Zongjiagou

　　   Zongjiagou is situated 16 kilometers southwest of Huangyuan. The area features rugged mountains, crisscrossing peaks, and a valley that opens to the northwestern frontier, making it strategically favorable for movement. The valley enjoys a pleasant climate, lush forests, and gushing mountain springs, offering breathtaking scenery and making it highly suitable for human habitation. There are over a hundred caves of varying sizes, forming the most densely clustered cave complex in the Haidong region. It would have been well-suited for a large community to live and thrive here year-round.

　　   Several larger caves feature naturally formed patterns on their ceilings, stunningly beautiful and reminiscent of ancient texts describing the Queen Mother of the West’s stone chambers—jade halls adorned with pearls, radiant as a divine palace. Cave No. 1 and Cave No. 2 each cover an area of over 200 square meters and are now occupied by Bodhisattvas and Lüzu. Cave No. 3 remains untouched by deities, spanning nearly 300 square meters, and is spacious and majestic. Outside the cave, the landscape is striking: to the right is a towering red sandstone cliff, and to the left a gentle slope covered in pine forest. A rugged stone staircase leads down along the right wall at the cave entrance. In front lies a 3,000-square-meter “plaza” that could accommodate thousands of people. At the entrance of the plaza, there are clear remnants of two ancient fortifications. If this site was chosen by the Queen Mother of the West as her dwelling in ancient times, it would have been an excellent location. The other caves vary in size and were later mostly used as sheepfolds, with sheep dung accumulating several feet thick. Many cave walls are covered with thick soot marks, suggesting they have been used as shelters by generations of people.

　　   In 1992, a Japanese research delegation led by the renowned scholar Dr. Takehiko Yoshida came to Qinghai to investigate the Queen Mother of the West. After traveling tens of thousands of miles, they published a monograph upon returning. Using the ancient Chinese measurement of “li” from the Zhou Dynasty to calculate King Mu’s travels, they concluded that the Xining area was the “front court” of the Queen Mother of the West. The Queen Mother’s stone chamber should be located 120 li west of Xining—not west of the Sun and Moon Mountains—and Zongjiagou is precisely at that distance. The Japanese scholars had no academic preconceptions, nor any interest in competing for cultural resources, so their insights are worthy of our consideration.

　　   Looking at the environment around Zongjiagou, within Huangyuan County near the border with Gonghe, at the eastern end of the Sun and Moon Mountain Range, there stands a majestic mountain that rises abruptly into the clouds. It is dark bluish-black in color, with an elevation of 4,898 meters, making it the highest peak in the region near Qinghai Lake and towering over the upper reaches of the Huangshui River. The map labels this mountain as “Ye’niu Shan” (Wild Ox Mountain). However, locals refer to it as “Suorige” Mountain, which in Tibetan means “Mother of All.” It is regularly worshipped with grand ceremonies. Among the communities around the lake, the one who could be called “Mother of All” is likely the “Chixue Jiamo” (Ten Thousand Tents Queen Mother), also known as the Queen Mother of the West. Scholars such as Songba Yixi have verified that Chixue Jiamo is indeed the Queen Mother of the West. Moreover, the Tibetan customs in this area differ from those of other Tibetan regions. For example, they worship water and offer water rituals to the heavens, and their funeral practices are even more unique—with those who have surnames being buried in coffins, while those without surnames follow a different practice. The Tibetans with surnames are mostly surnamed Yang. According to the *Hundred Gods Diagram*, “The Queen Mother of the West resides in the Kunlun Mountains of the west. Her surname is Yang, and her given name is Hui.” The ancient Qiang people, especially those in the Hehuang region, practiced coffin pit burials. The Dahua tombs are an example of this burial style. Therefore, I suspect that this group of Tibetans may be descendants of the Qiang people and direct relatives of the Queen Mother of the West, as well as descendants of a tribe that has worshipped her through generations.