Source of the Yellow River: Five Thousand Miles of Civilization and Five Thousand Miles of Road
Departing from Chaka Lake，We walked eastward for a while and turned back，But there is no way to return to Daotanghe Town，Didn’t take the highway back to Maduo County。On the first night，The driver heard the hotel manager tell him a shortcut，He decided to try。Neither the driver nor the translator have traveled that road before，But they all agree，I also think this is a good idea。So I did it。We turn onto a dirt road，A bumpy ride，Sometimes there is simply no way。Every half hour or so，Occasionally see herdsmen，Let’s stop and ask for directions。I walked eastward like this for five hours，Then turn a corner to the south。At this time，We despairingly found ourselves lost，That rugged valley seems to have no end。
In this uninhabited place，We suddenly found a temple。But the car can’t drive through，The translator and I got off the car and walked over。It looks very close，It took half an hour to arrive。Cause of illusion，Probably except for the bare hillside where the temple is located，No other reference。But we finally reached the temple，And the lama is very friendly。They figured out why we came，Pointed to a valley next to it。But there is no road there，Only grassy slopes，But they insisted that that is the road we are looking for。So we walked back to the jeep，Drive into that valley。Following a horse trail，Uphill first，Downhill again，Then passed through the endless grassland。It’s starting to get dark，Let’s keep going。The headlights of the jeep can only illuminate the front，If there is a fork in the road，We have no way of knowing。Until 8pm，Finally saw a bright light in the distance，So he drove towards the light。Another hour has passed，We got on the highway，Arrived at truck stop Heka Town。We walked this "shortcut" for nine hours in total。We are exhausted and hungry，On the one hand, it’s tired，More fear，The fear of getting lost in the uninhabited Gobi and dry grassland。Sitting in the flickering candlelight，Eating hot noodles and mutton，Then sleep on a plank bed in a mud hut。Everything has become so beautiful，We really want to express our deep gratitude to those who helped us at critical moments。
The next day is May 23rd。On this day in 1951, the Tibetan people got rid of serfdom and religious oppression，Welcome liberation。Happy Liberation Day！It snowed all night last night，The ground is completely white。But the highway is okay，The snow is only an inch or two thick。We passed several mountain passes to the south，Stop for lunch at Hot Springs Village。As the name suggests，There are hot springs near this village。We ate several more bowls of hot noodles and a plate of mutton，Just walk towards a creek。I washed my hair in the 188bet app download hot spring，Soaked my feet again。I know it in my heart，This will most likely be the last shower for the next five days，Don’t expect hot water or cold showers from now on。
Let’s continue heading south，The scenery along the way is getting more and more beautiful，Arrived at Huashixia Town，The scenery has become even more breathtaking。The road follows a small river and crosses a pass in the Animaqing Mountains。Jagged ridges covered with snow，Surrounded by vast grasslands。Such a magnificent view，But there are not many traces of humans。This is all simply incomprehensible。China is crowded with a population of more than one billion，How can there be such an inaccessible wonderland？
The road branches from Huashi Gorge，The path to the left leads to Animaqing Mountain。In the twenty-one Tibetan holy mountains，Animaqing, with an altitude of 6,000 meters, ranks fourth。Because of this honor，People can often see sky burials on the mountain。This ceremony has only recently been opened to outsiders。But my time is limited，Had to let Animaqing Mountain go and continue southbound，Finally arrived at Maduo County before the sun set。
Although there were several truck stops along the way，On the county seat，Madoo is the only one。We just arrived in Mado，A snowstorm is coming。Before looking for a place to stay，We parked the jeep in front of the local police station，Then go in and register。I found it shortly after entering，The travel agency where I hired a car and translator forgot to apply for a permit for us。In other words，The wild land between Maduo County and the source of the Yellow River，We are not allowed to come。This is too sudden，But it is a true fact。
I am sitting at the police station，My mind is a mess，Thinking about what to do。I recall the stories I heard from other foreigners。They also planned well in advance，But the situation I encountered was exactly the same as mine，On arrival at the destination, I found that the tourist agency forgot to apply for a permit，Even the license applied for was simply fake。Heavy snow outside the window，I feel like I fell into an ice cave，Cold all over，A heavy heart is still sinking slowly。The police and my translator no longer speak Chinese，Changed to speak Tibetan。This is just right，I get tired of hearing them talk。Soon，My translator left the police station，He was followed by someone when he came back。The translator said to me，Everything is done，Because he found out that one of his uncles was actually an official here。The weather is really suitable for the occasion，In a blink of an eye，Just when the sun is about to set，It’s sunny after the snow。Ah，Incorrect，Shouldn’t talk about the weather，It should be said that the gods in heaven smiled at me，I also smiled gratefully at them。Then we gathered in front of the faded map at the police station，Plan the next course of action。Before return，Maduo County may be the last place of human civilization we see。
We store our bags at the cadre reception center across the street。Staff add fuel to the fire，The big belly stove in our room is burning brightly。Then we went out to the translator’s uncle’s house for dinner，I drank some wine at the dinner table。I think it’s medicinal wine，I just thought it must be good for my body。Who has ever wanted to be drunk all night，I figured it out the next morning，How dangerous is it to drink alcohol at an altitude of 4,000 meters，This is not the elegance of Li Qingzhao who "sleep deeply without losing the remaining wine"。A girl walks in，Lighted the fire in the coal stove in the center of my house，He kindly brought me some hot water。I made three cups of instant coffee，Took four more aspirin。But it’s useless。It’s snowing outside again，I think we should wait for the weather to improve before setting off。I feel very happy when I think about it，Actually, I was just looking for an excuse 188bet app to stay in bed。But I was wrong。My Tibetan translator walks in，Tell me it’s time to go。I am speechless，I wanted to say it but didn’t say it，Just pointed at the snow outside the window，Thought he might not notice，Or you haven’t been outside yet。In fact, he has been there a long time ago，And my driver and I are ready to go。I have no choice，After all, this is my own business。
We packed our things and threw them into the jeep，Then drive outside the county seat。Walked less than a hundred meters，The paved road comes to an end。We can only rely on ourselves from now on。The snow-covered dirt road flickers in and out，No other traces to follow。We stop and check every few minutes，Make sure the car is still on the road。We didn’t bring a map，But there is only a vast expanse of white left on the earth，It has nothing to do with the map anymore。Walked for an hour in bumps，We met the Yellow River，Just continue walking upstream。Not long ago，We passed a few ruts on the left side of the road。These tracks lead to a small fish processing center on the other side of the river。In this deserted place，What to do with a fish processing center？I am wondering，Suddenly the endless Eling Lake came into my eyes。The Hu Tibetans call it Cuo Erlang，Han people call it Eling Lake，It also has a "sister" named Zhalinghu，Ten kilometers west of it。This is the highest lake in China，4,300 meters above sea level。
Eling Lake covers an area of ​​600 square kilometers，Fifty square kilometers larger than Zhaling Lake。They are all supported by the source of the Yellow River，Average depth fifteen meters。These sister lakes produce a unique alpine fish。Due to the high altitude，This fish grows very slowly，It takes ten years to reach one pound。So the fish processing factory we passed by on the east side of Eling Lake was not too busy。
We drove along the road on the north shore of Eling Lake，Leaving the lake shore soon，Heading towards the rolling hills again。There is a hill to the south of the west bank of Eling Lake，Seventh century AD，This is where King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet met his Han Queen, Princess Wencheng，And escort her to Tibet。It was this princess who broke the magic mirror of missing her loved ones，Never look back from now on。I hope to know more about her。It is said that she introduced Buddhism to Tibet，At least everyone has heard this legend。No matter what，This girl is incredibly strong-willed，She rode through this dangerous area on horseback，This is different from me sitting in a jeep。
But at least she has a guide，But we have been blindly touching the elephant。Any time，As long as you see herdsmen，We all have to ask whether the path we are taking is the right one。No sign here，Only the tracks of other vehicles diverging in different directions。If you follow the wrong track，This means that my efforts to find the source of the Yellow River fell short。A herdsman we asked for directions hugged a little lamb tightly in his sheepskin coat。He told us，The lamb fell into the stream，If you don’t hold it in your arms to keep it warm，The little lamb died。We waved goodbye to him and moved on，I also hope to be helped by noble people like the little lamb。
An hour after passing by Eling Lake，The dirt road begins to walk along the shore of Zhaling Lake。We stopped for lunch by the lake: grilled buns and canned meat。A lone eagle stood nearby watching us，The rust-colored turquoise ducks are foraging around the lake。There are thousands of nesting fish gulls and bar-headed geese on a nearby island。Obviously，The fox’s swimming skills can’t reach that island。After lunch，We left the Lake District，Follow the rut and continue moving forward。An hour later，We come to another fork in the road。Listen to a herdsman I met when asking for directions，The branch road on the right leads to China’s largest gold mine located in the central Qinghai-Tibet 188bet Online Sports Betting and Casino Plateau。The gold mine is dozens of kilometers north of here。When leaving Xining, the provincial capital，We have seen a fleet of hundreds of tractor-trailers，Pull a lot of machinery and equipment toward the same place，That’s where these tow trucks go。Since the discovery of gold a few years ago，A town with 20,000 miners grew up on the largest wilderness in China。To prevent the town from continuing to expand，Police prohibit tow trucks from other provinces from entering，This is also the only way。The herdsman who showed us the way said that the entire project was independently invested by a wealthy man from Xining。Obviously this person’s wealth will skyrocket。
We chose the fork on the left，Twenty minutes later，Passing by a group of canvas tents，They are obviously different from the yurts of Tibetan herdsmen。We found out later，This is a geological team，Exploring for minerals and oil in this wilderness。We also learned，They not only explore for mineral deposits in protected areas，And also hunt endangered animals，Eat its flesh and take its skin。
Passing these tents，A large basin appeared in front。The basin is filled with hundreds or even thousands of lakes of varying sizes。This is the Sea of ​​Stars。1280 AD，The Yuan Dynasty once sent an official to visit the source of the Yellow River。Where we are now，This is the limit reached by this official back then。I’m not surprised at all。It is late May，The ground of Xingxiu Sea is still frozen，We can walk through。It is said that until late June，This place has become a real big mud，Don’t even think about driving or riding a horse，Until the ground freezes again in October。
We pass through the Sea of ​​Stars，Enter one of the most wild remaining areas in China。In front of our jeep，At the beginning, a swallow rushed out，Then a red fox sprang out immediately，They pass by one by one，quickly got into his lair。Then four wolves appeared，Staring at us fiercely less than a hundred meters away from the car。A pair of Tibetan antelopes also stopped eating grass，Seems to be judging whether we will enter their territory。An even more peculiar scene appeared next，A large group of wild donkeys for unknown reasons，Stop the road as soon as you see us coming，Then he followed the jeep and "escorted" us for several minutes，Almost thirty meters away，But never managed to outrun the jeep。They gasp for air，The brown and white abdomen rises and falls with force，Hundreds of hooves galloping on the hay，Raise the snowflakes high。final，They seem to realize their stupidity (the so-called "stupid donkeys" are also)，No more chasing the jeep，But dispersed into the wilderness，Disappear into the distance。This is a beautiful scenery，I even have the illusion that this is not China，Africa。
Where did these wild donkeys come from?？It must have evolved from the donkeys ridden by Middle Eastern merchants more than a thousand years ago，They were taking the southern route of the Silk Road。We walked to the middle of Xingxiu Sea，I saw a small river five or six meters wide，It’s called Maqu River (also known as Kongque River)，Is the main tributary in the source area of ​​the Yellow River。Maqu River flows into Zhaling Lake，Zhaling Lake flows into Eling Lake，Speak up，Eling Lake is the official source of the Yellow River，Because we came out of Eling Lake，It is not a stream but a river。The driver stopped the car，Detecting the depth of Maqu River，Discovered that the water can only cover the knees，I just drove over。Thirty minutes later，We arrived at Maduo Township。
Maduo and Maduo have the same pronunciation but different words，Everyone in China knows，I just don’t understand。In fact, the two places are far apart。The small county town where we drove off the highway is called Maduo，Maduo here is a subordinate township of Qumalai County。There are 188bet online sports betting dozens of shops in Maduo, the county town，There's even a movie theater，In rural areas, Maduo only uses crank generators to generate electricity on Sundays，Powering a television and a video cassette recorder - both machines were gifts from the provincial government。This small town is actually a market。Every Sunday，Most herdsmen will come here，Exchange sheepskin for a piece of floral cloth、A new wok or a pair of sunglasses。It is 225 kilometers from the nearest road，This is the road we took out of Maduo County this morning；The nearest hot shower is 500 kilometers away，Then get Xining。Let’s talk about material supply，Qumalai County sends one truck to Maduo Township every week，Sometimes two vehicles are sent per week in the summer。
Passing three stores in Maduo Township，We stopped in front of a small brick house。Enter the house，Meeted the only official who supervises all affairs in the Yellow River source area，He is a Tibetan。When I told him that I wanted to walk to the source of the Yellow River，He smiled slightly first，Then he burst out laughing。He said，Only a few Chinese and the Japanese NHK TV crew have successfully visited the source of the Yellow River。There are no less than a dozen Westerners here，But no one successfully reached the source。Listen to what he said，I was secretly surprised，But I still told him I was determined to give it a try。He realized he couldn’t stop me，Ask his two assistants to go with us as guides。But these two people have never been to the source of the Yellow River。But this official thought they might be able to help me，No matter what happens, at least we can ensure that we come back alive。
I asked him how the Chinese identified the source of the Yellow River。He said it is based on the length of different tributaries、Water volume and basin size。Over the past few decades，There are three places that are candidates for the source of the Yellow River。However, the documentary crew of Qinghai Provincial TV Station recently determined that the source of the Yellow River is the tributary of Yuegu Zongliequ。
When we are talking，An assistant cleared a room，There is a six-meter-long sleeping platform inside。After cleaning the soot in the room，We moved our luggage into the house。The driver and translator began to check the condition of the vehicle，I went out to hang out for a while。
This place is actually less than fifty kilometers away from the source of the Yellow River，But the sun has set now，So we can’t rush any further today。Hot noodles and mutton for dinner，We fell asleep after eating。It’s been a long night。The altitude here is already 4,400 meters higher，The air is very thin，People are like sleeping in water，I was woken up several times during the night due to lack of oxygen。Next consecutive weeks，My sides are always aching and sore。But I’m not the only one like this，The driver and translator are not much better than me。It’s not yet dawn，We decided not to sleep anymore，Load things into the car and drive away。The three of us squeezed into the front row，Our two Tibetan guides are sitting in the back row。Although the two of them have never been to the source of the Yellow River，But they know the general location，On this basis，Many times better than us。
The car drove out of Maduo Township，Go southwest，This road leads to Qumalai County, a hundred kilometers away。Walked about ten kilometers，We turn onto another dirt road。It has been snowing on and off for several days，Can only barely make out the wheel tracks of the vehicle in front。We followed the rut and crossed a ridge，Enter the Yogu Zonglie Basin。Suddenly，The blizzard in the east has stopped，The dawn sun hits the snow，Exhibiting an extraordinarily enchanting look "wrapped in red makeup"，In other words, it presents a distinctive look of "white and rosy"。The Yuegu Zonglie Basin is vast and empty，Surrounded by snow-capped hills。
We 188bet app drive to the "basin bottom"，Start crossing the basin。The snow begins to melt at this time，There are small puddles everywhere。There is a creek in front，The driver stepped on the accelerator and rushed over。Then another stream，The driver did the same thing again。It’s a complete tragedy this time！The soil on the other side of the creek is not frozen，As a result, the wheels of the Jeep were stuck in the mud almost a foot deep。We struggled for an hour，Trying to pull the wheel out，But to no avail。The wheel is stuck，The engine cannot start either。We are trapped here，Seeing my victory ruined by a creek。
Watching the engine start again and again，Failed again and again，My translation suggestion: Not much left，It’s not too late to leave now，Don’t you really want to find the source of the Yellow River?？It’s not too late to leave now。He had a conversation with the two guides，Then tell me that the source is ten kilometers away。I considered his suggestion。There are still ten hours before the sun sets，If you walk two kilometers per hour，I can just walk to the source of the Yellow River and back。If the altitude is only one or two thousand meters，I can walk an average of three to four kilometers per hour。But the current altitude is much higher than four thousand meters。I looked across the basin，Under that snow-capped ridge is what they call the source of the Yellow River。I can’t help but hesitate in my heart。At this moment，One of the guides said he would go with me。Such a good thing，How can I refuse？So we both took steps，Determined to cross this tundra。There are still snowflakes in the sky，The morning sun is shining on the eastern horizon。We trudged hard，It’s not clear how dangerous it is ahead。Is it really possible to "die before leaving the battlefield"？No！Although it was a bad start，But I firmly believe that today must be a great day。We jump over clumps of dead grass，Around puddles。Two hours have passed，The guide pointed to a herd of yaks on the horizon，So we turned around and walked over。Another half hour，Arrived at the yak herd，We asked the herders if they knew where the source of the Yellow River is。
This question seems a bit stupid。They are just herdsmen，So many tributaries of the Yellow River，It’s none of their business which official source they identify as the source。But their answers surprised me。They pointed to one of the many snowy hills surrounding the basin，Make it clear that that is the source。Looks like it’s too far to go there，I asked if I could rent their horses。They said the horse was too thin，Cannot ride people。In that area，Horse is a person’s most valuable property。In the summer before the horses can eat new grass and grow fat，Herdsmen are reluctant to ride their own horses。Too far to walk，Can’t rent a horse，So the guide suggested that I go back。I took another look at the hill pointed by the herdsman，It is on the west side of the basin，It does look quite far。However, I am determined to risk my life。I told the guide to take a walk first，If you really don’t expect to get there after a while，It’s not too late to rush back before dark。After thanking the herdsmen，Let’s move on。
The current altitude is 4,500 meters，At this height，Visual distance measurement often deceives your eyes。The air is getting thinner，We are walking slower and slower。A few hours down，Not yet through this tundra。We don’t say a word，Just gasping for air。Walked for about three more hours，We saw another family of herders，Stop again and ask them for directions。They are still pointing in that direction，It is said that the source of the Yellow River is at the other end of the ridge。I suddenly realized，The source of the Yellow River is in front of us，Victory is in sight，Only about the last hour to go。I can’t believe my eyes，We are about to reach the source of the Yellow River！But at this moment，188bet app The wizard raised an objection，He said we have gone too far，If you don’t return to the jeep immediately，If you don’t return to the jeep immediately。How can I listen to his words，Shrugged and said to him，If you want to go back, go back by yourself，If I can’t go back, I’ll sleep in a herdsman’s house；Get the jeep out，Come pick me up tomorrow。I thanked the herdsmen，Turn around and start walking forward alone。Obviously，The thin air has destroyed my judgment。The guide found that he could not reason with me，I had to take a few steps to follow。
But it didn’t take long，I regret it，Impulse is the devil。Every step forward，It’s all so painful。My lungs cannot breathe，My eyes can’t focus。I turn to the wizard，Tell him I can’t take it anymore。But this time he encouraged me to stick to it。We both had to fall to our knees twice，Just to breathe easier，Practice has proven that this has no effect。We have to stand up again，Moving legs mechanically。In confusion、Unknowingly，We miraculously crossed the ridge。See the source of the Yellow River！Stone Tablet、Ox head mark，Yes！This is it。We are here！