Mingyong Glacier

--Mingyong glacier is the longest and largest of the four major glaciers in Meili Snow Mountain, stretching 11.7 kilometers from Meili Snow Mountain at an altitude of 6740 meters down in an arc to 2600 meters of virgin forest.

--Due to global warming and too many tourists, glaciers are melting at a rate of about 500-600 meters per year.

--The hiking intensity of Mingyong glacier is primary. It is about 8 km from the gate of the scenic spot at the foot of the mountain to the Prince Temple. It is a relatively gentle uphill road, similar to the usual climbing, but the altitude has increased.

--In addition to hiking, you can also ride a horse up the mountain, but you can only hire a horse at the entrance of the scenic spot. There is no horse to ride when you are tired on the way.

Mingyong Glacier

Mingyong glacier is located in Deqin County, Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is the longest glacier under Kawagebo peak. It is a low latitude tropical monsoon marine modern glacier. It is called "mingyongqia" in Tibetan, and "Mingyong" is the next village of glacier. "Qia" means the melting water of glaciers. "Mingyong" is the brazier. It is named "Mingyong" because of the undulating mountains and mild climate around the village..

Because of its low snow line, high temperature, rapid melting, and survival by precipitation, its movement speed is also fast. In winter, its ice tongue can extend from 5500 meters above sea level to 2800 meters above sea level. Like a dragon with silver scales and jade armour, it extends from the high snow peak to the foot of the mountain and pours directly on the Lancang River. It is only 800 meters away from the Lancang River.

Introduction to glaciers

Mingyong glacier is the largest, longest and lowest valley glacier in Yunnan Province. It is one of the long glaciers under Kawagebo peak. Mingyong glacier is located under the "Kawagebo peak" of Meili Snow Mountain Group in Deqin County, Diqing (shangri la), Yunnan Province. It is a low latitude tropical monsoon marine modern glacier, and the ice and snow on the top of the glacier does not melt all the year round. It is one of the most classic outdoor hiking routes in Lijiang.

Its snow line is low, its temperature is high, its melting is fast, and it depends on precipitation to survive, so its movement speed is also fast. Mingyong glacier is called "mingyongqia" in Tibetan. Mingyong is the name of the village under the glacier, and Qia means the melting water of the glacier. "Mingyong" is the brazier. It is named after the rolling mountains and mild climate around the village.

The whole glacier extends about 5km from north to South and 3km from east to west, forming a huge ice and snow depression. On a sunny day in summer, ice and snow melt into a lake. On the south side of the Mingyong glacier, there is a NE trending mountain range with several remaining peak surfaces, which inclines to the northeast with an altitude of about 5500m. There is an ice cap covered with ice and snow on the Pingdingshan mountain range. The ice and snow flow on the west slope is in the ice corridor on the south side of the large grain snow basin of Mingyong glacier. Five suspended glaciers and regenerated glaciers are formed under the cliff on the north slope. Therefore, there are various types of glaciers in the upper source of Mingyong valley. The ice surface morphology of Mingyong glacier is also changeable, which constitutes a unique glacier spectacle in Northwest Yunnan.

Mingyong glacier has a thousand years of snow and eternal love. The clouds cover the door of history, and the earth is twisted, holding out the abyss of time. Three parallel rivers, wash away the clouds, take the quicksand, wash away the filth, breed a lotus like beauty. Here, singing feeds the birds, the girl's yearning combs the flowers, the sunshine touches every ring of life, the bee's singing and the butterfly's flying dance intoxicate the past mountain wind, and the swan's wings cut the blue sky and white clouds into a garland. The never failing flowers are the smiles of the valley; the leisurely deer take a beautiful walk; the roaring eagles are the notes in the clouds; the Yaks in the mountains are like the buttons of the earth. The flower of Stellera chamaejasme burns itself and ignites the field; the bird of love no longer calls, and there is no shadow in the quiet dream. Here, gesanghua is the lace of the snow mountain, the night clock of the temple, the warmth of blessing, such as the voice of a loving mother. The horse, tent, smoke and milk tea make life pure and mellow; the forest, cloud, lake light and snow mountain make the noise of the world clean. The sky is high, the earth is wide, the water is long, and the vision is full of ancient shadows. Love songs are soft, folk songs are continuous, even wine songs are fine.

transport line

1. (bus) take the China bus from Deqin County to Mingyong Village (15:00-15:30, fare 13 yuan / person); the total length of the journey is about 50 km.

2. It costs 40-50 yuan / car, ￥ Deqin Feilai Temple Mingyong glacier Feilai temple.

Characteristics of glaciers

The reason why Mingyong glacier has become the largest, longest and lowest elevation valley glacier in Yunnan Province is that it has huge mountains. The height difference between the peak and the end of the glacier is about 4080m. The mountains above the snow line are 1-3km wide, more than 3 peaks at 6000m altitude, and more than 5 peaks at more than 5000m altitude. The annual average temperature of kagebo peak is estimated to be - 19.2 ℃, the annual average temperature at the altitude of 4800-5200m is about - 3115.6 ℃, and the annual precipitation is about 1500mm (Su Zhen and Pu Jianchen, 1996). In addition to the avalanche supply on the back wall of the snow basin, there is abundant ice and snow accumulation. It is estimated that the thickness of ice and snow in the snow basin is 200-300m, and a large amount of ice and snow overflows from the snow basin down the steep slope, forming a valley glacier with two giant ice waterfalls. It is the second longest valley glacier in Hengduan Mountains, except Hailuogou Glacier, which is 13.6km long in Gongga mountain.

There are two large snow depressions in the north of the glacier. In addition to the large snow depressions, part of the snow in the northernmost snow depressions overflows the eastern mountain saddle, forming a suspended glacier hanging on the upper part of the steep slope. The southern part of the basin is a long and narrow snow ice corridor. A lot of snow and ice come from the south slope of the main peak and the northwest slope of the small ice cap in the southeast of the main peak. The whole big grain snow basin extends about 5km from north to South and 3km from east to west, forming a huge ice and snow depression. On a sunny day in summer, ice and snow melt water converges into a lake. According to Zhaxi village, the diameter of the lake is about 50m. The lake water is blue black, unpredictable and frozen again at night. It is a rare wonder in Hengduan Mountain area.

When a large amount of ice and snow crossed the ice ridge at the outlet of the granular snow basin, it was divided into two large and small ice streams by three periglacial rock mountains, converged at a gradient of 300-400 to form a large ice waterfall, which was about 2km long and about 1000m high. Below the altitude of 4000m, the slope becomes gentle, which is a huge glacier platform of 5 "to 10", with a length of 2km and a width of 1.5km; then the ice flow turns to the southeast 300, with a slope of 30 "to 35", forming the second huge ice waterfall, which is about 1km long and covered with vertical and horizontal cracks on the ice surface, forming a variety of ice walls and icicles. With the downward movement and pushing of glaciers, the ice body often collapses and makes a loud noise. The ice avalanche in the middle and lower part of the ice waterfall forms a broken ice flow with a length of more than 100 meters and a width of about 30 meters. At the altitude of about 3O00 meters, the slope of the second ice waterfall becomes gentle, about 15 "- 200, and the ice surface is about 1.5 km wide. There are many arc-shaped fault zones protruding south in the north, and the longitudinal parallel fault zone striking northeast in the south. Due to the melting of ice, a series of parallel crisscross regions of ice Valley and ice ridge with a height of 20-30m were formed. In the lower part of the glacier tongue, it turns northeast again, reaching the end of the glacier tongue at 266om above sea level, about 3km long and 300-i000m wide. The upper part of the area is covered by thin layer of surface sulfur. The thin layer of surface sulfur (rock debris and boulders) is distributed in a patchy or flaky manner. The ice surface undulates. There are ice streams, ice caves, ice born bridges and subsurface channels in the ice alternately. The melting water of the glacier sometimes flows into the ice wells, and sometimes gushes out from the ice cliffs below The lower part is covered by thick surface carbon, which is tens of centimeters to several meters thick, forming high surface hills and depressions. At the end of the glacier is an ice cliff with a slope of 300-400 and a height of 70m. The surging ice water gushes from the ice cave under the ice cliff.

On the south side of the Mingyong glacier, there is a NE trending mountain range with several remaining peak surfaces, which inclines to the northeast with an altitude of about 5500m. There is an ice cap covered with ice and snow on the Pingdingshan mountain range. On the west slope, ice and snow flows into the ice corridor on the south side of the large grain snow basin of Mingyong glacier. On the north slope, ice and snow flows into the cliff and forms five suspended glaciers and regenerated glaciers. Therefore, there are various types of glaciers in the upper source of the Mingyong River Valley, and the glacial topography of the Mingyong glacier itself is also changeable, which constitutes a unique glacier spectacle in Northwest Yunnan.

Nearby villages

Mingyong Village

At present, there are about 300 people in 52 households, all of them are Tibetans. With the popularity of tourism in Diqing Shangri La and the successful application of the "Three Parallel Rivers" world heritage, more and more tourists come to Mingyong glacier for sightseeing. Mingyong village has started to carry out horse transport since 1998. As the road from the county seat to Mingyong village runs through the oil road, the 8 km post road from Mingyong to glacier has been improved. From the county seat, you can reach Yongzong, Mingyong, sinang and other villages in about an hour. If you go up the mountain to see the glacier, you can hire horses. Although the road is difficult and dangerous, some Tibetans who are familiar with mountain roads are willing to lead you. I wish you a safe journey. Since 2000, the number of tourists to the glacier has doubled every year. Mingyong village has built many farmhouses to receive thousands of tourists from home and abroad

Chinese PinYin : Ming Yong Bing Chuan