Hoh Xil

Hoh Xil is a very high land.

It sits in China. It is between big mountain rows. The land is very high up.

Many wild animals live here. You can see a wild yak. You can see a brown bear. The bears eat small animals.

Some animals are in danger. The Tibetan antelope lives here. It goes to a big lake.

There are also volcanoes in this place. Some are like the ones in Hawaii.

It is a very special place to see.

Hoh Xil is a very high place in China.

It sits on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This land is very big. It is 83,000 square kilometres in size. It lies between two mountain chains. These are the Tanggula and Kunlun mountains.

The land is very high up. Most of it is 4,800 metres above sea level. Because it is so special, it is a World Heritage Site.

Many wild animals live in this harsh land. There are more than 230 kinds of animals. You might see a wild yak or a brown bear. The brown bears eat small animals called pikas. You can also find the Tibetan antelope. This animal is in danger of dying out. Many antelope gather at Zhuonai Lake.

The ground here was made by volcanoes. Some look like the volcanoes in Hawaii. There are also many lakes in the area. Some rivers start here. One is the Chumar River. It helps feed the big Yangtze River. A long train track runs along the edge. It includes a very high tunnel. This is the highest railway tunnel in the world.

Hoh Xil is a very special place in China. It is a huge area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Some people call it the Blue Ridge. Others call it the Lord of Ten Thousand Mountains.

This land is very high up in the air. It sits between the Tanggula and Kunlun mountain chains. It covers 83,000 square kilometres of land. In 2017, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. People call it the largest and highest plateau in the world.

The land has many interesting ways it works. In the southeast, the Chumar River flows through the area. This river is a main source for the Yangtze River. Most of the rest of the land is endorheic. This means the water does not flow to the sea. Instead, the water stays in many isolated lakes. Because of this, some people call it the Hoh Xil lake district. The ground itself was shaped by volcanoes long ago. Some of these volcanoes look like the ones in Hawaii.

Humans have worked to protect this land for a long time. In 1995, a large part of the area became a nature reserve. This reserve covers 45,000 square kilometres. It sits at an average height of 4,600 metres. The site includes parts of Zhidoi County and Qumarlêb County. A famous film called Kekexili: Mountain Patrol came out in 2004. This movie helped people in China learn about the area. It also helped people learn about the Tibetan antelope.

Many different animals live in this harsh climate. There are more than 230 species of wild animals here. Some animals are under special state protection in China. You can find wild yaks and wild donkeys here. There are also white-lip deer and brown bears. The brown bears eat plateau pikas and yaks. The Tibetan antelope, or chiru, is also an endangered animal. Many of these antelopes gather at Zhuonai Lake.

It is not hard to travel near the edge of this place. The Qingzang Railway runs along the eastern boundary. There is also a big road called China National Highway 109. Builders even made the Fenghuoshan Tunnel in this area. It is the highest railway tunnel in the whole world. The tunnel is 1,338 metres long. Its entrances are 4,905 metres above sea level. This shows how high and grand the Hoh Xil region really is.

Hoh Xil is a massive, isolated region located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is known by several names. In Mongolian, the name means "Blue Ridge." Another name, Aqênganggyai, means "Lord of Ten Thousand Mountains."

This region is globally significant for its extreme scale. On July 7, 2017, UNESCO listed the area as a World Heritage Site. It is described as the largest and highest plateau in the world. This status recognizes its unique geography and importance.

The geography of Hoh Xil is defined by its immense size and high altitude. The region covers 83,000 square kilometres of land. It stretches east to west between two major mountain chains. These are the Tanggula and Kunlun mountains. The area sits across the borders of several Chinese regions. It includes parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Most of the land sits at an average elevation of 4,800 metres above sea level.

Water moves through this high landscape in two distinct ways. In the southeastern part of the region, the Chumar River flows through the land. This river serves as one of the major headwater sources for the Yangtze River. However, the rest of the region is endorheic. This is a term hydrologists use for drainage systems that do not reach the ocean. Instead, the water flows into many isolated lakes. Because of these many lakes, scientists often call this area the "Hoh Xil lake district."

The geological foundation of Hoh Xil is volcanic in nature. It is part of the Northern Tibet volcanic field. This field contains many volcanoes from the late-Cenozoic era. Some of these are Hawaiian-style volcanoes. One specific area is Bamaoqiongzong, which covers 300 square kilometres. It features a perfectly preserved edifice to the northeast of its summit. The rocks there include peralkaline phonolitic and foiditic types. Another site, Yongbohu, contains five different vents. These vents are made of dacitic, trachyandesitic, and andesitic rock.

Conservation efforts have focused on protecting this fragile environment for decades. In 1995, a large portion of the region became a national nature reserve. This reserve covers 45,000 square kilometres. The average elevation in this protected area is 4,600 metres. The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the western half of Zhidoi County. It also includes the western part of Qumarlêb County in Qinghai. Bukadaban Feng is also considered part of the Hoh Xil region.

Despite the harsh climate, Hoh Xil supports a diverse range of wildlife. There are more than 230 species of wild animals living here. Twenty of these species are under Chinese state protection. You can find wild yaks, wild donkeys, and white-lip deer in the area. The region is also home to brown bears. These bears eat plateau pikas, which are small burrowing rodents. They also eat yak and antelope. The Tibetan antelope, also called the chiru, is an endangered species. Many of these animals gather at Zhuonai Lake.

The 2004 film *Kekexili: Mountain Patrol* helped make the chiru and this region famous in China.

Modern transportation allows people to travel near the edges of this massive plateau. The Qingzang Railway and China National Highway 109 run along the eastern boundary of the reserve. Engineers have built impressive structures to navigate the high altitude. One such structure is the Fenghuoshan Tunnel. This is currently the highest railway tunnel in the world. The tunnel is 1,338 metres long. Its entrances are located at an elevation of 4,905 metres above sea level. These connections link the remote plateau to the rest of the country.