Qilian Mountains

A mountain range on the border between Qinghai and Gansu provinces in China. It stretches for about 800 km from west-northwest to east-southeast on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is divided into many mountain ranges, such as Datong Mountain, Tolai Mountain, Shule Nan Mountain, and Danghe Nan Mountain, by the river valleys of the Datong River flowing southeast, the Heihe River and Beidai River flowing northeast, and the Shule River and Danghe River flowing west. It has several 5,000-meter peaks, including the main peak, Qilian Mountain (5,547 meters), located south of Jiuquan County, and the high mountain areas store water in the form of perpetual snow and glaciers. Many rivers flowing out of the mountains have established oasis settlements scattered at the foothills. On the northern foot of the Mongolian Plateau lies the Hexi Corridor, through which the Lanxin Railway has run since 1959.

[Toshiaki Sakai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、青海(せいかい／チンハイ)省と甘粛(かんしゅく／カンスー)省の境界にある山脈。青蔵高原の北東縁に西北西から東南東に約800キロメートルにわたって連なる。南東流する大通河、北東流する黒河と北大河、西流する疏勒(そろく)河と党(とう)河などの河谷により、大通山、托来(とうらい)山、疏勒南山、党河南山など多くの山脈に分かれている。酒泉(しゅせん／チウチュワン)県南方にある主峰祁連山（5547メートル）をはじめ、5000メートル峰数座を数え、高山地帯には万年雪と氷河の形で水を蓄える。山地から流出する多くの川が山麓(さんろく)に点々とオアシス集落を成立させる。モンゴル高原側の北麓には河西(かせい)回廊があり、ここに1959年以来蘭新(らんしん)鉄道が通じている。

［酒井敏明］

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