Autumn in Sanjiangyuan came earlier than in many places.
In this 190,700 square kilometers, it is difficult to define it by one color. Farewell to the warm and brilliant summer, a layer of autumn breeze on the plateau is cool, precipitating a more mature and full temperament. Searching for the source of the Three Rivers in autumn is looking for the beauty of the scenery painted by nature, and it is also looking for the transformation of the Three Rivers Source National Park in the two years since its official establishment.
Blue, yellow and blue are connected, and the autumn scenery of the source area of the Yellow River is moving
From Xining, head southwest. Pass the Sun Moon Mountain, the inverted river, look at the Longyang Gorge, pass through the Republican Basin, and turn into the pipe-shaped Xinghai steppe. In this "cornucopia" like a natural setting, the grassland gradually turns yellow; After passing through Douqiao and Huashixia, you will enter the source area of the Yellow River in Sanjiangyuan National Park.
In the source area of the Yellow River, the imprint of early autumn is more obvious: around lakes of different sizes, aquatic plants first appear yellow with different light and dark. The grassland, which was originally a green carpet, was also replaced by a gradually transitional grass yellow, under the reflection of the sun, the grassland from green to yellow did not feel lonely, and the bright yellow spread into the distance like a wave of water in the wind, exuding vigorous vitality.
It is hard to imagine that more than 10 years ago, the grassland here was degraded and almost barren.
The Yellow River Source Area had already embarked on a series of ecological restoration measures before the pilot system of the Sanjiangyuan National Park in 2016, and after the establishment of the Sanjiangyuan National Park, a total of 6.2 billion yuan was invested in ecological restoration projects. Sun Lijun, deputy director of the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, said: "At present, the average annual increase in water conservation in Sanjiangyuan National Park is more than 6%, and the grassland coverage and grass yield have increased by 11% and 30% respectively compared with 10 years ago. ”
The "China Water Tower" has more abundant water, and the autumn scenery of Maduo County, the "County of a Thousand Lakes", is more and more exciting - every few hundred meters forward, a lake is unveiled, and a large area of ecological wetlands converges into a "sea of stars". If you pass here at night, the bright moon reflects the center of the water, and the lakes dotted with stars outline a picture of the world.
Walking along the national highway in Maduo County, the Yellow River is a little more unruly and heroic, sometimes the vast soup rushes forward, sometimes the braid distribution, the nine-curved ileum. Further upstream, standing on the bull's head monument overlooking the early autumn Eling Lake, surrounded by a brown bank embankment and mountains, the surface of the lake is as clear as a sapphire, so beautiful that people take their breath away. Zhaling Lake and Eling Lake, commonly known as "sister lakes", are two reservoirs at the source of the Yellow River, as well as two natural giant "sedimentation tanks" and "filters". After the establishment of Sanjiangyuan National Park, Zhaling Lake, Eling Lake and "Xingxinghai" have become important protection areas, and the status of nationally important wetlands and natural heritage sites has been further prominent.
Yogu Zongliqu is ahead, and the stream that flows for thousands of years will eventually converge into a great river that nourishes all living beings. The autumn in the Heyuan resort is so heroic and amorous between heaven and earth.
Brownish-gray gradient, highland animals active among snowy mountain meadows
Driving on National Highway 214, the snowy peaks of the Bayan Kara Mountains in the distance stand proudly in front of you, shining golden under the sunlight. At the foot of the mountain, wild animals such as Tibetan foxes and Tibetan wild asses "flash" from time to time. The highland animals active among the snowy mountain meadows add a vibrant color to the Sanjiangyuan in early autumn.
Bayan Kara Pass, just ahead. "Look, Tibetan antelope!" The companions pointed into the distance, and a dozen Tibetan antelopes formed a group on the mountainside towards the top of the mountain. They run hard, stopping from time to time to rest and look back.
"This is the Tibetan antelope migrating back, and after giving birth in Cocoxili in June or July every year, the Tibetan antelope will return to the starting place in groups." Qiupei Tashi, head of the Zhuonai Lake Protection Station of Sanjiangyuan National Park, said, "The color of Tibetan antelope is different in summer and autumn and winter, yellow-brown in summer and gray-yellow or white in winter. ”
Looking at the Tibetan antelope at this time, the whole body is covered with light tan thick hair, and in order to adapt to the perennial cold climate, the back hair is particularly thick. After a while, wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys, Tibetan foxes, etc. came into view one after another. Similarly, with the arrival of autumn and winter, the "protective color" of their fur also began to change, and brownish gray gradually became the dominant color.
According to Li Fei, director of the Information Center of the Qinghai Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, in recent years, the wildlife population in the Sanjiangyuan area has increased significantly, and the Tibetan antelope has recovered from less than 20,000 in the 80s of the 20th century to more than 70,000.
The biodiversity of Sanjiangyuan has become richer, and the status of "natural germplasm resource bank of alpine organisms" has been further prominent. In the "ecological window" of Qinghai Province located in Xining City, the pictures of important points in Sanjiangyuan National Park are clearly visible in real time. Recently, Chen Liangbo, a staff member of the Information Center of the Qinghai Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, has accumulated a large number of Tibetan antelope migration data through this "clairvoyant".
Recording the colorful nature, the herders on patrol carried their cameras
The reporter took Qumalai and Zaduo and set off towards the source area of the Yangtze River. The grassland stretches to the foot of the distant mountains, and a touch of "camouflage green" jumps in the middle - members of the "nature photography team" in Qumalai County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, are looking for snow leopards.
One autumn morning, the morning sun gushes out, sprinkling pieces of golden light, and the hair of Tibetan antelopes is dazzling... Whenever he mentions his association with photography, Sonam Wen Dou always thinks of this "shocking" moment, which was taken by members of a photography team spontaneously set up by local herders. Since its establishment in 2017, the camera team has nearly 100 members, covering the plateau, and the lens is full of life, plants, mountains and rivers from the source of the Yangtze River.
Sonam Bundou fell in love with photography and joined the photography team. He is a herdsman in Yege Township, Qumalai County, and after the establishment of Sanjiangyuan National Park, the entire area of his hometown was included in the park. Thanks to the "one household, one post" policy, he put down his herding whip and became an ecological steward. On weekday patrols, in addition to picking up garbage and observing records, his favorite thing is to raise his camera and take pictures of the bits and pieces on the patrol road. Over the years, snow leopards, Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, snow lotus flowers, Sichuan fritillary and other rare plants have appeared in his lenses.
Sonam Wendou showed the reporter his works, meadowsweet, green velvet, anemone... The brightly colored flowers reflect the golden river in the sun and the blue and lofty sky, showing the natural beauty of the source of the three rivers.
"We use cameras to record and bring the source of the Yangtze River closer to the world." Tenzin, a member of the photography team, said. Today, not only the source of the Yangtze River, but also the magical and magnificent land of Sanjiangyuan has given birth to dozens of herdsmen's photography teams, and its influence continues to expand.
Dajie, a herdsman photographer, passed on his hobby to his daughter Kangzhuo. When Kangzhuo was 7 years old, he successfully photographed the snow leopard under the guidance of Dajie. Recently, Dajie hand-knitted a camera strap out of yak hair to give to his daughter. "Photography is not only a hobby, but also a responsibility. Recording the changes in the ecological environment of the Sanjiangyuan through images and displaying the conservation achievements requires continuous efforts from generation to generation. Dajie looked at the hot land where the autumn colors were getting stronger, and his eyes were full of hope.