Beijing, March 24 (Youth.cn) - On March 22, 2025, environmental volunteers ventured into the glacial relic zones of the Jiugequan Section in Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Qilian Mountains National Park, Zhangye, Gansu Province. Braving icy conditions, they conducted geological sample collection and observations to unravel the secrets of how the Qilian Mountains sustain the Hexi Corridor, a vital lifeline in China’s arid northwest.

The event coincided with the 33rd World Water Day, with hundreds of volunteers led by experts from the national park administration and the Desert Outdoor Club launching the "Spring Exploration of Qilian: Icebreaker Scientific Expedition." Participants visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Jiugequan Field Research Station and studied the Jiugequan Plate Suture Zone, where remnants of ancient oceanic basins - evidence of the collision between the North China Plate and the Qaidam-Qilian Plate - are preserved. By analyzing glacial relics and collecting ice-embedded geological samples, the team sought to decode the Qilian Mountains’ role as the "mother of the Hexi Corridor," nurturing ecosystems and human civilizations along the Silk Road for millennia.

The Qilian Mountains, situated at the convergence of the Tibetan Plateau, Loess Plateau, and Mongolian-Xinjiang deserts, serve as a critical ecological shield for western China. Beyond supplying water to the Hexi Corridor’s oasis cities, this mountain range has historically safeguarded Silk Road trade routes, blending natural grandeur with cultural legacy. Photo/CFP