Colorful Lake of Mandarin Ducks

Colorful Lake of Mandarin Ducks

Colorful Lake of Mandarin Ducks

Colorful Lake of Mandarin Ducks, also known as Luanhuzi, is referred to as “Flower Sea” by literati and poets, while local herders call it “Luanhuzi.” If you can immerse yourself in this place and quietly read this page of landscape, you will understand what each name refers to.

“Flower Sea” refers to the lake surrounded by petal-shaped mountain mounds that embrace a central lake basin resembling the pistil of a flower, together forming the image of an eight-petal lotus in full bloom. As for “Luanhuzi,” it is dotted with countless sparkling puddles, densely scattered like stars—so many that locals can only describe them with the word “chaotic.” This perfectly mirrors the surrounding grassland, where “short grass just covers the horse’s hooves and a profusion of blossoms dazzles the eyes.” In the beautiful summer, when the plateau is golden under the sun, standing on the southern shore of the lake and gazing at the Gangshika Snow Mountain across the way feels like stepping into a giant painting that vividly showcases the magic of the snow peaks and the grandeur of the grasslands.

The Colorful Lake, a high-altitude wetland lake, is also a natural reserve for aquatic birds. Wetlands are often called the “lungs of the earth,” and this wetland in the Colorful Lake area is especially precious to the high, cold, and oxygen-scarce Qilian Mountains. The Tibetan mandarin ducks, not particularly striking in appearance, are like the people of the plateau—unconcerned with outward adornment—but they are widely admired for their unwavering loyalty in love. They are always seen in pairs, staying together day and night. When one dies, the other refuses to live on alone and will sacrifice itself for love within a short time. Alongside the Tibetan mandarin ducks, there are also rare birds such as red-crowned cranes and black-necked cranes, which come here every April and May to lay eggs and raise their young, then fly away with their fledglings in August and September. Through their constant flight, they embody the meaning of life. The vast grassland, the beautiful lake, and the innocent Tibetan mandarin ducks tell a poignant and beautiful love story.

The *New Annals of Xining Prefecture* recorded this Luanhuzi under the name “Colorful Lake of Mandarin Ducks” and listed it as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Xining. “Colorful Lake of Mandarin Ducks”—what a vivid and evocative name. No wonder ancient writers left behind such verses: “The lake mirror ripples with waves, washing clean the dust. The east wind stirs green shadows uneven, dazzling with pairs of mandarin ducks playing as if at home. Marking time in ice and water, joy and sorrow intermingle, drifting with the wind is their way of life. Unbothered by the storms around them, who could be like them?”