Buha River

Buha River

Buha River

An inland river in Qinghai Province, China. It originates from the Shule Nan Mountains and flows southeast into Qinghai Lake. With a total length of over 300 kilometers and a drainage area of more than 16,000 square kilometers, the Buha River is the largest and longest river among those that flow into Qinghai Lake. Its estuary forms a 13-kilometer-long delta within the lake basin.

The Buha River is located in the northwest part of the Qinghai Lake basin. "Buha" means "wild yak" in Mongolian, named after the wild yaks that once roamed the area along the river. It originates from the northern foothills of Mantanrigeng Peak on the Shule Nan Mountains, a branch range of the Qilian Mountains, at an elevation of 4,600 meters. The river generally flows from northwest to southeast and empties into Qinghai Lake—the largest saltwater lake in China—at Quanji Township in Gangcha County. The river’s inlet sits at an elevation of 3,194 meters. The main stream is 286 kilometers long, with a drainage area of 14,384 square kilometers, an average annual flow of 25.9 cubic meters per second, and an annual runoff of 818 million cubic meters, accounting for 67% of the total inflow into Qinghai Lake. It is the largest river in the Qinghai Lake basin and the main spawning ground for the lake’s endemic naked carp. The average annual precipitation in the basin is 352 millimeters, and the river’s flow is primarily fed by rainfall and glacial meltwater.

The Buha River is a mother river. It gives life to the vast expanse of Qinghai Lake. Winding through mountains and valleys, it gathers crystal-clear spring water from snow-capped peaks and streams from grasslands, continuously pouring its pristine waters into Qinghai Lake. Of the 4 billion cubic meters of water that replenish Qinghai Lake each year, nearly half comes from the Buha River. This steady inflow not only slows the decline of the lake’s water level but also prevents excessive salinity caused by high evaporation, protecting the aquatic ecosystem and supporting the reproduction of its flora and fauna.

The Buha River basin is one of the earliest regions around the lake where human civilization took root. The famous Lumangou and Lusen petroglyphs vividly depict, through expressive imagery and simple lines, an ancient civilization where humans and nature coexisted in harmony.