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the Degree Confluence Project
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China : Hēilóngjiāng Shěng

3.1 km (1.9 miles) NW of Qixingpao, Hēilóngjiāng, China
Approx. altitude: 313 m (1026 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 49°S 54°W

Accuracy: 5 m (16 ft)
Quality: good

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

#2: GPS Reading #3: Ground Zero #4: The Confluence Biker Having Jiǎozi #5: The Outskirts of Qīxīngpāo #6: On the Walk to the Confluence Point #7: View to the South #8: View to the North #9: View to the East #10: Lake with a Pagoda-Island

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  49°N 126°E  

#1: The Confluence - View to the West

(visited by Rainer Mautz)

05-Aug-2008 -- This is the very last out of 23 confluences that I visited on my bicycle trip to the North-East of China. The story starts from 40°N 117°E. The previous confluence was 49°N 125°E.

Having bought a train ticket from Nènjiāng back to Běijīng for the evening, I had – for the first time on this trip – a strict limitation in time for visiting a confluence point. A normal traveler would have used the last day to relax in town, but not a confluence-addict.

I got up at 3 a.m. in my hotel room in the city of Nènjiāng (嫩江). GPS told me that it is 60 km beeline to the point. I found some breakfast places open near the rail station. At 4 am I headed out of town. My plan was to follow the main road towards the city of Wǔdáliánchí (五达连池). From that road I would have to find some tracks for a couple of kilometres in order to reach this confluence.

As I had left town I realized that my expectation on that road was too high – assuming it to have an asphalt cover. In reality it had a difficult-to-ride on rocky-sandy surface. This kind of road would slow me down a lot, so I had to hurry a bit. Half-way, I reached the market place of Nènjiāngnóngchǎng (嫩江农场). For such a tiny place it had huge buildings and a nice lake with an pagoda-island. I continued the trip until I saw the first outskirts of a little town called Qīxīngpāo (七星泡). I expected the confluence to be some distance behind Qīxīngpāo, but in fact, when I turned GPS on, I was already gone too far. The GPS pointer directed me 2 km orthogonal from the road into agricultural land. On some farming tracks I got within 380 m. I hid my bike behind a bush and walked between two rows of trees to the confluence point.

The exact location turned out to be within 15 m into a soybean field. Anyway, there were soybean fields far and wide, so the chance of finding the confluence under soybeans had been rather high. 30 m from the confluence, some silos and antennas of Qīxīngpāo can be seen. Back to my bike, I had a second breakfast consisting of Chinese Dumplings (jiǎozi 餃子) that I had brought with me.

My way back was rather painful. In addition to the bad surface and the dust, a heavy headwind worked against me. But I reached Nènjiāng right in time for taking my 24 hour train ride to Běijīng. Now, as 28 days of cycling and confluencing have been over, I can clearly say that I enjoyed this trip from the first to the last moment. In particular the hospitable people along my way gave me a delight. Whenever I reached a place for the night or just for a meal, I would find locals that let me feel at home.

CP Visit Details:

  • Distance to an asphalt road: 70 km
  • Distance to a road: 1.9 km
  • Distance to a track: 379 m
  • Distance of parking the bike: 379 m
  • Distance to houses: 1.4 km
  • Time for hiking: 15 minutes
  • Time at the CP: 9:00 a.m.
  • Riding time (distance) from Nènjiāng: 3:50 hours (71 km)
  • Measured height: 315 m
  • Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
  • Position accuracy at the CP: 5 m
  • Topography: generally flat. Some slight hills.
  • Vegetation: soybeans, soybeans, soybeans. The fields are separated by rows of poplar and larch trees.
  • Weather: sunny, 22° C (felt temperature)
  • Description of the CP: In the northern part of Hēilóngjiāng, in the southern most part of Nènjiāng (嫩江县) District, in the Community of Qīxīngpāo (七星泡农场) on agricultural land.
  • Given Name: The Omnipresent Soybeans Confluence

Story ends here.


 All pictures
#1: The Confluence - View to the West
#2: GPS Reading
#3: Ground Zero
#4: The Confluence Biker Having Jiǎozi
#5: The Outskirts of Qīxīngpāo
#6: On the Walk to the Confluence Point
#7: View to the South
#8: View to the North
#9: View to the East
#10: Lake with a Pagoda-Island
ALL: All pictures on one page