Mount Tomur

Mount Tomur

　Mount Tomur has an elevation of 7,443 meters and means "Iron Mountain" in the Uyghur language. It is located at 80.1° east longitude and 42° north latitude in the northern part of Wensu County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tianshan Mountain Range spans across Kazakhstan and extends into central Xinjiang, China, stretching approximately 2,500 kilometers from east to west. Mount Tomur is the highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains within China. Surrounding Mount Tomur are 15 peaks over 6,000 meters and five peaks over 6,800 meters, making it a dense cluster of high peaks in the Tianshan range. The region features exceptionally well-developed modern glaciers, with about 509 glaciers covering a total area of 2,746.32 square kilometers. The per-square-kilometer ice storage is approximately 350 billion cubic meters, and the glacier types are diverse, serving as a vital water source for the vast areas both north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. Mount Tomur mainly consists of five ridges: the western ridge, eastern ridge, southwestern ridge, southeastern ridge, and northern ridge. To the north of the northern ridge lies the second-highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains within China—Khan Tengri Peak, which is about 20 kilometers away from Mount Tomur.

The summit of Mount Tomur resembles a fish’s spine, with a massive and precipitous mountain body. Perennially snow-covered, the area experiences harsh weather conditions, with glaciers widespread and deep, unpredictable crevasses—both hidden and visible. Avalanches and falling rocks occur frequently.　

The Wensu Tomur Peak National Alpine Nature Reserve is not only the largest center of modern glacial activity in the Tianshan Mountains but also the most well-preserved site of ancient glacial relics, particularly exemplified on the southern slopes of the Tomur Peak mountain area within Wensu County. In the snow-covered high mountain region, there are a total of 629 modern glaciers, among which 197 are within China and the majority of the 144 eastern glaciers are also located in Wensu. The total ice storage capacity of the mountain glaciers is 500 billion cubic meters, nearly four times that of the Qomolangma (Everest) region, which holds about 132.6 billion cubic meters. This massive solid reservoir not only provides a lifeline for the oasis economy but also forms a uniquely spectacular tourist destination. Since the Tang Dynasty, travelers passing through this area have left vivid accounts of the glaciers, peaks, and climate of the Tomur region. The earliest recorded descriptions of the glacial wonders of the Tomur area were documented by the eminent monk Xuanzang in the “Great Tang Records of the Western Regions” and the “Biography of the Tripitaka Master of the Great Ci’en Monastery.” The renowned Qing Dynasty literary figure and local historian Hong Liangji once visited the area with General Shulin of Ili and composed the “Ode to the Ice Mountain,” which reads: “Light and shadow shift in an instant, ever-changing. Even a flying immortal could lose their footing and fall into perdition. Glacial tips shimmer in the sun, lightning flashes beneath the waves. The clear tones of autumn are heard at night, while strange ghosts appear by day. This perilous mountain pass winds a hundred times upward. To the south lies the Kunlun pool of Khotan, to the north stretches the land of Dayuan. Roaring and rumbling, the earth’s axis seems split in two; blazing and glittering, the sky shimmers in five hues.”

The Wensu Tomur Peak National Alpine Nature Reserve is home to Mount Tomur, the highest peak in the Tianshan Mountains at 7,435 meters, and the world’s second-largest and China’s largest glacier—the Tomur Glacier. It also features the world’s unique salt dome landscape—the Bozidun Salt Mountain, the renowned Muzart Ancient Trail (also known as the Summer Palace Ancient Trail), which is famous both within and beyond Xinjiang, as well as endless stretches of pristine forests and picturesque alpine river valley grasslands. There are seven major rivers, 31 species of mammals from 24 genera and 13 families, and more than 670 species of higher plants from 323 genera and 80 families. The reserve contains 509 “modern glaciers” covering a total area of 2,746 square kilometers. Major glaciers include the Dakuzibayi Glacier, Xiaokuzibayi Glacier, Xiaotailan Glacier, Tomur Glacier, Dongtomur Glacier, Dongqiongtailan Glacier, and Xiqiongtailan Glacier. Each glacier features various glacial formations such as glacial lakes, ice mushrooms, ice caves, ice pillars, ice towers, ice walls, and ice bridges, all creating stunning and magnificent scenery.

The Tomur Peak National Alpine Nature Reserve attracts numerous domestic and international scientific expeditions as well as mountaineering and adventure tourism groups with its unique natural landscape. Since the 1950s, it has hosted over 40 scientific, mountaineering, and exploration teams from countries such as the United States, Japan, the Soviet Union, and Singapore. On July 25, 1977, 17 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Mountaineering Team successfully reached the summit of Mount Tomur, erecting a red metal survey marker for the first time on the peak and accurately measuring its elevation at 7,435.29 meters above sea level. Currently, the main peak area of the Tianshan Mountains, Mount Tomur, has been included in the nomination list for UNESCO World Natural Heritage.