A few days ago, I received a private letter from a netizen in the Mainland, saying that he was planning to travel to Xinjiang in the near future, and asked me if the altitude sickness is serious here?
I believe that many mainland friends have such a misunderstanding: my country's terrain is high in the west and low in the east, with a ladder-like distribution. Xinjiang is located in the westernmost part of the motherland, so it must be a plateau. This is not the case. Not only does Xinjiang not belong to the plateau, but the lowest point of my country's land is Turpan in Xinjiang, which subverts the perception of many people?
The song "Grapes in Turpan Are Ripe" by Mr. Guan Mucun made Turpan in Xinjiang famous at home and abroad. The Turpan Basin at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains covers an area of about 50,000 square kilometers, including 4,050 square kilometers of land and water below sea level. The Ayding Lake located at the "basin bottom" has an elevation of minus 154 meters at the lowest point. . You read that right, it is 154 meters below sea level! The Turpan Basin has become the lowest basin in China and the second depression in the world after the Dead Sea in Jordan.
Why can't Xinjiang be called a plateau?
Let's take a look at the definition of plateau: Plateau is formed in the long-term continuous large-scale crustal uplifting movement. The altitude of the plateau is generally more than 1000 meters. It is distinguished from the plain by a large height, and is distinguished from the mountain by a large flat ground and small undulations. The plateau has high altitude, low air pressure, low oxygen content, more solar radiation, long sunshine time, and very rich solar energy resources. Plateaus are widely distributed in the world. Together with the surrounding basins, they account for about 45% of the earth's land area.
The terrain of Xinjiang is that mountains and basins are arranged alternately. The basins are surrounded by high mountains and are high mountains and basins.The northern part of Xinjiang is the Altai Mountains, and the southern part is the Kunlun Mountains; the Tianshan Mountains lie in the middle of Xinjiang, dividing Xinjiang into two halves, the Tarim Basin in the south, and the Junggar Basin in the north.
The altitude is generally above 1000 meters, the area is large, the terrain is open, and the surrounding area is bounded by obvious steep slopes. The relatively complete large-area uplift area is called a plateau. Large areas of uplift and open terrain, rather than mountains and basins, the elevation of the basin is very low.
Because most of Xinjiang is a basin, the altitude is not high, except for a few cities in southern Xinjiang that are close to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, most of the other cities are below 1000 meters above sea level. For example, Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, is 680-920 meters above sea level, and the average urban area is 800 meters above sea level. The altitude of Yining is 663 meters, the altitude of Kashgar is 1289 meters, the altitude of Shihezi is 443 meters, the altitude of Korla is 932 meters, the altitude of Hotan is 1375 meters, and the altitude of Changji Altitude is 577 meters above sea level, Altay is 735 meters above sea level, Tacheng is 548 meters above sea level, Hami is 738 meters above sea level.....
Classic scenic spots such as Tianchi in northern Xinjiang, Kanas, Turpan, Ili grassland and other places are not high above sea level. No altitude sickness issues.
Of course, Xinjiang also has plateau areas. The place with a relatively high altitude is the Pamir Plateau in the west. There are fewer scenic spots and the environment is relatively harsh, so it is not recommended for the elderly to go there.
Friends, after listening to my introduction, do you know? Most places in Xinjiang do not belong to the plateau, and tourists rarely suffer from altitude sickness, so there is no need to worry about altitude sickness.
The beauty of Xinjiang welcomes you!
