Chapter 21 Section 3 Determination and drawing of the source map of the Yellow River

When it comes to the investigation of the source of the Yellow River in the Yuan Dynasty, it is necessary for us to review our previous understanding of the source of the Yellow River. As early as the ninth year of Zhenguan (AD 635), generals Li Jing, Hou Junji, and Li Daozong of the Tang Dynasty marched to Tuyuhun in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, reached the Chihai Sea, and entered the source area of ​​the Yellow River. The "Tuyuhun Biography" and "Hou Jun Ji Zhuan" in the "Old Tang Book" have such records (the "Hou Jun Ji Zhuan" is in brackets):

Hou Junji and Jiangxia Wangdao Zongqu South Road, climbed Hankui Mountain, drank horses and Wuhai,... After painting more than 2,000 miles of empty land, it was frosty in midsummer, and there was a lot of snow. , The generals eat ice, and the horses eat snow.It also reaches Bailiang (sea), looking north at Jishi Mountain, and seeing where the source of the river comes out. [Today’s translation] Hou Junji and Li Daozong marched from the south road, crossed Hankui Mountain, gave water to the horses in Wuhai, and passed through more than 2,000 miles of deserted places. Although it was midsummer, there was still frost, and there was still snow on the mountain. Lack of water and plants, soldiers can only melt ice to drink, and horses can only eat snow.Passing through the Xingsu River, I came to Bohai, where I looked north to Jishi Mountain and saw the source of the Yellow River.

Judging from their marching routes and the natural landscapes of the areas they passed along the way, Wuhai is now the Tsohai of Qinghai, Baihai is Zaling Lake and Eling Lake, and Xingsuchuan is Xingxiu Sea.Although they may not have noticed Kariqu, the source of the Yellow River, they have already seen Zhaling Lake and the Xingxiu Sea above Ering Lake, which is very close to the real source of the Yellow River. After the Anshi Rebellion, Tubo occupied Longxi and Hexi Corridor in Tang Dynasty.This certainly made the Central Plains more isolated from the Heyuan area, but in order to deal with Tubo, the Tang Dynasty strengthened its understanding of Tubo, including the Heyuan area. The dissemination and collection of knowledge and experiences about the source of the river made it possible for Jia Dan to complete the first monograph "Tubo Yellow River Records" in history including the conditions of the source area of ​​the Yellow River in the 14th year of Zhenyuan (798 AD).

In the first year of Changqing (821 A.D.), Liu Yuanding was sent to Tubo as an envoy and arrived in Luosuo (now Lhasa). "New Book of Tang Tubo Biography" records his experience: Yuan Ding crossed Huangshui to Longquan Valley... Huangshui came out of Menggu and arrived at Longquan and Hehe.On the upper reaches of the river, Yao Hongji travels two thousand miles southwest of Jiliang.Three hundred miles to the south, there are three mountains, the middle is high and the four are down. They are called Zishan, which goes straight to the same country of Dayang. It was also called Kunlun in ancient times. There are many streams, the color is red, and the travel is far away. If the water is poured together, it will be turbid.

[Modern translation] Liu Yuanding passed through Huangshui and arrived at Longquan Valley... Huangshui originated from Menggu, and at Longquan Valley it flowed into the Yellow River.The upper reaches of the Yellow River, 2,000 miles southwest from Hongjiliang, the river becomes narrower and narrower, and you can walk across it in spring.Sailing is only possible in autumn and summer.To the south of the Yellow River there are three mountains, high in the middle and low on all sides, called Zishan, which leads to Dayang Tongguo. It is called Kunlun Mountain in ancient times, and the Tubo people call it Manmoli Mountain.The Yellow River originates from this mountain. At the beginning, it flows very slowly, and the water is very clear. Gradually, it joins many tributaries, and the water turns red. Further down, other rivers flow in, and the water becomes turbid.

Zishan or Manmoli Mountain is Bayan Har Mountain. The area Liu Yuanding passed through is the source of the Yellow River at the southern foot of Bayan Har Mountain. His description of the hydrological conditions in the upper reaches of the Yellow River is the earliest record so far.As an envoy of the Tang Dynasty, Liu Yuanding passed Heyuan all the way back and forth, so he had more opportunities to observe and understand than Hou Junji and others. Of course, his knowledge is of higher value.But until the Yuan Dynasty, there is no record of entering the Heyuan area for the purpose of geographical investigation.

In the fourth year of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty (1254 A.D.), the Mongolian army entered Tubo and completely controlled the Tubo area.Later, the Yuan Dynasty placed Tubo under the jurisdiction of the General System Yuan (later renamed the Xuanzheng Yuan), an institution in charge of Buddhist affairs in the country, and became part of the territory of the Yuan Dynasty.In the seventeenth year of Zhiyuan (AD 1280), Yuan Shizu summoned Du Shi and his cousin Kuo Kuo Chu, and said to them: When the Yellow River flowed into China, the Xiahou family guided it, knowing that it had accumulated rocks, and the Han and Tang Dynasties could not know its source.Today is my land, and I want to set up camp in one city from where it originated, to serve the Panjiahu market, and to set up air transmissions, so that all things can be sent to the capital by tribute water.There is nothing in ancient times, and I will do it for infinite benefits in the future, and it will be difficult for others.Dushi, you are an old man, and you have learned various national languages, and you will go to the map. (Exit broadly) Ru Xie, give envoys to recruit, and wear golden talismans to do it.

〔例句〕The Yellow River entered China, and it was known to come from Jishi Mountain since Dayu's flood control, but neither the Han nor the Tang dynasties were able to ascertain its source.Now that has become my territory, I want to go all the way to the source of the Yellow River, build a city there for Tubo merchants to trade with the mainland, and set up a transfer station there to transport tribute and materials to the capital by water.What the ancients did not do, I want to do, so that future generations will benefit endlessly.Just can't find the right one.Dushi, you are my old subordinate, and you are proficient in all languages, so I send you to carry it out; if Kukuo leaves, you will go with me, and I will give you a recruiter, and set off with a golden talisman.

Du Shi and Kuo Kuo set off from Hezhou (now northeast of Linxia, ​​Gansu Province) in April of that year, and arrived in Heyuan four months later.Return in winter, draw the design location of the city and transfer station as a map and report.Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty was overjoyed, and appointed Dushi as the marshal of Tubo and other places, responsible for raising craftsmen and supplies; later it stopped for some reason.In the second year of Yanyou (1315 A.D.), Kuo Kuochu and Pan Angxiao were ordered to appease Gyeonggi West Province and told Pan about the incident.In August of that year, Pan Angxiao wrote the article "Heyuan Ji", and the results of my country's first investigation of the source of the Yellow River were passed down to later generations.

At the same time, since Tubo was included in the territory of the Yuan Dynasty, the Tubo people's understanding of the source of the Yellow River began to be known to the people of the Yuan Dynasty.Cartographer Zhu Siben obtained the Sanskrit books collected by the emperor (Tibetan religious leader) from Bali Jisi's home, and after translating them into Chinese, he found that they were mutually detailed with "Heyuan Ji".The records in these two aspects were synthesized by the author of "Yuan Shi" and included in the "Geography" of the book: According to the source of the river, it is in Duogansi, Tibet. There are more than a hundred springs, which are scattered and glowing. .Huodun, translated words and stars. (Siben said:...water gushes out from the ground like wells. There are more than a hundred wells, and they flow for more than a hundred li in the northeast, converging into a big lake, which is called Huo Dunnaoer.) The streams are rushing, nearly five or seven li, converging on two Juze, named Ah Tingnaoer.From west to east, it is swallowed evenly, and it travels for one day, and the east is full of rivers, named Chibin River.On another two or three days, the water came from the southwest, and the name also came out of the river, joining the Chibin River.Three or four days later, water came from the south, named Hulan.And the water comes from the southeast, and it is named Yelishu.It merges into Chibin, and its flow is so deep that it was originally named the Yellow River. However, the water is still clear and people can wade through it.Another day or two, the divergence was divided into eight or nine shares, named Sun Wolun, translated as Jiudu, five or seven miles wide, and can ride a horse.For another four or five days, the water was muddy, and the natives carried leather bags and rode across it.

[Modern translation] To the west of Tufan Duogansi on the source of the Yellow River, there are more than 100 springs within a radius of 70 to 80 li. Due to the stagnant water and silt, it is impossible to get close to observe.Looking down from a high mountain, it looks like stars in the sun, so it is called Huodunaoer, and "Huodun" means stars. (Zhu Siben: The water that gushes out from the ground is like a well. There are more than a hundred wells. It flows out for more than a hundred miles to the northeast and merges into a large lake called Huodunaoer.) Many streams of water rush down, and after about five or seven miles, Gathered into two large lakes, named Alanaoer.From west to east, it continuously flows into the water source, and after a day's journey, a river is formed, called the Chibin River.Two or three days later, the Yili Chi River flows into the Chi Bin River from the southwest.After another three or four days, the Hulan River flowed into it from the south, and the Yelishu River flowed into the Chibin River from the southeast. At this point, a large river was formed, which was called the Yellow River, but the water was still clear and people could cross it on foot.After one or two days, the river course is divided into eight or nine sections, which are called Yesunwolun, which means "nine crossings". They are five to seven miles wide and can be crossed by horseback.After another four or five days, the water became cloudy, and the locals crossed the river on horseback with leather bags in their hands. These records fully prove that the investigation of the source of the Yellow River by Du Shi and others, coupled with the understanding of the source of the Yellow River by the Tubo people, has determined the source of the Yellow River to be more than a hundred miles southwest of Xingxiu Sea.Their investigations and records of the hydrology, topography, landforms, and cultural landscapes of the upper reaches of the Yellow River have been quite specific and accurate.What's more valuable is that they are not superstitious about historical materials, but respect the facts, and boldly deny the unrealistic statements of the predecessors, which is much smarter than those who cling to the statements of Confucian classics. Tao Zongyi, a scholar of the Yuan Dynasty, included "Heyuan Ji" in his "Nancun Stop Farming Record", and attached a "Yellow River Source Map".The drawing method of this map is completely consistent with the content described in "Heyuan Ji", obviously it was drawn by Du Shi and others, or it was drawn by others according to "Heyuan Ji".This is the earliest map of the source area of ​​the Yellow River handed down to date.