Geography of Qinghai - Qinghai Lake, Amne Machin, Geladandong, Jinsha River, Qaidam Basin, Bayan Har Mountains, Xumatang (Paperback)

Chapters: Qinghai Lake, Amne Machin, Geladandong, Jinsha River, Qaidam Basin, Bayan Har Mountains, Xumatang. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 26. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Qinghai Lake - Qinghai Lake is sandwiched between Hainan and Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in northeastern Qinghai. The lake is located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia. Many species use Qinghai as an intermediate stop during migration. As such, it is a focal point in global concerns of avian influenza (H5N1), as a major outbreak here could spread the virus across Europe and Asia, further increasing the chances of a pandemic. Minor outbreaks of H5N1 have already been identified at the lake. At the tip of the peninsula on the western side of the lake are the "Bird Islands" (Cormorant Island and Egg Island), which have been bird sanctuaries of the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone since 1997. The lake often remains frozen for three months continuously in winter. A bird islandThere is an island in the western part of the lake with a temple and a few hermitages called "Mahdeva, the Heart of the Lake" (mTsho snying Ma h de wa) which historically was home to a Buddhist monastery. No boat was used during summer, only when the lake froze over in winter could monks reach the mainland or pilgrims visit the temple - many of whom used to come from Mongolia. A nomad described the size of the island by saying that: "if in the morning a she-goat starts to browse the grass around it clockwise and its kid anti-clockwise, they will meet only in the night, which shows how big the island is." It is also known as the place where Gushri Khan and other Qoshot Mongols migrated to during the 1620s. The lake is also sometimes circumambulated by pilgrims from the region. Przhevalsky estimate...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=527729