Tuotuo River
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Tuotuo River

Update: Sep. 24th, 2012

Tuotuo River

Tuotuo River

The Tuotuo River is the source of the ten thousands miles long Yangtze River. It originates from the glacier forest on the southwest of Geladandong Mountain - the main peak of Tanggula Mountains. The Geladandong Snow Mountains compose of twenty-one snow mountains whose altitude is over than 6000 meters. The altitude of the main peak of Geladangdong Snow Mountains is 6621 meters. The whole Geladandong Mountains are over 50 kilometers long on north-south line and about 20 kilometers wide on east-west line. The snow covered areas of Geladandong Mountains reach 670 square kilometers, with large amount of solid water. There are 104 contemporary glaciers in the valleys of snow covered mountains. With the work of rich sunshine, the glaciers and around snow on the mountains smelt and form the source of Yangtze River. There are two giant valley glaciers on the southwest of Geladandong Mountain, from east to west, stretch into the down part of the valley. The shape of the two giant valley glaciers is like the forepaws of crab. That's the start point of Tuotuo River – the south and north glacier of Jianggediru. The south glacier is 12.4 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide. The north glacier is 10.1 kilometers long and 1.3 kilometers wide. With the melting work of sunshine, wind and flow, the tongue part of the two glaciers formed grand serac forest.

The source of Tuotuo River is some streams which formed by smelting glaciers. At there. The water surface is about 3 meters wide and about 20cm deep. Then, it flows toward north. After passing by about 9000 meters, it converges with the smelting water of glacier on Gaqiadirugang Snow Mountain. After a 15 kilometer long valley, and flow toward north, it separates into two rivers which separately with four meters and 6 meters wide. There are dense streams in the river valley. That's the upper source of Tuotuo River. At the exit, the river valley suddenly undercut and formed a steep valley which is about 5 kilometers long and 20 meters high.

The Tuotuo River first flows toward north for 130 kilometers and then flows toward east for the block of Ulamula Mountain. After pass through the Tuotuo River Bridge on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway for 60 kilometers, it converges with the Dam River. The Tuotuo River flows over 346 kilometers.

The best time to enjoy the Tuotuo River is from July to mid of August.

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