Kawagebo
Encyclopedia
Kawa Garbo as it is known by local residents and pilgrims, or Kawagebo Peak , is the highest mountain in Yunnan
, China
. It is located in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County
in Diqing Prefecture on the border with Tibet
, and near the border with Myanmar
. It rises about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Diqing, which lies on the China National Highway 214
. It was previously in the Tibetan province of Kham
until its incorporation into China in 1950. This mountain is often referred to as Nyainqênkawagarbo to show its saredness.
(梅里雪山 or Meili Snow Mountain), a small subrange of the Hengduan Shan
, the major north-south trending complex of mountains covering the region where Tibet
, Yunnan
, Sichuan
, and Myanmar
converge. The Meili Xueshan forms part of the divide between the upper Salween (Nujiang) and Mekong
(Lancangjiang) rivers.
The Meili Xueshan has over 20 peaks with permanent snow cover, including six peaks over 6000 m (19,685 ft). The highest portion of the range is in the north, although Kawakarpo is centrally located. The range rises high over the deeply incised valleys to the east and west, leading to dramatic relief. The range is highly affected by the monsoon
, leading to especially unstable snow conditions, which have affected climbing attempts (see below).
Kawakarpo is one of the most sacred mountains for Tibetan Buddhism
as the spiritual home of a warrior god which pre-existed Buddhism's arrival in Tibet. It is visited by 20,000 pilgrims each year; many pilgrims circumambulate the peak, an arduous 240 km (149.1 mi) trek.
Tibetans believe the warrior god will leave them if human sets foot on the peak of Kawakarpo, making the ground unholy. Disasters will follow as they lose god's protection.
.
In the winter of 1990-91 a group from the Academic Alpine Club of Kyoto University
attempted the peak in conjunction with a Chinese group. Their activity caused heavy protests from the local Tibetan community due to the mountain's cultural and religious significance. On 3 January 1991, a nighttime avalanche killed all seventeen members of the expedition, in one of the most deadly mountaineering accidents in history. The Kyoto club returned in 1996 to make another unsuccessful attempt.
American expeditions, led by Nicholas Clinch, visited the range in 1988, 1989, 1992, and 1993, attempting other major peaks, but were unsuccessful.
In 2001, local government passed laws banning all future climbing attempts on cultural and religious grounds. As of 2010, none of the significant peaks of the range have been successfully climbed.
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is located in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County
Weixi Lisu Autonomous County
Weixi Lisu Autonomous County is located in Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.-External links:*...
in Diqing Prefecture on the border with Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and near the border with Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. It rises about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Diqing, which lies on the China National Highway 214
China National Highway 214
China National Highway 214 runs from Xining, Qinghai to Jinghong, Yunnan. It is 3,256 kilometres in length and runs south from Xining towards Tibet, and ends in Yunnan Province.-Route and distance:-External links:*...
. It was previously in the Tibetan province of Kham
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
until its incorporation into China in 1950. This mountain is often referred to as Nyainqênkawagarbo to show its saredness.
Geography
Kawakarpo is the high point of the Meili Xue ShanMeili Xue Shan
Mainri Snow Mountains or Meili Xue Shan are a mountain range in the Chinese province of Yunnan. They lie close to the northwestern boundary of the province and are bounded by the Salween River on the west and the Mekong on the east...
(梅里雪山 or Meili Snow Mountain), a small subrange of the Hengduan Shan
Hengduan Shan
The Hengduan Mountains is a large mountainous region in southwest China , forming the south-eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and adjacent from the west to the Sichuan Basin....
, the major north-south trending complex of mountains covering the region where Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
converge. The Meili Xueshan forms part of the divide between the upper Salween (Nujiang) and Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
(Lancangjiang) rivers.
The Meili Xueshan has over 20 peaks with permanent snow cover, including six peaks over 6000 m (19,685 ft). The highest portion of the range is in the north, although Kawakarpo is centrally located. The range rises high over the deeply incised valleys to the east and west, leading to dramatic relief. The range is highly affected by the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
, leading to especially unstable snow conditions, which have affected climbing attempts (see below).
Kawakarpo is one of the most sacred mountains for Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
as the spiritual home of a warrior god which pre-existed Buddhism's arrival in Tibet. It is visited by 20,000 pilgrims each year; many pilgrims circumambulate the peak, an arduous 240 km (149.1 mi) trek.
Tibetans believe the warrior god will leave them if human sets foot on the peak of Kawakarpo, making the ground unholy. Disasters will follow as they lose god's protection.
Climbing history
The first attempt on Kawakarpo was made in 1987 by a party from the Joetsu Alpine Club of JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
In the winter of 1990-91 a group from the Academic Alpine Club of Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
attempted the peak in conjunction with a Chinese group. Their activity caused heavy protests from the local Tibetan community due to the mountain's cultural and religious significance. On 3 January 1991, a nighttime avalanche killed all seventeen members of the expedition, in one of the most deadly mountaineering accidents in history. The Kyoto club returned in 1996 to make another unsuccessful attempt.
American expeditions, led by Nicholas Clinch, visited the range in 1988, 1989, 1992, and 1993, attempting other major peaks, but were unsuccessful.
In 2001, local government passed laws banning all future climbing attempts on cultural and religious grounds. As of 2010, none of the significant peaks of the range have been successfully climbed.
See also
- Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected AreasThree Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected AreasThe Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yunnan province, China.It lies within the drainage basins of the upper reaches of the Yangtze , Mekong and Salween rivers, in the Yunnanese section of the Hengduan Mountains.-Overview:-Geography:The protected...
- a UNESCO World Heritage Site which also includes the Baima-Meili Snow Mountain Reserve.