The Majestic Holy Mountain, a Grand Tapestry of Civilization.
The Qilian Mountain, referred to as “Tianshan Mountain” in The Book of Han, has inscribed a millennium – long chapter of civilization on the historical tapestry of the Hexi Corridor.The 5,808 – meter – high Tuanjie Peak presents seventy – two glacier “jade belts”, which flowinto the Shule River and the Heihe River, becoming their life – giving blood. These oases,nourished by the “water from the sky”, have witnessed significant historical events: ZhangQian’s expedition to the Western Regions, with his banner fluttering past the poplar trees,and Xuanzang’s arduous journey to obtain Buddhist scriptures, his iron staff knocking on thedoors of Buddhist grottoes. In the rugged mountainous regions, one can discover the plum -blossom – shaped footprints left by snow leopards in the moonlight and the emerald – like ripples created by white – lipped deer while drinking from the spring. All these naturalwonders are like ecological poems composed by nature on the Qilian Mountain. To this day,the majestic Qilian Mountain continues to safeguard the roots of civilization with its timeless solemnity.