Tongtian River

The Tuotuo River and the Dangqu River merge in the Nangjibalung area 60 kilometers downstream of the Tuotuo River Bridge and are called the Tongtian River. The Tuotuo River, the main source of the Yangtze River, originates in Geladandong. The Tongtian River is the name of the Yangtze River flowing through Yushu Prefecture. It is 800 kilometers long and passes through the wide valleys of the Tanggula Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. Traveling on the Qinghai-Kangding Highway, 20 kilometers away from Jiegu Town, you can see the monument of the Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve, next to which is the majestic Tongtian River. The scenery here is steep and unique. Since ancient times, it has been the only way from Xining to Yushu and from Qinghai to Tibet. It is also a major natural barrier in the upper reaches of the Tongtian River. In the past, the frequent Han and Tibetan envoys, monks preaching scriptures, believers praying to gods and Buddhas, and travelers from the south and the north often traveled on this ancient road and wandered between Tongtian Ferry. The famous chapter of transition and sutra drying in Journey to the West takes place here. Today, a seven-arch reinforced concrete bridge has been built in Tongtiandu. The cowhide rafts that have been drifting for thousands of years have become the target of people's curiosity and photography.