(青海湖)

Qinghai Lake(青海湖)

Ladies and Gentlemen，

I am very pleased to meet you.Welcome to Qinghai Lake，one of China's most beautiful scenic spots.In October of2005 the CH INA GEOGRAPHY magazine rated it the most beautiful among China's five most beautiful lakes.As one of the magazine's expert raters put it，“Qinghai Lake has the qualities of the east.It looks simple，but deep in its connotation.”You can reach the lake from Xining by driving 150 kilometers down a first-rate highway going west.There are many scenic spots along this route，including the Huangyuan straitand county，an ancient place for trading tea and animals，the famous Mount Riyue(Sun and Moon Mountain)，and miraculous Counter-flow River.When we arrive at the lake，I will go over in detail，but now I will briefly introduce it.

Maybe you will ask why Qinghai Lake is so beautiful? I give you six reasons why.

The first is the lake's elevation，large surface area，and blue water.The lake is located 151 kilometers west of Xining.It is situated at an elevation of 3，260 meters，twice as high as Mt.Taishan in Shandong Province.Due to the high altitude，the climate is very cool.Even in summer，the average daily temperature is only about 15℃，making the lake an ideal place for avoiding the summer's heat.Qinghai Lake is also immense.It is China's biggest inland saline lake.Its extensive waves and dancing surface greatly impress the tourists when they first see Qinghai Lake.Qinghai lake stretches 106 kilometers from west to east and 65 kilometers from north to south，giving it a circum ference of360 kilometers and a surface area of 4，456 square kilometers.The water storage totals 1，050 cubic meters，more than twice the volume of the famous Tai lake.It is thus said that Qinghai Lake can hold four Hong Kong SARS in its wide bosom.From the name of Qinghai Lake，we will greatly appreciate its extension and blue water.It was called the West Sea in ancient times.In Tibetan language，it is called Kokonuer，or Blue Ocean.Originally the area surrounding the Qinghai Lake was a grassland inhabited by the Beihe people，so the lake was called Beiheqiang sea.In the Han Dynasty it was called the fairy sea.It was not called Qinghai until Northern Wei Dynasty.

Secondly，Qinghai Lake is beautiful because it has many attractive scenic spots.Since it is immense，there are many famous scenic spotsworthy of visiting，and they form Qinghai Province's main tourist region.Tourists can travel to Mount Riyue(Sun and Moon Mountain)，the door to Qinghai Lake，Counter-flow River，151 scenic spot of Qinghai Lake，Erlang Sword，Three Rocks，Haixin Island(closed)，Tuguhun Ancient Capital(ruins of Fuyi City)，Buha River，Bird Island，Shatuo Temple for Worshipping the Sea，Sand Island，Jinyintan Prairie(Golden and Silver Prairie)，and Atomic City.

Thirdly，Qinghai Lake is beautiful because it was formed in an interestingway.The lake came into being after a surface fault sunk some 40 million years ago.Qinghai-Tibet plateau was formed by the collision of Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.The research shows that Qinghai Lake originally had an outlet.Rivers and streams around it flowed into the lake.This water then flowed eastward into the ancient Yellow River through the Counter-flow River.The continued collision of the Eurasian and Indian plates subsequently caused the upthrust of Mount Riyue(Sun and Moon Mountain) in the east，blocking the flow of water from the lake.This，in turn，caused the lake to greatly expand its size.

Fourthly，Qinghai Lake is beautiful because of its diverse wildlife.Dr.LüBin，a noted Chinese geographer，has stated，“As the biggest saline and inland lake in China，Qinghai Lake is precious store of wildlife diversity.”It is a paradise for fish and heaven for various birds.It is also the homeland for world-famous but now endangered Chinese antelopes.

Here I would like to talk mainly about Qinghai Lake's special fish，the naked carp.The carp is scaleless and yellow.In the saline water，there is little food for the fish，so it grows very slowly.Qinghai provincial government has taken measures to prohibit fishing in the lake for many years，so the number of carps has been increasing.Thousands of birds give birth here，making the lake one of China's eight bird reserves.The bird island is the first and largest of these reserves，and it is located in west Qinghai Lake，near the Buha river which is the biggest river flowing into the lake.It consists of two isles，one in the east and the other in the west.The one in the west is Haixi Hill，or Bird Island.The birds here are mostly bar-headed geese，seagulls，and great black-headed gulls.Although it has an area of 0.5 square kilometers，more than 100，000 birds dwell here during the spring and summer.In the egg-laying season in May and June every year，the isle is thickly covered with eggs.So HaixiHill is also called egg island.The other island is bigger-a total of 46 square hectares-and is called Haixipi.Cormorants mainly inhabit the island，and up to 10，000 of them make it there home at any one time.Thus the island is also called cormorant island.Thousands of bar-headed geese，which are a nationally protected bird species，also winter here.And in spring and autumn，a great number of ruddy ducks make the island their home.Hence Qinghai Lake is the paradise for the birds.What's more，the area surrounding the lake is also home to numerous wild land animals.The most attractive of these animals are the now endangered Chinese antelopes.Just300 of these magnificent creatures still live today and they make the grassland surrounding Qinghai Lake their home.

Fifthly，Qinghai Lake is beautiful because of the legends told about the lake.The mainly Tibetan nomadic people living around the lake view it as a sacred body of water and worship the lake as the Qinghai God.Due to this so-called sea worship，Qinghai Lake had successively held the honorific titles of“Guangrun King”，“honorable god of displaying Qinghaidadu”，“spiritual”，“water god”during the Tang，Yuan，Ming，and Qing dynasties.There are many legends associated with this sea worship，but the one constant motif running through all of this is that people prayed for peace，prosperity，health，and happiness.Presently，a sea worship festival is held once every year at Qinghai Lake.

Sixthly，Qinghai Lake is beautiful because its scenery changes with the seasons.The best season in Qinghai Lake is summer.You can see blue water，green grassland，numerous cows，yaks and sheep，yellow rape flowers and colourful wild flowers.And in winter，the lake surface is frozen and freezing winds blow through the area.The lake's vast surface is like a large mirror，glowing brightly under the sun.Early in the spring，the lake presents a wonderful natural landscape when the ice layer on the whole lake breaks up suddenly，which is very impressive and inspiring.

Ladies and gentlemen，the beauty of Qinghai Lake is multi-faceted.We can understand her connotation only when we approach and take a close look at her.Qinghai Lake is well known all over the world.It is truly a paradise for harmonious living between the nature and human beings.

Ladies and gentlemen，please look ahead.Have you seen the blue ribbon between the sky and grassland? That is Qinghai Lake.Let's enjoy its beauty together!

各位朋友，大家好!欢迎来到青海湖景区参观游览。2005年10月，由《中国国家地理》杂志发起并主办了评选“中国最美丽的地方”的活动，在此次由大众参与的评选活动中，青海湖在湖泊类中被评为中国最美的五大湖之首。这是青海湖的骄傲，是青海人民的骄傲，是众望所归。正如参加此次评选活动的专家所言，“青海湖有一种东方的气质:看似简单，但简单中蕴涵的东西却很深广”。现在我们从西宁出发，沿西湟一级公路一路西行，经过近150千米的路程，很快就会到达美丽的青海湖。这一路旅游景点非常多，依次有湟源峡、茶马互市故地湟源县城、著名的日月山以及神奇的倒淌河等，尤其是日月山和倒淌河是我们本次行程要参观的两个景点，到时我会给大家进行详细讲解。下面，我还是先给大家把美丽的青海湖作一个概括介绍，让我们提前领略青海湖的风采。

也许各位会问，青海湖为什么是中国最美的湖?她美在哪里?我们总结有以下四个方面原因。

青海湖的美首先在于她至高的地位、辽阔的湖面和她那蓝得让人心醉的湖水。青海湖位于省会西宁市以西151千米处，高是她的一大特点，湖面海拔为3260米，比两个东岳泰山还要高，是名副其实的高原湖泊。由于这里地势高，气候十分凉爽，即使在盛夏，日平均气温也只有15℃左右，是理想的避暑消夏胜地。青海湖的另一特点是大，她是我国第一大内陆湖泊，也是我国最大的咸水湖。因此，浩渺的烟波、荡漾的碧水给初来游客留下极强的视觉冲击和心灵震撼。据测算，青海湖东西长106千米，南北宽65千米，环湖一周长360多千米，面积达4456平方千米，蓄水量达1050亿立方米，比著名的太湖大一倍还要多，形象地说，在她宽广的胸怀里可装得下四个香港。考证青海湖的名称，我们会再一次折服于她的辽阔和湖水的主色调--蓝色。青海湖，古代称为“西海”，又称“鲜水”或“鲜海”。藏语叫做“错温波”，意思是“青色的湖”;蒙古语称它为“库库诺尔”，即“蓝色的海洋”。由于青海湖一带早先属于卑禾族的牧地，所以又叫“卑禾羌海”，汉代也有人称它为“仙海”，从北魏起才更名为“青海”。这也难怪青海人自豪地称该湖为海，“青海省”也因此而得名。

第二，青海湖的美在于她有多处迷人的景观。因为青海湖的大，所以可游览的著名景点很多，由此形成了青海省主要的一大旅游区--环青海湖旅游区。如青海湖的门户日月山、倒淌河、青海湖151景区、二郎剑、三块石、海心山(现不对外开放)、伏俟城遗址、布哈河、鸟岛、祭海、青海湖沙岛、金银滩草原、原子城等。

第三，青海湖的美在于她奇特的成因以及由此而产生的传奇神话。青海的形成是构造断陷湖，是距今4千万年前，印度板块和欧亚板块长期碰撞、挤压，青藏高原隆起的结果。研究表明，青海湖原为外泄湖，周围百川之水尽汇湖中，湖水又从现在的倒淌河等处向东外泄流入古黄河，后因地壳断裂形成的造山运动，致使湖东的日月山渐渐隆起，使湖水的出口被山脉所阻隔，青海湖便成为只进不出的高原大湖。当然，民间还有许多有关青海湖成因的美丽而神奇的传说，这些故事代代相传，更增添了青海湖的神秘与美丽。

第四，青海湖的美在于它所拥有的生物的多样性。参加由《中国国家地理》杂志发起并主办的评选“中国最美丽的地方”活动的专家吕斌对青海湖点评道:“作为我国最大的咸水湖与最大的内陆湖，青海湖是生物多样性的宝库”。青海湖是鱼的乐园，多种候鸟的天堂，世界级濒危动物中华对角羚的家园，它们与青海湖共存，是青海湖的主人。

这里我重点给大家介绍青海湖特有的湟鱼。湟鱼学名叫青海湖裸鲤，无鳞，鱼身泛黄，因生活在咸水湖，可选食物少，生长很是缓慢，据说每10年才能长0.5千克。由于青海省政府下令实施了多年的封湖育鱼，目前鱼类资源较为丰富。湟鱼的存在使数以万计的候鸟在青海湖得以繁衍生息，也就有了我国8个鸟类保护区之一，且居于首位的青海湖鸟岛。鸟岛位于青海湖西部，在入注湖内的第一大河布哈河附近，有一东一西两个岛屿组成，西边的岛名叫海西山，也就是人们所说的鸟岛，岛上的鸟类众多，主要是斑头雁、鱼鸥、棕头鸥等，它的面积虽然只有0.5平方千米，春夏季节却栖息着10万多只候鸟。到了每年五六月份的产卵季节，岛上的鸟蛋非常之多，所以海西山还有一个好听的名字，叫蛋岛。另一个岛叫海西皮，面积大一些，有46公顷，岛上主要鸟类是鸬鹚，最多时有一万多只，所以也叫鸬鹚岛。此外，鸟岛上还有国家一级保护动物黑颈鹤，冬天有数以千计的大天鹅在此越冬，春秋两季还有大量的水鸭子在此栖息，可以说青海湖是鸟的天堂。另外，青海湖周边还生活着许多珍贵的陆地野生动物，最有名的便是世界级濒危动物中华对角羚(也叫普氏原羚)，现存300多只，而且全都栖息于此。还有，青海湖与周边辽阔的草原相对接，互为一体、息息相关。

第五，青海湖的美还在于她是传说中的神湖。生活在青海湖周边的游牧民族(主要是藏族)至今保留着一个神圣的习俗--祭祀青海神，简称“祭海”。因为祭海，青海湖在唐宋元明清各朝代依次有了“广润王”、“灵显青海大渎之尊神”、“神灵”、“水神”等尊号。祭海的原因有多种传说，但人们通过这种习俗祈求一方平安、六畜兴旺、健康幸福是不变的主题。现如今“祭海”已是青海湖每年一次的草原盛会。

第六，青海湖的美在于她在不同的季节里有迥然不同的景色。夏季是青海湖最美的季节，蓝的湖水、绿的草原、黄的油菜花、数不尽的牛羊以及那五彩缤纷的野花，景色十分绮丽。冬季，当寒流到来的时候，青海湖便开始结冰，浩瀚碧澄的湖面，冰封玉砌，银装素裹，似一面巨大的宝镜，阳光下熠熠闪亮。来年早春，青海湖会自导自演一幕独特而神奇的自然景观戏，那便是“开湖”。开湖分为“文开”和“武开”两种形式，那是青海湖呈现给游客的一种气吞山河、无拘无束、向往精彩生活的震撼人心的美。

各位游客，青海湖的美是多层次、多方位的，只有我们走进她、端详她，你才能体会到她那美的内涵。如今已举办了多届的“环青海湖国际公路自行车赛”以及“青海湖诗歌节”已是青海湖声名远扬，她正体现着一种传统与时代结合的美，她是人与自然和谐相处的乐园。

各位朋友，请大家往前方看，你们看到在天空与大草原间一条蓝色的带子了吗?那就是青海湖，让我们一同去欣赏她的美吧!