Kunlun Mountains facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kunlun Mountains |
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Western Kunlun Shan
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Kunlun Goddess |
| Elevation | 7,167 m (23,514 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Country | China |
| State/Province | Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang |
| Borders on | Gobi Desert |
The Kunlun Mountains are a huge mountain range in Asia. They are one of the longest mountain chains on the continent. These mountains stretch for over 3,000 kilometers (about 1,860 miles). They form the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. This plateau is a very high, flat area of land. The Kunlun Mountains are located south of the Tarim Basin.
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How the Kunlun Mountains Formed
The Kunlun Mountains were created a very long time ago. This happened when two huge pieces of Earth's crust, called plates, crashed into each other. One plate was the Cimmerian Plate. The other was the Siberia plate. This collision happened during the Late Triassic period. It caused an ancient ocean, the Paleo-Tethys Ocean, to close up. The immense pressure from this crash pushed the land upwards, forming the towering mountains we see today.
Crossing the Kunlun Mountains
Even though the Kunlun Mountains are incredibly long, they have very few roads. Along their entire 3,000-kilometer length, only two roads cross them. This shows how wild and remote much of the mountain range is.
The Kunlun Volcanic Group
The Kunlun Mountains are home to a special group of over 70 volcanic cones. These are called the Kunlun Volcanic Group. It's important to know that these are mostly cones, not tall volcanic mountains like Mount Fuji. Because they are cones, they are not usually counted among the world's highest volcanic peaks.
The tallest point in this group is called Kunlun Goddess. It stands 7,167 meters (23,514 feet) tall. The highest point of the volcanic group itself is 5,808 meters (19,055 feet) above sea level. If these cones were considered true volcanic mountains, they would be the highest volcanoes in both Asia and China. They would also be the second highest in the Eastern Hemisphere, after Mount Kilimanjaro. The last known eruption in this volcanic group happened on May 27, 1951.
Myths and Legends
The name Kunlun originally comes from a mythical mountain. People believed it was a Taoist paradise. According to ancient legends, the first person to visit this magical place was King Mu. He was a king from the Zhou Dynasty who lived around 976-922 BCE.
King Mu supposedly found the Jade Palace of the Yellow Emperor there. The Yellow Emperor is a mythical figure believed to be the creator of Chinese culture. King Mu also met Hsi Wang Mu, often called the 'Queen Mother of the West'. She was a very important goddess in an ancient religious cult. This cult was most popular during the Han Dynasty.
Images for kids
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Kunlun range
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Karakash River in the Western Kunlun Shan, seen from the Tibet-Xinjiang highway
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The Kunlun Pass
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Peak in Kunlun range
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See also
In Spanish: Kunlun para niños
