During the Spring Festival holiday in 2023, Yunnan Province received 45,146,100 tourists. According to the news of Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area, the scenic area received a total of 179,700 tourists during the Spring Festival holiday. This means that about 1 in every 250 people who travel to Yunnan has visited Yulong Snow Mountain. This achievement, placed in Yunnan, a major tourism province, is already very brilliant.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain under the stars Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of the Lijiang Municipal Party Committee
Why is this snowy mountain far away on the border of the motherland so attractive?
Li Jing, a poet of the Yuan Dynasty and author of the Yunnan Zhiluo, gave the answer in his poem "Snow Mountain Song", which is known to be the earliest inscription of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: "Lijiang Snow Mountain is unique in the world, and thousands of stacks of jade are piled up." The foot plate is thick and carries the sky, and Henghua really becomes two hills. ”
【I】
Nasiolu
Located in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City, Yulong Snow Mountain is the southernmost snow mountain in China and the closest glacier to the equator in the northern hemisphere, 35 kilometers long from north to south and 13 kilometers wide from east to west.
Yulong Mountain, known as "Oulu" in Naxi, means "Tianshan". The Naxi believe that this is a sacred mountain.
From the "Oulu" of the Naxi people to the "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain" widely known today, there is a history of evolution of nearly a thousand years.
In the Tang Dynasty, King Yimu of Nanzhao named this snowy mountain "Beiyue".
During the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan marched south and gave the name Snow Mountain as "Emperor Jing of Anbang of Xueshi Beiyue". "Yuanyi Tongzhi Lijiang" has the text "Mai Jun Mill some people, ancestral residence under the Dragon Mountain...", which is the first record of Lijiang Snow Mountain called Dragon Mountain.
This snow-capped mountain was first called Jade Dragon Mountain in the poetry of Mugong Tusi in the Ming Dynasty. Mu Gong mentioned in the three articles "Self-Records of Jianmu Clan Ancestral Hall", "Records of Rebuilding Beiyue Temple" and "Hidden Garden Chunxing", all mentioned that "Lijiang Snow Mountain is Jade Dragon Mountain, and Beiyue is Jade Dragon Mountain". It is believed that the name "Jade Dragon" was given because the thirteen continuous snowy peaks flew back like a giant dragon.
In addition, because the lithology of the mountain is mainly limestone and basalt, black and white, Yulong Snow Mountain is also known as "Black and White Snow Mountain".
The glacial meltwater of Yulong Snow Mountain nourishes a large area of primeval forest in Yulong Mountain, watering tens of thousands of acres of fertile land in Lijiang Dam, and giving birth to the Dongba culture with a long history and the only surviving hieroglyphic script in the world.
【II】
Diverse and magnificent
As a popular tourist attraction with a prestigious reputation, the beauty of Yulong Snow Mountain, the beauty created by the climate, and the beauty of diversity woven over the years.
The main peak fan is steep, up to 5596 meters above sea level, due to the steep mountain, complex terrain and changeable climate, it is still the virgin peak that no one has climbed. The mountain is covered in silver all year round, the ridge is fan-spread, there are many cirques and hanging glaciers scattered on the mountain, the forest below the snow line is dense, the grass is verdant, and the alpine and cold vegetation scenery is charming, and it is known as a forest kingdom and a treasure trove of plants. Because of its unique spring snow and ice tower scenery, the fan has become a place that countless people are fascinated by.
Ganhaizi, a natural meadow pasture east of the snowy mountains, was originally a high-mountain glacial lake, but later the snow line rose, the stagnant water decreased and dried up, so it became "dry haizi". Surrounded by mountains on three sides and 3,100 meters above sea level, Ganhaizi is overgrown with dense pastures and low bushes. Every spring, tender green grass covers the earth, low pine trees scatter across the vast meadows, and yaks loom or appear among the rolling grass, reflecting the surrounding snowy mountains. Gradually, this alpine meadow, full of life, got another name more suitable for it - "Ganhaizi".
Blue Moon Valley, located in the valley at the eastern foot of Yulong Snow Mountain, north of Ganhaizi and south of Yunshan Ping, is like a blue moon embedded at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The ancient glacier melting snow originating from the Yulong Snow Mountain converges into a river, and in the process of slowly flowing down the mountain, the river is blocked by the mountain to form a pool, forming Yuli Lake, Jingtan Lake, Blue Moon Lake and Tingtao Lake. The lake is separated by a small waterfall, the vegetation on both sides is luxuriant, and the turquoise water reflects the majestic snow-capped mountains, like a fairyland on earth.
In addition, Yulong Snow Mountain also has attractions worth seeing, such as Baishui River, Spruce Ping, and Yak Ping. Among them, the highest altitude of the glacier park is 4680 meters, which is the highest place that tourists can reach when visiting the snow mountain.
【III】
Home to flora and fauna
The beauty of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain lies in the unique scenery and rich animal and plant resources.
As part of the Hengduan Mountain Range on the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwest Yunnan, Yulong Snow Mountain is one of the core areas of the Hengduan Mountains. Relying on the special geographical environment and three-dimensional climate, a large variety of endemic and rare animals and plants thrive here, Yulong Snow Mountain is a treasure house of concentrated alpine animal and plant resources and a refuge for biological species, which has a particularly important position and value in global biodiversity research.
From the main peak Fan Steep to the Blue Moon Valley, it concentrates the most complete and representative alpine vertical vegetation band spectrum in the subtropical region of the western part of the continent. Animals, plants and microorganisms from tropical hot and dry valley savannas to cold frozen deserts can be found in the Yulong Snow Mountain.
In the plant world, there are many directly named after Lijiang and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The national key protected plants such as Lijiang Dipper, Jade Dragon Curly Orchid, Jade Dragon Fern and so on are proof of this.
As of September 2021, there were 171 families, 814 genera, and 3,114 species of seed plants in Yulong Snow Mountain, accounting for 12.4% of all seed plant species in China and 22.1% of the total number in Yunnan. There are 14 families, 24 genera, and 52 species of ferns, accounting for 2.0% of the total in China and 3.5% of the total in Yunnan. Among the 3166 species of vascular plants on Yulong Snow Mountain, there are 1631 species endemic to China and 764 species endemic to Hengduan Mountain.
In addition to plants, there are also many members of the animal family living here, and elves such as forest musk deer, loon duck, white horse chicken Lijiang subspecies, jay, red deer, red fox, purple thrush, red-billed blue magpie, macaque, yellow-throated marten, wild boar, spoon chicken and other elves run freely in this promised land all year round.
【IV】
Running Internet celebrity attractions
Sitting on valuable landscape resources, biological resources and cultural resources of Naxi Dongba, how to balance the relationship between conservation and development?
The first is that protection has been repeatedly strengthened.
The Management and Protection Bureau of Yulong Snow Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve shall take effective measures to improve the scientific management and protection level of biodiversity conservation and strengthen the protection work. The second is the joint construction of "scenery" and "society" to help local residents get tourism dividends, so that more human and material resources are fed back to the construction of scenic spots.
In accordance with local conditions, the Yulong Snow Mountain Management Committee began to fully implement the agricultural reform of tourism in August 2007, and solidly carried out poverty alleviation in the tourism industry. Establish community tourism service companies, arrange qualified people to enter scenic spots to work, strengthen the publicity of tourism related policies, and increase the scale of public welfare undertakings... "Beautiful poverty" has completely become a thing of the past, and residents at the foot of the snowy mountains have more confidence and confidence to eat good tourist meals.
Continuously strengthen infrastructure construction to allow tourists to have a better tourism experience.
On November 28, 2022, the world's first panoramic sightseeing mountain tourist train, the first phase of the Lijiang Sightseeing Train Project (Lijiang Rail Transit Line 1), started no-load trial operation. After the official operation of the project, tourists can reach the Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area from the tourist distribution center in 20 minutes. The opening of the train will effectively solve the problems of imperfect tourist transportation system in Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area and the impact of tourists' self-driving exhaust emissions on ecological protection, help promote the overall improvement of scenic tourism quality and tourist experience, and comprehensively protect the natural ecological resources of Yulong Snow Mountain. At the same time, the interior decoration of the train adopts the decorative style of Lijiang Dongba Wen and Naxi ethnic art elements, fully showing the natural and ethnic customs of Lijiang, and passengers can enjoy the majestic snow-capped mountains and stunning canyon scenery along the way.
【Youth View】
Stay in awe of nature
Luo Qiuxu is 26 years old
About the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, it is the Blue Moon Valley glimpsed on the TV screen, the "Lijiang Impression" that hits the heart, the majestic and mysterious tall snow mountain, the 4680 meters where tourists stop, and people's yearning for beautiful things.
But we must not only aspire, but also remain in awe.
I once saw an unforgettable image on a variety show, a star's hat was blown into the water of Blue Moon Valley by the wind, and he jumped down to pick it up. When he went ashore, in addition to his hat, he brought slippers, umbrellas, snack bags... The people in the program group sighed at the beauty of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and some "play traces" of the scenery appeared in the camera again.
The highest point of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 5596 meters, but she only allows humans to reach 4680 meters, and in the event of a blizzard, 4680 meters cannot be reached. Nature is so amazing that although we try to explore every place, there are always places we can't reach. After climbing the mountain, we should feel the insignificance of human beings in front of nature, so that we can be in awe, and strive not to leave traces, so that the mountain can remain its original appearance.
In recent years, outdoor sports have risen, and there are more and more "mountain people", and I have begun to carry backpacks and go outdoors. As far as the eye can see, Yunnan's mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the more and more garbage storage bags hanging on backpacks are also beautiful. When people walk by, they should only leave footprints that are blown by the wind and dissipate, so that the colors of nature can always give people "good looks".
Spring City Evening News-Opening Screen News Reporter Luo Qiuxu
Editor-in-charge Cat Enbo
Responsible proofreading Yuan Xi
Editor-in-Chief Wu Xizhi
Final Review: Editorial Board Member Li Rong