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the Degree Confluence Project
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China : Hēilóngjiāng Shěng

12.5 km (7.8 miles) WNW of Yongquan, Hēilóngjiāng, China
Approx. altitude: 283 m (928 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 48°S 53°W

Accuracy: 5 m (16 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: View to the South #3: View to the West #4: View to the North #5: View to the East #6: GPS Reading #7: Ground Zero #8: The Confluence Hunter #9: Nearest Hard Surface Road #10: Road Conditions

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  48°N 127°E  

#1: The Confluence from 30 m

(visited by Rainer Mautz)

22-Jul-2012 -- This is the 14th out of 20 confluence points that I reached on a bicycle trip to the North-East of China. The narrative of the trip starts from 41°N 117°E.

This confluence is in the middle of nowhere. A big white spot at my map around the confluence gave me the impression that there might be no roads. The big white was only broken by the signature for swamp.

Well, there are some roads, but not indicated on any public map or signposted. Indeed, the villages around the confluence point are small and the next bigger place is far away. On a labyrinth of concrete slab roads I was able to reach proximity of 1.3 km to the confluence. But it was already late (an hour before sunset) and it started raining with a heavy storm. There was a muddy track pointing towards the confluence point. This time, I was smart enough to leave the bicycle on the main road and walk to my goal. Even walking was hardly possible due to the mud collecting under my feed. It soon felt like stilting. At a distance of 420 m, I left the track and crossed a swamp. It is hard to tell how nasty the situation was. I got wet from all sides due to the wind blowing the rain into my face. And walking in the swamp was risky, because there were deep basins and every step could potentially end up in such a basin.

The point itself is 13 m into a corn field that now has a height of more than 2 m. Since the pictures directly at the point would be meaningless (only corn plants) I took the images for the cardinal directions at the edge of the field.

The adventure would actually begin after the visit. When I came back to my bicycle, dusk had already come. I reached a village where I was told that the next place to stay (Jiànshè, 建设农场) would be 35 km away. Instead of begging for a bed in that village, I tried to get to the place Jiànshè. It was raining heavily, it got dark and I had a flat tire. Repairing it under flash light and using my raincoat as a cover was quite a challenge. In such situation it is best to keep calm. So I first had my dinner (some emergency biscuits which I had been carrying already for two weeks) and water. A satisfied stomach always helps to get rid of impatience. After my “great” dinner on the roadside, I successfully repaired my tube and started cycling to Jiànshè. Right at the moment when I reached Jiànshè at 21:30 PM, the rain stopped.

CP visit details:

  • Distance to an asphalt (or concrete) road: 1100 m
  • Distance to a track: 420 m
  • Distance to a footpath: 420 m
  • Duration of the hike to reach the CP: 40 minutes
  • Distance of bicycle parking: 1350 m
  • Distance to houses: 1350 m
  • Time at the CP: 18:00 PM
  • Measured height: 288 m
  • Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
  • Position accuracy at the CP: 5 m
  • Topography: almost flat
  • Vegetation: corn, grass, meadow with flowers
  • Weather: rain, 20° C (felt temperature)
  • Given Name: The Late Wet Cornfield Confluence

Story continues at 48°N 128°E.


 All pictures
#1: The Confluence from 30 m
#2: View to the South
#3: View to the West
#4: View to the North
#5: View to the East
#6: GPS Reading
#7: Ground Zero
#8: The Confluence Hunter
#9: Nearest Hard Surface Road
#10: Road Conditions
ALL: All pictures on one page