Camel Spring

　　A provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit and patriotic education base. Located in Tuanjie Village, Jiezi Township, it enjoys convenient transportation with direct access via a third-grade asphalt road, located 5 kilometers from the county seat and 140 kilometers from Xining City. It is a tourist attraction integrating sightseeing and experiencing local folk culture.

　　　　It is a sacred site in the legend of the Salar people. It got its name from a miraculous white camel that carried the heavy history of the Salar people, traveled from Samarkand in Central Asia, and lay down at the spring before turning into white stone. Legend has it that there was once a small tribe in Samarkand, Central Asia, led by two brothers named Gala Mans and Ah Mans, who were highly respected among the people. Persecuted by the local rulers, they led 18 members of their tribe, along with a white camel carrying soil and water from their homeland and a copy of the Quran, to leave Samarkand and head east in search of a new homeland. Along the way, they crossed the Tianshan Mountains, passed through Jiayuguan, skirted the Hexi Corridor, and crossed the Yellow River, eventually arriving in Xunhua. They traveled through Xichang Gully, crossed the Mengda Mountain, and ascended the Wutusi Mountain. By then, it was dark, and the white camel went missing in the vast wilderness. The next day, they discovered a clear spring at the foot of the Sandy Slope east of Jiezi, where the lost camel had lain down and turned into white stone. After testing the local soil and water, they found them identical to those of their homeland, so they decided to settle there. The hardworking camel peacefully lay in the spring, accompanying them day and night. The spring water was crystal clear and gurgled continuously all year round, so they named the spring "Camel Spring." In the early 1980s, the government allocated funds to rebuild the enclosing walls and entrance gate of Camel Spring. Granite sculptures of camels were placed by the spring, flowers and trees were planted, and pavilions and steles were built. The rebuilt Camel Spring is as clear as a mirror, with rippling waters reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. The exquisitely carved stone camel stands by the spring, proud and lifelike. Less than a hundred steps from the spring lies the Jiezi Mosque, the ancestral mosque of the Salar people, and the tombs of their ancestors Gala Mans and Ah Mans. Two lush ancient elm trees complement the scene, naturally shading the tombs with a unique charm that often attracts visitors. Camel Spring, together with the nearby Jiezi Grand Mosque, the tombs of Gala Mans and Ah Mans, the precious handwritten Quran, nearly a-thousand-year-old ancient poplar, and century-old cypress trees, form a collective witness to the Salar people’s storied history and valuable resources for studying their historical evolution. Folk food festivals, exhibitions and seminars on the handwritten Quran, and embroidery exhibitions are held here every year. Camel Spring is located near the grand mosque in Jiezi Village, about 4 kilometers west of Jishi Town in Xunhua Salar Autonomous County. Though just a small spring, it is a sacred site for the Salar people and also considered the legendary birthplace of the Salar ethnic group.

　　　　The spring is related to the origin of the Salar people. Folklore says that the ancestors of the Salar people were originally from a small tribe living in Samarkand, Central Asia, led by two brothers named Gala Mans and Ah Mans, who were well-respected by the people. Later, due to persecution by the king, they were forced to leave their homeland and wander. They took 18 members of their tribe, a white camel carrying soil and water from their homeland and a copy of the Quran, and headed east in search of a new homeland. Along the way, they crossed the Tianshan Mountains, passed through Jiayuguan, skirted the Hexi Corridor, and crossed the Yellow River before finally arriving at the foot of the Jishi Mountains. Unexpectedly, the white camel went missing during the night. The next day, they found a spring and the missing camel—which had turned into white stone lying by the spring—at the Sandy Slope east of Jiezi, so they settled there and named the spring Camel Spring. Camel Spring is regarded as a sacred spring by the Salar people and holds an important place in their culture. A few years ago, to protect the spring, local residents built enclosing walls and iron fences around it, planted pines, fruit trees, and flowers inside the enclosure, and also created three large stone camel statues of different shapes, as well as water pavilions and pavilions. The scenic area of Camel Spring covers approximately 3,500 square meters in a rectangular shape. The central part is a pool about 40 meters long and 20 meters wide, with spring water gushing from the center. The pool is about 0.6 meters deep, with cement-lined edges.