#我来唠家常#
▲ Winter scenery of the Root River and the unfrozen river. Photo/Visual China
-The Legend of the Gentleman of Things-
Genhe, more than "China's cold pole"
Two days ago, a hot topic appeared on Weibo #Inner Mongolia does not freeze the rotation of the giant ice disk on the river#, and this rare spectacle happened in Genhe City, Inner Mongolia.
▲ A large ice tray on the ice-free river. Screenshot/CCTV News Weibo
The early winter has arrived, and the north is covered with ice and snow, but the unfrozen river on the outskirts of Genhe City is still babbling. The formation of such "ice trays" on rivers is caused by the rotation of some ice floes as they flow through the whirlpools at the bends of the river. The water flows continuously, its edges are cut and polished, and the ice tray becomes large and round.
Speaking of the Root River, "cold" has always been synonymous with the city, so where exactly is the Root River?
Does the "China Cold Pole" deserve its name?
In the Northern Hemisphere, when people talk about the coldest places, they always habitually think of the far north. China is no exception, and when asked "where is the coldest city in China?", most people may subconsciously mention Mohe, the highest city in China. But in fact, China's real "cold pole" is not in Mohe, but precisely our protagonist today - Genhe.
▲ Schematic diagram of the location of the root river. Photo/Monk
Genhe City, which is in the northernmost part of Inner Mongolia, and Mohe City, which is in the northernmost part of Heilongjiang, are located at very close latitudes, both at about 50 degrees north latitude, separated by more than 300 kilometers, and both belong to the cold temperate zone.
With so many different geographical locations and similar climate types, why is Genhe the "coldest" city? One important reason for this is the altitude.
▲ Winter scenery of Genhe Mountain Village. Diagram / Diagram Worm Creative
In general, the higher the terrain in the same temperature zone, the lower the temperature. Although both places are located in the northern part of the Great Khing'an Mountains, the average altitude of the Mohe area is 600 meters; The average altitude of the Genhe area is about 1,000 meters, and the highest point is located in the Oklidui Mountain in the town of Alongshan, with an altitude of 1,523 meters, which is also the highest peak in the northern part of the Great Khing'an Mountains.
▲ Oklidui Mountain is the highest peak in the northern part of the Daxing'an Mountains forest area. Diagram / Diagram Worm Creative
Of course, the temperature also depends on other factors, in addition to altitude and latitude, as well as the slope of the terrain.
Genhe and Mohe are both high-altitude mountain terrains, but the difference in slope direction of the terrain leads to different temperatures between the two places. The root river is on the western slope of the northern foot of the Great Xing'an Mountains, which is a windward slope and a back-sun slope; The Mohe River is located on the eastern slope of the northern foot of the Daxing'an Mountains, which is a sunny slope and a leeward slope.
▲ The rime of the unfrozen river. Photo/Visual China
The sunny slope is relatively sunny, receives more heat, and the temperature is higher. In winter, the cold air from the south is blocked by the Daxing'an Mountains, and the temperature on the windward slope is lower due to the influence of cold air accumulation.
The title of "China's Cold Pole" is not only supported by theoretical foundation, but also supported by scientific data. The lowest extreme temperature in China of -58°C was measured by the Genhe Forestry Department in the early hours of December 31, 2009. However, the extreme temperature measured once is not enough to indicate how cold the place is.
▲ The reason why the river does not freeze is because there is a large amount of geothermal energy on the surface. Although the branches of the trees on the banks of the river are covered with frost, the surface of the river does not freeze, but the fog is steaming. Diagram / Diagram Worm Creative
Comparing the average temperature of the coldest month and the duration of low temperatures between the two places, it is found that the average temperature of the coldest month and the coldest month in the past two decades is almost the same. However, the average number of consecutive extremely cold days below -40°C in Genhe City can reach 13 days, while Mohe only has 11 days.
From this point of view, Genhe's title of "China's cold pole" is well deserved.
As for the root river, the cold is abundant, too
With its vast area and unique climate environment, the Daxing'an Mountains preserve the largest and most intact primeval forest in the mainland, and become a very valuable cold temperate biological resource bank in the mainland.
▲ Genhe Wetland is known as "Asia's No. 1 Wetland". Photo/Visual China
Towering green mountains, vast forests, located in the root river on the western slope of the northern section of the Daxing'an Mountains, vegetation resources are also quite rich, with a forest coverage rate of 91.7%, which is the county-level city with the highest forest coverage rate in the country. The Xing'an larch is the owner of the Genhe forest, which is widely distributed and very cold-resistant, and has grown in the Daxing'an Mountains for many years without wind blowing and lightning strikes.
▲ Autumn scenery of the Daxinganling forest area. Photo/Visual China
Lao She described the Great Xing'an Mountains in "Lin Hai": "Green pine as a shirt, birch as a skirt, and embroidered shoes. "Maybe it's the wooded area of the Root River. In autumn, the roots of the river and mountains and forests are dyed by autumn colors, stacked with green and gold, like a huge oil painting thousands of miles long stretching out, very magnificent. In such a scene, people seem to forget that this land is known as the "cold pole of China", and only linger in this golden flame.
▲ Scenery of the Root River Wetland. Photo/Visual China
The root river, the city is named after the river. The Gen River, which originates on the southwest side of the Ijiqi Mountains in the Great Khingan Mountains, runs from northeast to southwest, passing through the city and flowing into the Erguna River. At the confluence of the Gen River, the Erguna River, the Derbugan River, and the Haur River, there is a vast wetland, the Root River Wetland (Erguna Wetland). This wetland is the most intact and large wetland in China, and is known as the "No. 1 Wetland in Asia".
▲ Red-crowned cranes. Photo/Visual China
This tranquil and beautiful wetland is also an important part of the global bird migration route of East Asia-Australia, where 20 million birds migrate and breed each year, and it is also one of the most important breeding grounds for red-crowned cranes in the world.
The last deer tribe in China
The land of Genhe not only has a special botanical landscape, but also gives birth to the last deer tribe in China, the Evenki Aoluguya.
▲ The Evenki, the last deer tribe in China. Photo/Visual China
In fact, the place where the Evenks live today is not their historical place of origin. According to historical records, the ancient mountain forests of the Wenduo mountain forests in the upper reaches of the Nebuchu River in the northeastern part of Lake Baikal and the Shilka River in the upper reaches of the Heilongjiang River were the ancestral residences of the Evenks on the mainland.
▲ Reindeer is the most beautiful mascot of the Evenki people. Photo/Visual China
After the Evenks moved to the Greater Khingan Mountains, they quickly realized the importance of reindeer to their lives, and formed an indissoluble bond with the reindeer here. Reindeer are not only their main source of food and clothing, but also an important means of transportation for the Evenks. The Evenks regard the reindeer as the most beautiful mascot and integrate them into the social organization and cultural construction of their own people, forming a national characteristic with a distinctive reindeer style.
▲ The last female chieftain of the Evenki tribe, Maria So, is an old man. Photo/Visual China
In addition to reindeer, the Evenks have a strong dependence on every grass and tree that lives under the same land, such as birch. Birch bark manufacturing products and handicrafts have gradually developed into a part of the traditional culture of the Evenki people, and birch bark products can be found everywhere from houses to daily necessities.
For the Evenks, cold protection is a very important issue. They found the answer early on in animals that have been growing here for a long time. One hundred and fifty or sixty years ago, the Evenks began to wear animal skin clothing, their clothes, hats, boots, shoes and bedding are made of animal skin, which not only has a good effect against cold, but also has a lot of attention in sewing skills or patterns, so it also has a very high artistic value.
▲ "Puluozi" is a traditional house of the Evenki people. Diagram / Diagram Worm Creative
The Evenks are nomadic people who do not have a fixed dwelling in the forest, and the "Puluozi" is their traditional dwelling, which is a kind of conical building, which is actually a circular shack made of pine poles, which can be seen as a simple tent. The cover varies with the seasons, generally using birch bark in summer and muntjac and deerskin in winter to adapt to different climates.
▲ The traditional culture of the Evenki people is dying out. Photo/Visual China
Today, Genhe is famous as the "cold pole of China", but the extremely cold weather cannot stop the creatures here from exuding the most beautiful brilliance of life. The Hung Yen larch, birch and pine sylvestris sylvestris depict a world of golden fairy tales, thousands of migratory birds have chosen it as a base for their expeditions, and China's last deer tribe has pondered the fusion of ancient traditions and modern civilizations.
This is the Root River, here is the Chinese Cold Pole, but it is not just the "Chinese Cold Pole".