English Narrative
26-Jul-2005 -- 在今年二月成功地探寻了40N 114E点后,此次暑假的摩托车阿里之行在我出发之前就在网上查寻到了可能探访的汇交点,其中就包括此点。此点距青海都兰以南大约30公里,在109国道的东侧。
地处柴达木盆地东南端的青海海西蒙古族藏族自治州都兰县,在西宁西南方向467公里,东临格尔木市365公里,经过西部最大的盐场茶卡盐湖。都兰到格尔木中间有一段路在柴达木盆地的茫茫戈壁之中,满眼见到的都是沙和荆棘,很壮观。历史上曾是吐谷浑古王国的政治、经济、文化中心,也是古丝绸之路的重要驿址。在这片方圆2万多平方公里的土地上已发现上千座至少有1500年历史的古墓。
我们清晨从都兰出发,沿公路很快就接近了这点,由于此行受时间和条件限制,不便下公路去更接近该点,只能留下遗憾。
English Narrative
26-Jul-2005 -- After our successful visit of confluence 40N 114E this past February, I researched over the Internet for possible sites that we could visit before our motorcycle trip to Ali during the summer break. 36N 98E was on our list. It is around 30 kilometers south of Dulan, Qinghai Province, and on the east side of National Highway 109.
Dulan County belongs to West Lake Mongolia & Tibetan Autonomous prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is located at the southeast of Chaidamu Basin, 467 kilometers away from southwest of Xining, and Geermu is 365 kilometers to its east. The biggest saltern of the west--Chaka salt lake--is somewhere in between. One part of the road from Dulan to Geermu is at the heart of the vast desert of Chaidamu Basin. All you can see is send and thorny bushes. It is a magnificent view. Dulan used to be the political, economical, and cultural center of the ancient Tuguhui Kingdom. It was also an important stop of the famed Silk Route. There have been thousands more-than-1500-year-old tombs discovered within this land of just over 20,000 square meters.
We started from Dulan in the early morning. We got pretty close to the confluence very fast from the highway. With our limited time and other concerns, we were unable to get off from the road to be closer to the site. We left there with regret.
(Translation by Weilan P.)