Mingsha Mountain

Mingsha Mountain

Mingsha, also known as music sand, is a peculiar but universal natural phenomenon in the world. In deserts or sand dunes, due to the influence of various climatic and geographical factors, fine sand particles mainly composed of quartz are caused. Due to wind vibration, sand slides or moves with each other. Many sand particles rotate in the air flow, and the "Diabolo" effect is caused by the surface cavity. The place where the buzzing sound occurs is called the humming sand.

In the western part of China, Mingsha area is mainly desert. These dunes pile up into mountains, so it is also called Mingsha mountain.

Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang, Shapotou in Zhongwei city of Ningxia, yinkentala Xiangsha group in Dalate Banner of Inner Mongolia and Mingsha mountain in Balikun of Xinjiang are known as the four major Mingsha mountains in China.

Historical records

Mingsha mountain has been formed for more than 3000 years, and Mingsha has been recorded for a long time.

"There is Shajiao mountain in the west of the river. Its peak is more steep than that of the stone mountain. Its sand grain is coarse and yellow, which is like dry hesitation." Here, Shajiao mountain is the Mingsha mountain of Dunhuang.

It is recorded in the old story of Xihe in the Wei and Jin Dynasties: "in Shazhou, when the weather is clear, there is a sound of sand, which is heard in the city. When people travel in the sand mountains, they have few partners, or they are afraid before they travel. They dare not go forward. "

In Tang Dynasty, due to the further integration of nationalities, a large number of written records appeared. According to the book of pictures of Shazhou, "the flow is uncertain. Suddenly, the deep valley is the mausoleum, and the high rock is the valley. The peak is as dangerous as a cliff, and the smoke is as picturesque as a picture "Yuanhe county annals" records: "Mingsha mountain is a holy mountain. It is located in Qili County, south of the county. Its mountains are filled with sand. The mountains are steep and dangerous. It is more than the stone mountain. There are sand ridges all around. The back is like a blade. When people climb it, they will sing. When they fall, they will wind through the night, and they will be as old as ever." Dunhuang records of the Five Dynasties recorded: "Mingsha mountain goes ten miles to the state. The mountain is 80 Li from east to west, 40 Li from north to south, and 500 feet high. The pure sand gathers. The mountain is marvelous, and the peak is like a cut. "

Sand singing phenomenon

Long island, Massachusetts Bay and wells in the United States; Northumberland coast in the United Kingdom; boholm island in Denmark; korburg in Poland; Gobi desert in Mongolia, Atacama Desert in Chile and some beaches and deserts in Saudi Arabia all make strange sounds. It is said that more than 100 similar beaches and deserts have been found in the world.

The natural phenomenon of sand singing is not only widely distributed in the world, but also has various sounds. For example, in the United States, the sand on gaoayi island in the Hawaiian Islands makes sounds like dogs barking, so people call it "dog barking". The sand on Scotland's egger island can make a powerful sound. If you roll down the Mingsha mountain in China, the sand will "roar like thunder" as described by Zhu Kezhen.

When many people slide from top to bottom on Mingsha mountain, they will make a roaring sound. It is said that Mingsha mountain is now located in a treasure house of the Jade Emperor. In order to stop people's greed, the Jade Emperor specially ordered Taibai Venus to be buried in yellow sand, so if it was empty, it would make a sound. There is another legend: in the Han Dynasty, when the Han Army and the Xiongnu were fighting, the strong wind rose and the yellow sand covered the sky, burying all the men and horses of the two armies in the sand. Now the sound is the cry of the two armies and the roar of the horses. It's actually the sound of sand and stone rubbing against each other.

Four Mingsha mountains

Dunhuang

Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang is a national key scenic spot. It is located in the northwest of China, 5km south of Dunhuang City (coordinates: 40 ° 05 'n and 94 ° 40' e). It is a magical and magnificent tourist spot in Gansu Province on the silk road. Located in the southern suburb of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, seven kilometers, in the transition zone between Badain Jaran Desert and Taklimakan Desert, covering an area of about 200 square kilometers. There are two peculiarities in Mingsha mountain: if people slide down from the top of the mountain, the sand under their feet will whine; in the daytime, the footprints left by people climbing the mountain will disappear the next day. Mingsha mountain, sand peak ups and downs, mountain "like a dragon winding", golden, just like a golden mountain. Mingsha mountain was once known as "Shajiao mountain".

"Preaching God sand is different, greetings and cold are also self singing, the potential is suspicious of heaven, Yin is like a land mine, the wind is sharp, the navel edge is uneven.". This vivid poem of chanting scenery is the description of the Tang Dynasty poets to the wonderful sight of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang. Mingsha mountain has attracted people with its bright and vivid natural wonders since ancient times. In the Western Han Dynasty, it was recorded that Mingsha mountain was like playing bell and drum orchestral music. The later Han Dynasty annals of prefectures quoted the Southern Dynasty's Qi Jiu Ji as saying that "there are differences in Mingsha mountain and Xuanquan God in water" in Dunhuang. According to geographical records of the old book of Tang Dynasty, "when the weather is clear, the sound of sand can be heard in the city.". According to Dunhuang manuscripts, Mingsha mountain "in midsummer, people and horses sing, and the sound vibrates for tens of miles. The custom of Dragon Boat Festival is that all the children in the city reach the peak, and the sand roars like thunder.". The Qing Dynasty "Dunhuang county annals" listed "sand ridge clear sound" as one of the eight Dunhuang scenes.

From Dunhuang city to the south, you can see the rolling Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang at a glance. The famous tourist attraction in Gansu Province, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, lies to the East and danghekou in the West. It stretches 40 kilometers, 20 kilometers wide from north to south, 100 meters high, and the highest peak is 1715 meters. At an altitude of 1650 meters, it is like two sand arms stretching to protect the crescent spring. Mingsha mountain and Yueya spring in Dunhuang are twin sisters in the desert and Gobi, "mountains sing with spirit, and water is beautiful with spirit". No matter how many tourists in Gansu Province have a bird's-eye view from the top of the mountain or have a good trip by the spring, they will have a reverie and a feeling of "the pleasant nature of Mingsha mountain and the heart of Yueya spring".

Climate characteristics: first, sufficient sunshine. The annual sunshine hours are 3200 hours, the frost free period is 150 days, the average annual temperature is 9.3 ℃, the average temperature in July is 24.7 ℃, and the average temperature in January is - 9.3 ℃. Second, it is dry and rainless. A northerly downdraft is often maintained over Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang, which is a dry and rainless area. The average annual rainfall is only 39.9 mm, accounting for 63.9% in summer and 7.5% in winter, but the annual evaporation is 2400 mm. Third, the four seasons are distinct, and winter is longer than summer, and the temperature difference between day and night is large. There is a saying that "wear fur coat early, drape yarn in the afternoon, and eat watermelon in the arms of the stove.". The annual temperature difference is 34 ℃. In Dunhuang, there are mainly east wind and northwest wind all the year round. The average wind speed near the ground is 3 M / s. dry hot wind and sandstorm are the main natural disasters.

The Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang is made of fine sand. The sand has five colors: red, yellow, blue, white and black. It is crystal clear and spotless. There are different forms of sand mountains: some are like moon buds, bending and connecting to form sand chains; some are like pyramids, high and angular; some are like golden dragons, long and lying, extending to the horizon; some are like fish scales, connecting hills and arranged in order.

Since ancient times, there have been many moving legends due to the unknown reasons for the sound of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang. It is said that this was an oasis with rich water and grass. A general of the Han Dynasty led a large army to the West. At night, he was attacked by the enemy. Just as the two armies were fighting, the strong wind rose and the yellow sand covered the sky. All the troops of the two armies were buried in the sand, so there was Mingsha mountain. It is said that the sound of sand in Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang now comes from their fighting.

The sand peak of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang is undulating and golden, just like a golden mountain, soft as silk and quiet as a girl. Under the sun, a ridge of sand is wavy, with yellow waves rolling, light and dark alternating, and distinct layers. When the wind blows, the sand mountain will make a huge noise, and when the wind blows, it is like string bamboo, so it is named Mingsha mountain. Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang was called Shajiao mountain in Han Dynasty, also known as shensha mountain, and Mingsha mountain in Jin Dynasty. No wonder the Qing Dynasty poet Su Luji said: "the sound of thunder is curling, the wind is blowing, and the words are whispering.". According to historical records, Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang is one of the eight famous tourist attractions in Gansu Province: "Qingming in Shaling", even if the wind stops and the sand is still.

According to the book of pictures of Shazhou, Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang "flows indefinitely, suddenly the deep valley is the mausoleum, the high rock is the valley, the peak is dangerous, the smoke is picturesque, and there is no place in the night." This passage describes the changeable shape of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang, which is caused by quicksand. Although Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang is not high, it is steep. It is not easy for those tourists from Gansu to reach the top of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang. Continuous sand, further, back half step, had to hand and foot and use to climb up. When you go down the mountain, the sand particles will flow with you, making a sound like an orchestral drum. You can hear the sound of animals roaring and thunder near you, and you can hear the sound of gods singing and fairy music far away. Many tourists from all over Gansu Province have found that there are two peculiarities of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang: if a person slides down from the top of the mountain, the sand under his feet will whine; in the daytime, the footprints left by people climbing the mountain will disappear the next day.

The strange sound of heaven and earth, the wonderful sound of nature, the so-called sound of sand, is not self sound, but because people slide along the sand surface and produce a sound. It is a kind of wonder in natural phenomena. Some people regard it as "the strange sound between heaven and earth, the wonderful movement in nature". Looking from afar, the sand peaks of Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang are like golden waves in the sea, majestic and surging. If you take a close look at the sand waves on the hillside, they are like ripples of light waves. Sometimes they are turbulent, sometimes they are slow, sometimes they are swirling. It's really interesting. Standing in the sand sea, heaven and earth suddenly open up, heart suddenly open, childlike innocence can't help germinating! The ear sounds, like a string at the beginning, then like the chime of the bell, then the golden drum, roaring. It is this wonderful vocal music that attracts countless tourists to Gansu Province and makes Mingsha mountain of Dunhuang famous all over the world.

Crescent Spring

crescent moon

Chinese PinYin : Ming Sha Shan