Golinka, the administrative center of Gongbogyamda county, there is a landscape region of the Nyanpugou gorge, in its upper reaches three gorges converge: Jiaxinggou, Yanvogou and Buzhugou. In the Bujugou gorge there is a karst cave (4200 meters above sea level) and three cascading groups of warm springs, the water of which flows into a river flowing along the bottom of the cave. Centuries-old pines and cypresses grow all around. In the Yanvogou gorge, northwest of the Nyanpugou gorge, there is the Bagasy monastery (of the Gelugba sect), and at the foot of the mountain there is a warm spring that works exactly like clockwork: water appears in it 6 times a day.

Waterfalls

In the eastern and southwestern parts of Tibet, in the gorges of the southeastern and northeastern mountains, there are many waterfalls.

There are so many waterfalls in Lingzhi County that they are difficult to statistic.

The largest waterfall is Medogsky waterfall, the height of the water fall of which exceeds 400 meters.

First of all, 4 groups of waterfalls in the Tsangpo Grand Canyon should be mentioned. On the 20-kilometer stretch from Sisinla to Zhaatsu, the place where the tributary Parlung-tsangpo flows into the Tsangpo, the gorge makes many sharp bends, the slope coefficient of this section is 23 degrees, at the narrowest point the width of the river, sandwiched by sheer cliffs, is only 35 meters , the difference in water level in high water and shallow water is 21 meters. It is these features of the relief that led to the emergence of many large and small waterfalls here.

The Rongzha group of waterfalls is located on the Tsangpo River, 6 km away. from the place where the Parlung-tsangpo tributary flows into it, at an altitude of 1680 meters. The waterfall cascade has 7 steps, the greatest distance between two steps is 30 meters. The width of the waterfall is 50 meters. On a section of 200 meters, the total height of the water fall is 100 meters. There is an incessant hum around the waterfall, its spray spreads far across the neighborhood. In Menba, "rongzha" means "root of the gorge."

The Tsugudulun Falls are located on the Tsangpo River, 14.6 km away. from the place where Parlung-tsangpo flows into it at an altitude of 1890 meters. The maximum relative height of the fall of water is 15 meters, the width of the waterfall is 40 meters. At the Tsangpo site 600 meters below and above the waterfall, 3 waterfalls 2-4 meters high and 5 rapids were found. From a steep cliff along the southern bank of Tsangpo, where the main waterfall of the Tsugudulun group is located, a waterfall falls, its width is only 1 meter, but its height is 50 meters.

Badun waterfalls are located on the Tsangpo River, where it is surrounded by the Sisinla Mountains, it is about 20 km. from the place where the tributary Parlung-tsangpo flows into the Tsangpo. The height of the waterfall is 2140 meters above sea level. In total, there are two groups of waterfalls on the site of 600 meters, the height of one of them is 35 meters (width 35 meters), and the height of the other group is 33 meters. Together, both groups form the largest cascade in Tsangpo. The largest waterfall in Lingzhi County is the 400-meter-high Hanmi Falls. The uppermost cascade of the waterfall flows directly from the snowy mountains extending into the sky, in the second cascade stage the waterfall expands, at first the stream slows down, flowing between the forest thickets, and when it reaches the cliff, it breaks down with tremendous force, the lowest step of the cascade is a huge boulder that changes direction of flow. At the end of the path, the waterfall flows into the Dosiunlahe River, forming numerous deep pools.

Climate

The months from March to October are considered the best from the point of view of a tourist trip in Tibet, and the most favorable time is the period from June to September.

Tibet is characterized by a great difference in the climate of different regions, unique natural phenomena associated with the action of wind, clouds, rain, frost and fog, as well as unusually remarkable sunrises and sunsets.

The special climate of Tibet is due to the peculiarities of its relief and atmospheric circulation. The general trend is a dry and cold climate in the north-western part of the region and a humid warm climate in the south-eastern part of it. In addition, the pattern in the change of climatic zones along the height of the relief clearly makes itself felt.

The main features of the Tibetan climate are thin air, low atmospheric pressure, low oxygen content in the atmosphere, low dust and humidity, the air is very clean and thin, the atmosphere is highly permeable to radiation and sunlight. At a temperature of zero Celsius, the density of the atmosphere at sea level is 1292 grams per cubic meter, the standard atmospheric pressure is 1013.2 millibars. In Lhasa (3650 m.), The density of the atmosphere is 810 grams per cubic meter, the average annual atmospheric pressure is 652 millibars. If on the plains the oxygen content in a cubic meter of air is 250-260 grams, then in the highlands of Tibet it is only 150-170 grams, that is, 62-65.4% of the plain.

Tibet is a region that has no equal in China in terms of the intensity of solar radiation. Here this intensity is twice, or at least one third, greater than in flat areas lying at the same latitude. Tibet also ranks first in the number of hours of sunshine per year. In Lhasa, there are 19,500 kilocalories of solar energy per year for every square meter of land, which is equivalent to combustion energy of 230-260 kg. equivalent fuel, there are 3021 hours of solar insolation per year. It is not for nothing that Lhasa is called "the city of the sun". Powerful solar radiation caused a high intensity of ultraviolet irradiation, which (for waves with a length of less than 400 nanometers) is 2.3 times stronger than the intensity on the plain. Therefore, in Tibet, many pathogenic bacteria are almost absent, Tibetans almost never have skin diseases and infection from injuries.

The average air temperature in Tibet is lower in comparison with the flat regions lying at the same latitude; the temperature difference in different seasons is also small. But on the other hand, in Tibet, there are significant daily fluctuations in temperature between day and night. In Lhasa and Shigatse, the difference between the temperature of the hottest month and the average annual temperature is lower in comparison with Chongqing, Wuhan and Shanghai at the same latitude by 10-15 degrees Celsius. And the average daily temperature fluctuations are 14-16 degrees. In Ngari, Nagchu and other places in August, the daytime air temperature reaches 10 degrees, and at night it drops to zero and below, so that during the night the rivers and lakes are covered with a film of ice. In June, in Lhasa and Shigatse at noon, the maximum temperature reaches 27-29 degrees, there is a real summer heat on the street. But in the evening the temperature drops so that people feel the autumn coolness, and at midnight the temperature can drop to 0-5 degrees, so that in summer people sleep under wadded blankets. The next morning, when the sun rises, it becomes warm again like spring. In Northern Tibet, the average annual temperature lies below zero, there are only two seasons: cold and warm, but there is no concept of four seasons. Northern Tibet is the coldest place in China in terms of average temperatures during the summer season. Snow falls in many places in Tibet in July, and rivers freeze in August. The golden season is considered the time from June to September, when the temperature is 7-12 degrees during the day, the maximum temperature reaches 20 degrees. After rain, the temperature usually drops to 10 degrees and below, at night the temperature is even lower. Adapting to the sharp daily fluctuations in air temperature, Tibetans during the day, when it is warm, wear an outer jacket, putting on only one sleeve, and leaving the other empty, and put on both sleeves in the mornings and evenings.

The rainy season occurs in different places at different times, but the distinction between dry and rainy seasons is quite clear. Moreover, Tibet is characterized by rainfall mainly at night. Annual precipitation in the most low-lying regions of Southeastern Tibet is 5000 mm, as it moves to the northwest, it gradually decreases and finally reaches only 50 mm. Between October and April next year, 10-20% of the annual rainfall falls, in May the rainy season begins, which lasts until September. At this time, 90% of the annual rainfall falls. The rainy season in April and May first comes to the counties of Dzayu and Me dog, gradually the rainy front covers Lhasa and Shigatse, in July it rains all over Tibet, in the last decade of September and the first decade of October the rainy season ends. As for the predominant night rainfall, about 60% of rainfall (85% in Lhasa, 82% in Shigatse) falls at night. This is a feature of the Tibetan climate. However, in southeastern Tibet and in the Himalayas, nighttime rains account for about half of all precipitation.

Tibet is one of the regions of China where plant and animal resources are richly represented. The classification of plant and animal belts includes cold, temperate, subtropical and tropical belts.

Vegetation

If you look at the map of Tibet, belts of forests, meadows, steppes and deserts will emerge from the southeast to the northwest. Bioresources are extremely rich. They form an important part of tourism resources.

The richest natural botanical garden

Due to the abundance of plant species, Tibet deserves the name of a natural botanical garden; its gene bank of seed material can serve as a cast from the flora of all Asia.

Especially rich in plant resources are Jilong, Yadong and Zham in Western Tibet, Medog, Dzayu and Loyu in Eastern Tibet. But even in Northern Tibet, where the climate is much more severe, there are more than 100 plant species. Above 4200 meters in the belt of high-mountain shrub-herbaceous vegetation, there are many plants blooming with bright flowers, for example, rhododendron and primrose. During the flowering season, the slopes of the mountains are covered with a bright carpet of flowers.

Medog and Chayuy on the southern spur of the Himalayas were called "Tibetan Jiangnan" and "Tibetan Xishuanbanna". Below 1200 meters, there are monsoon and rain forests, where lianas, wild bananas, Japanese bananas, coffee trees (two species were found) and other species, typical of the tropics and subtropics, grow. At an altitude of 2500-3200 m. In the Tsangpo valley on an area of ​​about a thousand square kilometers, thickets of an endangered species of yew were discovered.

The largest forest in China

In Tibet, forests have been preserved intact. Subtropical evergreen forests, including coniferous and mixed ones, grow at an altitude of 1200-3200 m. At an altitude of 3200-4200 m, mainly coniferous forests (spruce, fir) grow, here you can find almost all types of conifers of the Northern Hemisphere - from tropical to cold zones. The main species are: spruce, fir, hemlock, pine (common, alpine, Yunnan), Himalayan spruce, Himalayan fir, yew, Tibetan larch, Tibetan cypress and juniper. In addition, deciduous species grow: cottonwood, alpine maple, poplar, birch. Spruce, fir and hemlock forests cover 48% of the total forested area of ​​Tibet and 61% of the timber reserves of similar forests in Tibet. These forests are found mainly on the slopes of the Himalayas, Nanchentanglha and Hengduanshan. The area of ​​pine forests in Tibet is 9260 million square meters. Species: long-coniferous pine and white-trunk pine are declared protected.

As shown by the data of the 4th All-China Survey, Tibet ranks 4th among the provinces of China in terms of forest cover, and ranks 1st in terms of timber reserves. The afforestation rate in the counties of Zayu, Menling, Bomi exceeds 90%. Having visited these places, you can really get an idea of ​​the "forest sea". Tibetan forests are characterized by rapid growth, persisting for a long time, and large reserves of wood per unit area. So in Bomi county on one hectare of spruce forest there are more than 2000 cubic meters of "standing forest. This is a record figure in the world. Some trees reach a height of 80 meters, their diameter at chest level is 2 meters. In a spruce forest 200 years old, the average diameter of tree trunks at chest level equal to 92 cm, height 57 meters.

Some specimens reach a height of 80 m, a diameter of 2.5 m. One such tree can produce 60 cubic meters of wood.

The world's largest high-altitude vegetation zone

The Tibetan plateau is the world's largest region in terms of size, where alpine vegetation belts alternating in height are represented. At an altitude of more than 4200 m, in places of high-mountain meadows and on gentle slopes of river valleys, one can find cushion lichens and mosses, the height of which does not exceed 10 cm. species of 15 families of 11 classes. The most common are tinder fungus, cushion lichen from the primrose family, saxifrage, saxurea, etc. The cushion lichen has a tree-like structure, due to which it has a high density, density and rigidity. One such plant looks like an open umbrella and is so strong that even a shovel is not given.

Meadows and steppes occupy two-thirds of the territory of Tibet and 23% of all the steppe and meadow resources of China. The main regions of the steppes and meadows are the Ngari district and the North Tibetan gobi. Alpine meadows rank first in terms of area, followed by alpine meadows and steppes, semi-boggy steppes, shrub steppes and meadows in woodlands. The main types of steppe vegetation are grasses and sat (sedge family). The productivity of forage grasses is low, but the quality is excellent, in terms of the content of coarse proteins, Tibetan forage grasses are superior to Mongolian ones.

Medicinal plants

In Tibet, about 5 thousand plant species grow, of which a thousand species are plants of technical and economic importance. There are also about 1000 species of medicinal plants, including more than 400 widely used species. Saffron, saussurea, hazel grouse, Chinese coptis, ephedra, gastrodia, pinnacle ginura, fine-hairy codonopsis, large-leaved gentian, multi-rhizome sage, lingzhi mushroom, reticular miletus - only a small part of them. Of the 200 species of mushrooms examined, the edible ones are Tricholoma, hutou (Hericium erinaceus), zhangzi (Sarcodon imbricatus), common mushrooms, black tree mushroom, white tree mushroom (Tremella fuciforus), yellow tree mushroom (auricularia) and others. Medicinal mushrooms are also harvested: fulin, sunganlan, leiwan. Tibet ranks first among the provinces of China in terms of the size of the preparations for the Chinese cordyceps mushroom (which has a tonic effect on the functioning of the lungs and kidneys). Tibet occupies one of the first places in China for the procurement of medicinal plants such as hazel grouse and Chinese coptis.

The interest and use of medicinal plants in Tibet has a long history. In the herbal book, compiled in 1835 by Dimar Danzen Penzo, information about 1006 biospecies is collected. Many medicinal plants grow almost exclusively on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The effectiveness and specificity of Tibetan medicinal plants is arousing increasing interest in domestic and foreign circles. Scientists set out to develop new types of drugs with special effects.

Fauna of Tibet

Various natural conditions created the background against which the animal world, richly represented in Tibet, developed. The rich world of wild animals has added a lot of charm to tourist trips in Tibet.

Wild animals

In Tibet, 125 species of protected valuable animal species are registered, which is one third of all protected species in China. Among them are long-tailed monkey, Yunnan golden monkey, macaque, deer (Tibetan red deer, maral, white-lipped deer), wild yak, ibex, leopard, leopard, Himalayan bear, viverra, wild cat, badger, red panda, tacus musk deer Tibetan antelope, wild donkey, mountain sheep, goats, fox, wolf, lynx, jackal, etc. Among them are the Tibetan antelope, yak, wild donkey and mountain sheep - species found only in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. All of them are included in the list of animals protected by the state. White-lipped deer is found only in China and belongs to rare species of world importance. The protected birds are the black-necked crane and the Tibetan pheasant. The livestock of 34 especially valuable species is 900 thousand. For example, there are 10 thousand heads of wild yaks, 50-60 thousand wild donkeys, 40-60 thousand Tibetan antelopes, 160-200 thousand heads of saigas, 2-3 thousand heads of takins, 570-650 specimens of Yunnan golden monkeys, 5-10 Bangladeshi tigers ... In addition, the livestock of bears, leopards, wild deer, goats, valuable species of birds and high-mountainous fish "Lefuyui" have been registered.

Tibet is one of the few areas in the world where the pristine ecology is well preserved. A truly unique natural zoo! In the north of Tibet, there is a shbi (Qiantan) with an area of ​​400 thousand square meters. km. This is the habitat of many rare animal species.

White-lipped deer

The white-lipped deer belongs to the 1st category of animal species protected in China. Inhabits at an altitude of over 4000 m. Above sea level. Usually found in areas where red deer live, but their herds do not mix. There is already a white-lipped deer farm in Chamdo County.

Tibetan antelope

The Tibetan antelope is a protected species, its body is covered with light brown hair, and its chest, belly and legs are white. The male's head is crowned with black horns 60-70 cm long. When viewed in profile, it seems that both horns have merged into one, therefore this species is also called a unicorn deer.

The body shape of the antelope is distinguished by great grace, it runs at a speed of up to 100 km. per hour, so that it is difficult to catch up even for wolves.

The antelope loves river valleys and lakeside places with lush grass.

Antelope antlers are medicinal raw materials, and wool is highly rated in the world textile raw materials markets. It is no wonder that this animal is the subject of poaching, which the Chinese administration decisively fights against.

Wild donkey

Wild ass - kulan belongs to the 1st category of protected animals. The body of the kulan is covered with light brown hair, a black stripe runs along the ridge, the belly and popliteal parts of the legs are white. It seems as if there are white stockings on the legs of the kulan. Kulans are strong animals with developed muscles, capable of running long distances. Their herds have a leader and are very organized. The sight of a herd of kulans rushing a wasp across the steppe is an impressive picture. When running, kulans develop a speed comparable to that of a jeep. Running herds of kulans can be observed while driving along the Heihe-Ngari road. Kulans are herd animals, live in families of 8-20 individuals, but sometimes you can find herds of dozens of animals.

Wild yak

The yak belongs to the 1st category of protected animals, in terms of its size in the animal world of Tibet it has no equal. The body length of a wild yak reaches 3 meters, which is much longer than that of a domestic yak. The horns of a yak are arched. In harsh natural conditions, great endurance and vitality of yaks has been formed. They easily overcome steep mountain slopes, rivers, ice and snow drifts.

The body of the yak is covered with black thick long hair, the fur on the belly goes down straight to the ground and when the yak walks, it sways like the hem of a doha. The wool covering the body of a wild yak is 3.4 times thicker than that of a domestic yak, so a wild yak is not afraid of frosts of 40 degrees. A wild yak has three types of protective devices: these are its hooves, horns and tongue. Yaks live in herds of 30 individuals, but there are also herds of 300 heads.

Black-necked crane

The black-necked crane belongs to the 1st category of protected animal species. It is the only one of the 15 known species of crane in the world that lives on a high plateau. By the rarity of its occurrence, it is equated to the giant panda. In China, it is declared an endangered species, and is also included in the Red Book of the world's endangered species. The black-necked crane is a beautiful slender bird of great decorative value, has a meek disposition, and lives in lakeside and river wetlands. However, it reproduces poorly, the survival rate of the offspring is low. For the protection of black-necked cranes, a nature reserve has been established in a swampy area with an area of ​​14 thousand square kilometers, which is located in the vicinity of Lake Sidingtso in Shandza County, Nagchu County. Black-necked cranes were also found in Lingzhub county near Lhasa.

Snow Leopard

Belongs to the 1st category of protected wild animals. Spotted pelt: black specks on a light gray background. Body length 1 meter, weight 100-150 kg. The head is similar to that of a cat. The leopard is swift in movement and attacks goats, foxes, hares, partridges, etc. The skin is highly valued.

Tibetan partridge

The Tibetan partridge belongs to the 2nd category of protected birds. The tail feathers resemble a horse's tail, which is why this species is also called the "horse pheasant". There are blue and white types of pheasants. However, both species have blue tails with a satin sheen. The plumage on the head and legs is red, the eye sockets look like two small suns, the feathers behind the ear are long and stand upright. Chicks love insect food, while adult birds prefer young leaves, shoots, grass seeds and other plant foods.

Pets

Tibet's domestic animals include yaks, biannu (a cross between a cow and a yak), sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, mules, pigs, brown cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc. Livestock breeding accounts for half of Tibet's economic potential.

Tibet is one of the 5 most important cattle-breeding regions in China. There are 22.66 million head of cattle, 9 thousand tons of sheep wool, 1400 tons of bovine and sheep fleece, 4 million pieces of sheep and bovine skins are produced per year. Tibetan dog breeds are also of interest for tourists.

Yak - ship on the plateau

The yak is one of the most important domesticated animals in Tibet. In total, there are more than 14 million heads in the world. Most of the yaks are descended from the Tibetan high plateau or from the surrounding areas lying at an altitude of more than 3000 m. China accounts for about 85% of the total number of yaks in the world.

Yaks are unpretentious to feed, hardy, have great physical strength and are well controlled.

The coat on the belly and limbs is thick and soft. Having strong teeth, the yak even consumes rough food. He has a strong heart, strong, albeit short legs, mobile lips and tongue. In lasagne on the mountain slopes, the yak is not inferior to mountain goats. In short, the yak is well adapted to life in the harsh conditions of a high mountain plateau.

The yak is used as an important vehicle and is called the "ship on the plateau". In terms of the height to which the yak is able to reach, it has no equal among animals.

In addition to being used as a draft and transport vehicle, yak meat is used for food. It is rich in protein, highly nutritious and tastes good. For example, the Xianghans and Aomen people highly value yak meat, placing it above the meat of other artiodactyls. Egg milk can be drunk directly, and besides, ghee is prepared from it - the main type of fat on the plateau and casein for technical purposes. Everyday clothing is sewn from yak skins, and in addition, yak skins are an important raw material for the leather industry. Yak manure is used to fertilize fields, and in dried form it serves as household fuel. In addition, boats are sewn from yak skins for crossing rivers. The ropes made of yak wool are strong, resilient and durable. Yak wool mats are used to make durable, rain-resistant and easy-to-roll Tibetan shelter tents. Yak wool also serves as a raw material for high-quality cloth; even the tail duster of a yak has found use: it serves as a duster for shaking off dust. The whites of yak tails are especially prized and are usually exported.

The breed of dogs - mastiff, living on the Tibetan Shito - is the highest mountain type of dog in the world. The body length of an adult mastiff is more than a meter, its weight is several tens of kilograms, the whole body is covered with thick long hair, so the mastiff looks like a small yak. The head of the mastiff is large, the legs are short, the muzzle is flat with a wide nose, it has a delicate scent, produces an abrupt bass bark, the mastiff's disposition is warlike and fierce, but in relation to the owner he is very loyal and understands his plan well.

The mastiff is used mainly for the protection of herds and flocks. The Mastiff can effectively guard a flock of 200 sheep, although for this he has to run a total of 40 km per day. Mastiff is not afraid of frost, it can sleep in the snow at a temperature of minus 30-40 degrees. Unlike other shepherd dogs, the Tibetan mastiff does without meat food, it feeds mainly on skimmed yak milk, to which tsangmba is added.

Pocket dog

The pocket dog (palace or prayer dog) is one of the best ancient Tibetan dog breeds; it was kept by living buddhas of monasteries, aristocrats of Tibet and even the Qing imperial court. Nowadays it is rare to find a pure breed of such a dog, so its price has risen a lot.

The height of the dog is 25 cm, sometimes more than 10 cm, weight is 4-6 kg, sometimes less than a kilogram. The dog has short and well-developed limbs, large eyes and a slightly lifted tail, a pocket dog with golden hair is very much appreciated. The Tibetan lapdog is also very popular.

Protected natural areas

The creation of protected natural areas (PAs) is an important undertaking by the Tibetan administration in the field of preserving the ecological balance; this business has developed over the past three decades and today has already been marked by gratifying successes. In the 70s of the 20th century, the TAP administration increased allocations for the protection of wild fauna and flora, the habitats of rare animals were fenced off and a ban on hunting was announced. In the 80s, work began to establish the boundaries of protected areas. In 1985-1988. the district government approved 7 protected and protected areas: Medogsky, Dzayusky, Gansyansky (Bomt), Batszesky (Lingzhi), Zhamgou nature reserves (Nelam), Jiangtsunsky (Jilong) and the protected zone of Chomolungma peak. Of these, the Medog and Chomolungma protected areas were included in the lists of protected areas of national importance. In 1991, the Tibetan Wildlife Conservation Society was established. In 1993, the second group of reserves was approved - a total of 6, including: Qiantan (for the protection of wild yaks, antelopes and kulans), Markam (for the protection of golden monkeys), Shendzas (for the protection of black-necked cranes), Dongjusky in Lingzhi (for the protection marals) and Rivochesky (for the protection of red deer). Now in Tibet, there were 13 protected areas of regional and national importance. The total area of ​​these territories was 325.8 thousand square kilometers, 26.5% of the territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region and about half of the area of ​​all OPT in China.

In China, protected natural areas (PAs) are classified into three categories and 9 types of use. PAs of the 1st category protect the intact ecological system, this category includes 5 types of PAs: for the protection of forests, steppes and meadows, deserts, swamps, ocean and coastal ecology. The second category includes PAs for the protection of wild fauna and flora. This includes 2 types of protected areas: for the protection of wild animals and for the protection of plant species. The third category includes PAs for the protection of ancient relics, this includes two types of PAs: for the protection of a special geological landscape and PA for the protection of biological relics. Currently, the number of protected animals and plant species is 164, including 16 species are of particular importance, 40 biospecies are unique, found only in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in the area of ​​Chomolungma Peak.

In 1993, this protected area was included in the list of state protected areas. It is located in the region of the Sino-Nepalese state border and covers an area of ​​33.81 billion square meters. m., 70 thousand people live on its territory (1994). The OPT territory is divided into a number of separate protected areas; 7 of them: Tolong Gorge, Zhongxia, Xuebugang, Jiangcun, Kuntang, Chomolungma Peak and Shishabangma Peak are specially protected, 5 others: Zhentang, Nelam, Jilong, Kuntang, etc. belong to the areas of scientific research significance.

If the top of Chomolungma is a snow-ice kingdom, where there are many glaciers, then at the foot of the peak a completely different picture is observed. All vegetation zones from the tropics to the temperate and cold zones are located here along the southern slope. There are forests, meadows, pastures here.

On an area of ​​several tens of kilometers horizontally, the slope height is more than 6 thousand meters, therefore, the difference in biospecies along the vertical is clearly visible. In total, 7 plant belts differ from evergreen forests at the foot of the summit to eternal snows at the top.

On the southern slope of the Himalayan mountains at an altitude of 3000 meters within the OPT there is the Kama gorge, which is called "one of the 10 landscape sights of the world." The gorge stretches from east to west for 55 kilometers, its width from south to north is 8 kilometers, an area of ​​440 sq. km. In the Chomolungma OPT, there are 2,101 species of angiosperms, 20 species of gymnosperms, 200 species of ferns, more than 600 species of mosses and lichens, 130 species of mushrooms. The fauna is represented by 53 species of animals, 206 species of birds, 20 species of reptiles, reptiles and fish. Among them are animals belonging to protected species of the 1st category: long-tailed monkeys, Tibetan wild donkey, mountain sheep, leopard, leopard, black pheasant. The image of a leopard serves as the emblem of the Chomolungma OPT. In the forests of the reserve grow Himalayan fir, larch, gnarled birch, juniper, bamboo, alpine maple, spruce, Nepalese sandalwood, magnolia, upright pine, rhododendron and other species. There is also a long-stalked magnolia - a valuable decorative species, medicinal plants ginura pinnate, Chinese coptis, etc.

Wormwood grows at an altitude of 3800-4500 m. Above 5500-6000 m there is a strip of eternal snow. The largest glacier of Chomolungma is Zhunbu glacier.

Qiantang Nature Reserve

Qiangtan Nature Reserve is located in Nagchu County, on the stage of Shendza, Nyima counties and the region of two lakes, covers an area of ​​367 thousand square meters. km., is the second largest in the world after Greenland State Park.

And among the reserves for the protection of wild animals, it ranks 1st in size in China and the world.

In 1993, the TAP government officially approved the creation of the Qiangtang Nature Reserve with an area of ​​247 thousand square kilometers. Later, the interested departments of Tibet, based on the survey, proposed a project to expand the protected area. In April 2000, the Chinese government officially announced the creation of the Qiangtang State Protected Area, the area of ​​which was increased by 120 thousand square kilometers. against the original.

The Qiantan Nature Reserve is delimited into two regions - the Shandzasky Marsh Nature Reserve, covering the lakeside of Silingtso and Gyaringtso lakes with a total area of ​​40 thousand square kilometers. This is the so-called South Tsyantang Nature Reserve, home to numerous species of waterfowl. Another area is the North Qiangtan Desert Fauna Reserve, located in a zone of cold climate and harsh nature. The southern border of this region is the Chzhajia-tsashtyu and Bogtsang-tsangpo rivers. Within the limits of this area there are places that are completely uninhabited, and places where the pristine ecology and populations of wild animals have been preserved.

The North Tsyantan Desert Flora Reserve, located in the very center of perhaps the most unique and yet undisturbed ecological system in the world, gives an excellent insight into the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. First of all, the fragility of the ecological balance is striking, the violation of the ecological balance of biological populations can result in irreparable consequences. Therefore, it is very important to maintain this eco-balance.

The reserve is inhabited by antelopes, yaks, kulans, black-necked cranes, leopards, argali - only about 100 species of valuable animals. Among them there are endangered species and state protected species of the 1st category. This reserve is actually a unique natural zoo. Here is a wide field of activity for researchers studying ecology, habits, lifestyle and reproduction of animals, their genetic mechanism, as well as applied and scientific significance. It is likely that the study of the adaptability of animals to the conditions of the desert gobi will help people to better understand the mechanism of prevention and overcoming of the high-mountain reaction and associated ailments.

Severotsyantansky Nature Reserve is the highest and the largest nature reserve in the world for the protection of pristine ecology. It is three times the size of the famous American reserves, 4 times the size of the Tanzanian reserve, the largest in Africa.

Tsangpo Grand Canyon State Reserve

This reserve is located in the southeastern part of Tibet, 400 km. from Lhasa. Initially it was called Medogsky Reserve, in April 2000 it was officially renamed the Tsangpo Grand Canyon State Reserve. The territory of the reserve is 9620 million square meters. m., population - 14.9 thousand people. The unique relief and natural conditions have created an environment for the habitation of many species, therefore the reserve fully justifies its fame as the "kingdom of animals and plants". Of the plant species, yew, mahil, lingzhi, and wild orchid have become widespread. Among the animal species, mention should be made of the tiger, leopard, bear, musk deer, lesser panda, long-tailed monkey, otter, antelope, etc. 3768 species of plants, 512 species of mosses and lichens and 686 species of mushrooms grow here. The fauna is represented by 63 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 19 species of amphibians, 232 species of birds and more than 2000 species of insects.

Adjoining the Himalayan mountain system, the canyon is subject to the influence of humid winds blowing from the Indian Ocean, which led to the tropical and subtropical nature of the local climate and vegetation. On the slope of the summit, you can trace the change of 8 vegetation belts. This example of changing vegetation belts at different heights is unique in China for its completeness and clarity.

Scientists have also proven that the Tsangpo Grand Canyon area is the place with the most abundant biological species. It is a "natural botanical museum", "a collection of biological species' genetic resources." It is also interesting that the area of ​​the Tsangpo Grand Canyon is located at the northeastern end of the border of the junction of the Indian platform and the Eurasian platform and therefore is extremely rich in various kinds of geological manifestations, it can be called a "natural geological museum".

Tsangpo Grand Canyon is unique in the richness and variety of natural landscapes and natural resources. It is the most valuable natural treasure in China, as well as the most valuable natural treasure in the world. The local mountains and forests are still very poorly explored and are an excellent subject of tourist observation, photographic surveys and scientific research.

And the boundless Tibet was spread around. This hilly plateau, raised by 4500-5500 meters, is larger than Western Europe and bounded by the highest mountains in the world. Here it was possible to escape from the oncoming wave that swept away everything in its path, but it was problematic to survive.

Sparse grass covered the ground, but at an altitude of more than 5000 meters it disappeared. Blades of grass grew at a distance of 20-40 cm DR5T from each other; it was amazing that such a large animal like a yak could feed here. But the Great Creator foresaw this possibility as well.

And in the areas of the plateau, located above 5000 meters, one could see only rusty moss and stones.

Everywhere and everywhere in Tibet, one could see beautiful mountain peaks. They seemed quite small, but we knew that their absolute height is 6000-7000 meters above sea level. Willy-nilly, I peered into the details of each of these Tibetan peaks, trying to see people there - the words of Nicholas Roerich that sometimes on the inaccessible Tibetan peaks they see strange people, who knows how they got there, haunted me. I remembered the stories of the Himalayan yogis about the supermen of Shambhala and knew that they live right here in Tibet. But I did not manage to see strange people; appeared only a few times.

Hilly places were replaced by absolutely flat areas. An inflamed imagination immediately drew an airport here, where planes could land and bring people so that they could bow to the citadel of humanity on Earth - Mount Kailash. Our main earthly Motherland - "Eternal Continent" - deserved it. But I knew that at such an altitude planes could not land and take off - the air was too thin.

On such flat areas, we liked to stop for a bite to eat. Something gentle breathed from this earth, and we, sitting on the ground, gently stroked and patted it, - the word “citadel” embedded in the subconscious has influenced us through the millennia. The farm manager Sergei Anatolyevich Seliverstov took chocolate, nuts, raisins, cookies, water from the food bag, but he did not want to eat. We drank water, but we hardly shoved food into our mouths. We latently understood that we did not want to live here normally, we wanted ... to survive, as our distant ancestors did.

The further we moved northwest, the more sand became. Soon beautiful dunes appeared. We ran out of the car and, like children, threw sand at each other. And then the sand began to show its "charms". First of all, these were dust storms, which were accompanied by lightning discharges without rain. Such storms not only pressed a person to the ground and covered him with sand, but also stopped the car.

Probably, such dunes brought Tibetan Babylon - I thought.

And the storms came one after another.

But the most unpleasant thing was that stones appeared in the nose or, as they say in the folk, stone goats. The fact is that due to the influence of the high mountains, a ichor stood out from the nasal mucosa, on which fine sand adhered, which gradually turned to stone. Pulling out these stone goats, which clogged the whole nose, was a sheer punishment. In addition, after the removal of the intranasal calculus, there was blood, on which sand again adhered, which tends to turn to stone.

Rafael Yusupov spent most of his time in the dunes area in a special gauze mask, frightening with his appearance not only Tibetans, but also us. He was so used to wearing a mask that he even smoked through it. True, he picked the stone goats out of the nose no less often than we did.

He, Rafael Yusupov, constantly taught us to breathe in high mountains. When we went to bed, we had a fear of suffocation, which is why we were breathing hard all night, afraid to fall asleep.

A sufficient amount of carbon dioxide must accumulate in the blood so that it irritates the respiratory center and translates the act of breathing into a reflex-unconscious version. And you, fools, with your strained conscious breathing knock down the reflex function of the respiratory center. You have to endure until you suffocate, ”he lectured us.

Introduction

Tibet is the main source of the great rivers of Asia. Tibet is high mountains, as well as the most extensive and highest plateau in the world, ancient forests and many deep valleys untouched by human activity.

The traditional economic and religious value system of Tibet has led to the development of a practice of respect for the environment. According to the Buddhist doctrine of the correct way of life, followed by the Tibetans, "moderation" is important, refusal from excessive consumption and overexploitation of natural resources, because it is believed that this causes harm to living beings and their ecology. As early as 1642, the Fifth Dalai Lama issued a Decree on the Protection of Animals and Nature. Since then, such decrees have been issued annually.

With the colonization of Tibet by communist China, the traditional Tibetan system of environmental protection was destroyed, resulting in man's destruction of nature on an appalling scale. This is especially evident in the state of pastures, arable lands, forests, water and animal life.

Pastures, fields and China's agricultural policy

70% of the territory of Tibet is pasture. They are the basis of the country's agricultural economy, in which livestock plays a leading role. The total number of livestock is 70 million heads per million herders.

Over the centuries, Tibetan nomads have adapted well to work in the shaky mountain pastures. The Tibetans have developed a certain culture of cattle breeding: constant accounting for the use of pastures, responsibility for their ecological safety, the systematic movement of herds of yaks, sheep, goats.

Over the past four decades, many pastures have ceased to exist. The transfer of such lands for use by Chinese settlers led to significant desertification of lands, turning them into territories unsuitable for agriculture. Especially great desertification of pastures has occurred in Amdo.

The situation was further aggravated by the enclosure of pastures, when Tibetan pastoralists were further restricted in space and deprived of the opportunity to roam with herds from place to place, as they had done in the past. In the Maghu region of Amdo alone, one-third of the land of more than ten thousand square kilometers was fenced off for herds of horses, sheep and cattle belonging to the Chinese army. And at the same time, the best pastures in the Ngapa, Golok and Qinghai provinces were provided to the Chinese. The main arable lands of the Tibetans are the river valleys in Kham, the Tsangpo valley in U-Tsang, and the Machhu valley in Amdo. The main grain cultivated by the Tibetans is barley, additional crops and legumes. The traditional agricultural culture of the Tibetans includes: the use of organic fertilizers, crop rotation, mixed planting, fallow land rest, which is necessary to preserve lands that are part of the sensitive mountain ecosystems. The average grain harvest in U-Tsang is two thousand kilograms per hectare and even higher in the fertile valleys of Amdo and Kham. This exceeds the yield in countries with similar climatic conditions. For example, in Russia the average grain yield is 1,700 kg per hectare, and in Canada - 1,800.

The maintenance of an ever-growing number of Chinese military, civilian personnel, settlers, as well as the export of agricultural products have led to the expansion of cultivated land through the use of mountain slopes and marginal soils, to an increase in cultivated areas for wheat (which the Chinese prefer to Tibetan barley), to the use of hybrid seeds, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Diseases constantly affected new varieties of wheat, and in 1979 the entire wheat crop was destroyed. Before the millions of Chinese migrated to Tibet, there was never a need for a significant increase in agricultural production.

Forests and their deforestation

In 1949, the ancient forests of Tibet covered 221,800 km2. By 1985, almost half of this remained - 134 thousand km2. Most of the forests grow on the slopes of the mountains, in the river valleys of the southern, lowest, part of Tibet. The main types of forest are tropical and subtropical coniferous forests with spruce, fir, pine, larch, cypress; mixed with the main forest are birch and oak. Trees grow at heights of up to 3800 meters in the humid southern region and up to 4300 meters in the semi-dry northern region. Tibetan forests are made up mostly of old trees over 200 years old. The density of forests is 242 m3 per hectare, although in U-Tsang the density of old forests reached 2300 m3 per hectare. This is the highest density for conifers.

The emergence of roads in remote parts of Tibet has led to an increase in deforestation. It should be noted that the roads are being built either by the PLA or by engineering teams from the Chinese Ministry of Forestry, and the cost of their construction is seen as spending on the "development" of Tibet. As a result, ancient forests became available. The main method of timber harvesting is simple felling, which has led to significant exposure of the hillsides. The volume of logging until 1985 amounted to 2.442 million m2, or 40% of the total forest volume in 1949, worth 54 billion US dollars.

Logging is the main sphere of employment today for the population in Tibet: in the Kongpo "TAR" region alone, more than 20 thousand Chinese soldiers and prisoners were employed in felling and transporting timber. In 1949, 2.2 million hectares of land were occupied by forest in the Ngapa region of Amdo. And forest resources amounted to 340 million m3. In 1980, the forest area decreased to 1.17 million km2 with a resource volume of 180 million m3. At the same time, until 1985, China mined 6.44 million m3 of forest in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of Kanglho. If these timber, 30 cm in diameter and three meters long, are laid out in one line, then you can go around the globe twice.
Further devastation and destruction of the ecology of the Tibetan plateau, the most unique place on earth, continues.

Natural and artificial forest restoration is of small scale due to the peculiarities of the region's relief, land and humidity, as well as high temperature drops during the day and high temperatures on the soil surface. In such ecological conditions, the destructive consequences of clear-cut deforestation are irreparable.

Water resources and energy of rivers

Tibet is the main watershed of Asia and the source of its main rivers. Most of the rivers in Tibet are stable. As a rule, they flow from underground sources or are collected from glaciers. Rivers in most neighboring countries depend on rainfall at different times of the year.
90% of the length of rivers born in Tibet is used outside of it, and less than 1% of the total length of rivers can be used in Tibet. Today the rivers of Tibet have the highest sedimentary norms. Machhu (Huanghe or Yellow River), Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), Drighu (Yangtze) and Senge Khabab (Indus) are the five most muddy rivers in the world. The total area irrigated by these rivers, if we take the territory from the Machkhu basin in the east to the Senge Khabab basin in the west, accounts for 47% of the world's population. There are two thousand lakes in Tibet. Some of them are considered sacred or hold a special place in the life of the people. Their total area is 35 thousand km2.

The steep slopes and powerful streams of Tibetan rivers have a potential operational energy of 250 thousand megawatts. The TAR rivers alone have 200 thousand megawatts of potential energy.

Tibet has the second largest solar potential in the world after the Sahara Desert. The average annual figure is 200 kilocalories per centimeter of surface. The geothermal resources of the Tibetan land are also significant. Despite the presence of such a significant potential of small ecological sources, the Chinese have built huge dams, such as Longyang Si, and continue to build them, for example, the hydroelectric station in Yamdrok Yutso.

Many of these projects are designed to harness the hydro potential of Tibetan rivers to provide energy and other benefits to industries and the Chinese population in Tibet and China itself. But the ecological, cultural and human tribute to these projects will be taken from the Tibetans. While Tibetans are being driven from their lands and homes, tens of thousands of Chinese workers are coming from China to build and operate these power plants. These dams are not needed by the Tibetans, they did not ask to build them. Take, for example, the construction of a hydroelectric power station in Yamdrok Yutso. The Chinese declared that this construction would bring great benefits to the Tibetans. The Tibetans and their leaders, the late Panchen Lama and Ngapo Ngawang Jigme, opposed and delayed construction for several years. However, the Chinese still began construction, and today 1,500 PLA ​​soldiers are guarding the construction and preventing civilians from being near it.

Minerals and mining

According to official Chinese sources, Tibet possesses 126 minerals, possessing a significant portion of the world's reserves of lithium, chromium, copper, borax and iron. The oil fields in Amdo produce over one million tons of crude oil per year.

The network of roads and communications built by the Chinese in Tibet reflects the structure of timber and mineral reserves that are indiscriminately mined at the behest of the Chinese government. Due to the fact that seven of the fifteen basic minerals owned by China itself are due to be developed within this decade, and the basic, iron-free reserves of fossil raw materials, in fact, are already depleted, the rate of mineral extraction in Tibet is increasing significantly. It is estimated that by the end of this century, China plans to carry out its main mining operations in Tibet. In places where minerals are mined, nothing is done to protect the environment. Especially where the soil is unstable, the lack of environmental protection measures results in destabilization of the landscape, destruction of the fertile layer, and danger to human health and life.

Animal world

Many animals and birds have disappeared due to the destruction of their habitats, as well as due to the sports passion of hunters and due to the revival of the illegal trade in wild animals and birds. There is ample evidence of Chinese soldiers using machine guns to shoot herds of wild yaks and donkeys out of sport.

The unlimited destruction of wild animals continues today. Hunting "tours" for rare animals organized for wealthy foreigners are advertised regularly in the Chinese media. For example, "hunting tours" are offered for wealthy athletes from the US and Europe. These "hunters" can kill rare animals such as the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) and the Argali sheep (Ovis ammon hodgsoni), species that should obviously be protected by the state. Hunting for a Tibetan antelope costs 35 thousand US dollars, for an Argali sheep - 23 thousand, for a white-lipped fallow deer (Cervus albirostris) - 13 thousand, for a blue ram (Pseudois nayaur) - 7900, for a red fallow deer (Cerrus elaphus) - 3500. Such " tourism "will lead to the permanent loss of many of Tibet's animal species before they are discovered and studied. In addition, it poses an obvious threat to the conservation of animal species that are of great importance to the culture of Tibet and of great value to civilization.

The White Paper recognizes that a large number of animals are on the verge of extinction. At the same time, the 1990 International Union for the Conservation of Nature's "Red List of Rare Animal Species" contains thirty species of animals that live in Tibet.

Measures to preserve the fauna of Tibet, excluding the areas that became part of the Chinese provinces, were taken long after such measures were introduced in China itself. It was said that the areas that fell under the protection of the state in 1991, in total, occupy 310 thousand km2, which is 12% of the territory of Tibet. The effectiveness of the protection cannot be determined due to the severely limited access to these areas, as well as the secrecy of valid data.

Nuclear and toxic waste

According to the Chinese government, there are approximately 90 nuclear warheads in Tibet. And according to the "Ninth Academy" - the Chinese Northwest Academy for the Development and Development of Nuclear Weapons, located in the northeastern part of Tibet - Amdo, the Tibetan plateau is contaminated with an unknown amount of radioactive waste.

According to a report produced by Movement for Tibet International, a Washington-based organization: “The disposal of the waste was carried out in extremely hazardous ways. Initially, it was buried in unmarked folds of the area ... The nature and amount of radioactive waste received at the Ninth Academy is still not known ... In the 60s and 70s, nuclear waste from technological processes was disposed of carelessly and haphazardly. Waste received at the Academy has a different form: liquid, solid and gaseous substances. Liquid and solid waste should be located in nearby lands and waters ".

Official statements from China have confirmed that Tibet has the largest uranium reserves in the world. There is evidence that uranium is being processed in Tibet and that in Ngapa, in Amdo, there have been deaths among local residents as a result of the use of radioactive water near a uranium mine.

Locals also talked about the birth of ugly children and animals. Since groundwater flow in Amdo is now driven by natural flow rates and there is very little usable water (one report estimates that groundwater reserves range from 340 million to four billion cubic feet - He Bochuan, pp. 39), radioactive contamination this water is of great concern. Since 1976, uranium has also been mined and processed in the Tkhevo and Dzorge regions of Kham.
In 1991, Greenpeace revealed plans to move toxic urban waste from the United States to China to be used as "fertilizer" in Tibet. The use of toxic waste such as fertilizer in the United States itself has led to disease outbreaks.

Conclusion

Tibet's complex environmental problems cannot be reduced to external changes, such as turning plots of land into national reserves or issuing laws for citizens, while the government itself is the real environmental criminal. The political will of the Chinese leadership is needed to return the Tibetans the right to use nature themselves as they did before, relying on their traditional and conservative customs.

According to the proposal of the Dalai Lama, the whole of Tibet should be turned into a zone of peace in which man and nature can coexist harmoniously. As the Dalai Lama said, such Tibet should become a fully demilitarized country with a democratic form of government and an economic system that would ensure the long-term use of the country's natural resources in order to maintain a good standard of living for the people.

Ultimately, this is also of long-term interest for the neighboring countries of Tibet, such as India, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, since the ecology of Tibet will have a great influence on their nature. Almost half of the world's population, especially the population of these countries, depends on the condition of the rivers originating in Tibet. Some of the major floods that have occurred in these countries in the past decade are related to sediment silt from Tibetan rivers from deforestation. The destructive potential of these rivers increases every year as China continues to deforestation and mine uranium on the Roof of the World.

China admits the presence of "pollution in some parts of the rivers." Since river flows do not recognize political boundaries, then Tibet's neighbors have a good reason to know which of their rivers are polluted, how much and with what. If today we do not take decisive action and stop the threat, then the rivers of Tibet, which gave joy and life, will one day bring sorrow and death.