TRANSMITTAL OF LAN-CHOU MILITARY REGION - - A GEOGRAPHIC APPRAISAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R000600030003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 10, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 14, 1972
• Content Type: MF

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Approved For Release 2001/1?(OA ~q -RDP85T00875R000 00030003-6
;~t,,r C~lA Orf3(I Irv Gl.z1, 2';
i}- July 19'l;'
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bilst40RATlJ)Ut.1 I'M: Chief', Auitln Commlulirit Purees 1)ivirliun, 0S1t
ATIT1,1'.I:I011: Chief, Thorltez' Force:,, 13rurlcl
T}IROUGII: Acting Chief, Gootrr'uphy Division, 01301
SUI3JLCT: 'h'anr:mittal of Lun-chou Military Region -- A
Gcgt'ap}13. c Aripru i al
1. The attached study, Lan-thou Military Ber~:ion -- A
Geographic Apn2'eira]., is bcin[; lorw rucu to you in 1'1~i3IiCn3e
to your request of 2 February 1972. The study is comprised
of a text, photographs, and two hand-vnnotatcd claps.
Additional copies of the text will be sent to you when we
receive printed copies of maps that are now being prepared
in Cartography Division cpccifical.ly for this text.
2. If there are any further questions or need for
clarification, please contact the responsible analyst,
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Chiefs Far East/Pacific Branch, OBGI
Attachment:
a/s
THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN HOL
I n rXED F0 P!1.
.
L
EXEMPT Fi~:':to `~E3.1t ECL1rtFIC 1iC9 SCtiEJ'JL
0: E. 0. 5B(1)1 (2). CO), or (4) (circ',e ere or more)
Approved For Release JT- i: CIA-RDP85
69 ?
 cm/Ii(-1 I'.: G1.
July I! G.,
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Lan-thou Military Region
A Geographic Appraisal
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Approved For Release 2001/12/05: CIA-RDP85TOO875RO
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I,ttn - chow M il 1.tnry Reg i. on Photo C,apti oils
Iit trod tic tidn
Regional Division.,;
The Loess lands
The Southern Mountains
'I'hc Northern Deserts
The Kansu Corridor
The Tsinghai Plateau
Environmental Conditions and Special
Military Problems
1.1
12
Transportation i5
Maps
Lan-chou MR -- Terrain Regions
Selected Railroads in Lan-thou MR (Schematic)
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SECRET
l~:4 t LS-.t_ ;::~
Approved For Release
 lain - chow Mi_i_it._a_rv Rc f! l o-t ~I'h~-t c~ r -I~ t i ons
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lii.gure 1. Yu-men oil Meld. Chant's Diciest oil
field is located in the low hills
south of. Ytt-men (The Jade Cate) at
the western end of the, } ansu Corridor.
Figure 2. The Loess Plateau northwest of Sian.
'Every square inch appears cultivated;.
settlements are located on the
interfluves and in the valleys.
Steep-walled valleys would make
off-road movement extremely difficult.
Figure 3. Cultivated Trill tops, valley walls, and
valley floors in the Loesslands west
of th?:.c Liu-plan Shan. Millet, corn,
and winter wheat predominate; oats
and buckwheat arc grown in the uplands.
Figure 4. Cave dwellings in the Loess Plateau near
Yen-an.
Figure S. The Wei Valley. The broad, flat plain
of the Wei River is the economic
heartland of the Lan-thou Military
Region. Irrigated fields and wide
canals would hinder off-road movement.
The deeply eroded foothills of the
Tsinling Shan rise in the background.
Figure 6. A sand stabilization project in the
southern Ala Shan Desert near Chung-wei.
its purpose is to prevent the sand from
encroaching onto cultivated land. Note
the sea of moving dunes in the
background.
Figure'7. The Ningsia Plain. Members of a commune
near Yin-ch'uan transplant rice,
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LJ rY r7 ..:
 probably ill .late.' 'lily or early ,.June.
It.1Ce Is IluI COlilliluii1y l;JU1.I1 111 this
part oi' Chi.na u111ess ahhundant and
dependal.ll.e supplies of water are
available and soil conditions are
suitable.
Figure 8. An irrigation project in, the Wu-wei -
Min-ch' in area. Molt-water from snow
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fields in the Ch' i - lien i ountains,
enable the oases in the Kansu Corridor
to grow a wide variety of crops.
Figure 9. The grass lands of northern Tsinghai.
Forests of needleleaf evergreens grow
on the northern slopes of the Nan
Shan in this scene north of Koko Nor,
and small trees and bushes line the
banks of the stream in the middle
distance. The flat, firm surface
offers unimpeded off-road movement.
Figure 10. Sand dunes in western Tsaidam. A
geological prospecting team picks
its way through a group near Mang-yai,
an oil producing area. These dunes
have been stabilized by tamarisk, a
drought resistant shrub, growing
naturally in many parts of the desert.
Figure 11. On the road from Ko-erh-mu to Tibet in
the mountains of southern Tsinghai..
This natural surface road, frozen in
winter, must be kept free of snow
that could block it at any time from
October to April. Spring thaws may
make it slippery and muddy.
Figure 12. Tibetan nomads inhabit the grasslands
in the Kansu-Tsinghai border area on
the upper reaches of the Huang 110.
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 ii,ure l3. BuIldine t?he Last - C 1 niu - Pao -t'ott
Railroad on the flat ;it1F;:~l;t Plain
east of the Ilo-.1 an ,Sha11
1:.1.gure 14. Trail in '1's aghai.. Consumer goods at re
being delivered to a village in the
Nan Shan, north of Koko Nor, Note
the steep drop-off to the side of
the trail in the upper loft of
picture.
Figure 15. The Black Gobi north of Yu-men. The
hard, gravelly Gobi is ideal for
off-road travel.
Figure 16. The Ala Shan Desert near Chung-wei.
The came]. may still be the best mode
of transportation. here.
Figure 17. A ferry crossing on the Huang Ho. Two
road bridges and numerous ferries
adequately handle traffic crossing
the Huang llo in Ningsia. The Locss
Plateau gently rises on the horizon.
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1.0 July 197.''
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Introduction
1. The Lan-thou Military Region (MR) is a
large, physically and culturally diverse region
that comprises nearly a sixth or China's total
area. Second largest of China's eleven military
regions, it includes administratively the
provinces of Kansu, Shensi, Tsinghai, and the
Ningsia Hui Autonomous Region. The ethnic
composition and population densities vary widely
within the MR: most of central and northern
Shensi and southeastern Kansu contain well
populated agricultural areas of Tian Chinese
settlement; in contrast, nearly all of Tsinghai
and sizable portions of Kansu arc sparsely
populated by a largely non-Ilan Chinese population.
Headquarters of the MR is at Lan-chou, a key
transportation hub and traditional gateway city
from which radiate major routes that serve the
sizable but lightly populated western provinces
of China.
2. Precipitation is the most significant
physical element in this large region. The yearly
total -- which ranges from less than 5 inches in
the northwest to more than 30 inches in the
southeast -- helps account, in combination with
such physical features as landforms and elevation,
for the widely different population densities,
ethnic .. istributions , and agricultural patterns.
In general, non-irrigated crops can be grown only
if the annual precipitation is at least 15 inches
p
rL t7 i!c,.
Ed '~
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 -- tl)c.~ Urea with this c1111~)unt of, ini' Ip! t. "It, ion
111d11111L!:; 1)11I11'1.1)a,lI>' ,lien:;L 11I-ovi11ce, suutlluas tic 1-11
KaIISLI, and the southern ha1.f of Ningsia. To the
1101-t II a11(1 west, 110IgCV0r, as 1) roei1)itIN t.ion '1 Ill0LI11ts
decline sharply, intensive agriculture .is 1.1111'iLed
to a few oases. Grasslands are common in these
drier areas and support a largely pastoral
population whose livelihood depends upon their
sheep, goats, and cattle. The 15-inch line of
annual precipitation (ivllose location varies
somewhat from year to year) thus marks a rough but
reasonably accurate zone of transition running
across the MR from northeast to soutlhwest, and
separating areas of flan Chinese settlement and
intensive agriculture from those of non-Han groups
.engaged in herding and oases agriculture.
3. The diversity of the Lan-thou MR is
caused not only by its physical differences but
also by the long history of man's occupance of
this area -- particularly the eastern third lying
within the drainage basin of the 111'ei River. Here
the Chinese state and people evolved; here too in
modern times the Chinese Communists conceived and
perfected their strategy and programs later
imposed upon all of China. Because ancient China's
political power base.was located in or adjacent
to the Wei Valley in Shensi Province, the need to
protect this key area ear;.y became a major state
objective. In the drier north and west, various
nomad groups posed a constant threat to emerging
Han Chinese hegemony; hence the building of walls
was begun, later to be joined into the Great Wall,
to provide warning and defense against these
"barbarians" of the northern steppes.
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 App
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41. '1'hr,' I)OI)u111t.iun 01' tile' L,;1n?Chou 'Ii 1.5
Lill CC!viaiil 1)eC11U:+i.' of t;1ll' I.,ICk UI' CU r1'uIIL statis, t;1.:s
r?hnrll;rS , ,err"r 111'x;
'Ind 1?CCcllt: p rev i nc.. i a 1 1101111(h )-y
to. ,1957 data the population tottalt d ;ihollt- 35.
million, but since then the population has increased,
and the present figure may be as great as 40 million.
Of these, the vast majority are Ilan Chinese, About
one-third of,China's 3 million liui. People -- Ilan
Chinese of the Muslim faith -- live in Ningsia and
Kans u. Small numbers o f PtongoIs , Tibetans , and
various Turkic peoples -i.nhabi.t Tsingilai and
southwestern Kansu. Large areas in northern Kansu
and western Tsinghai arc uninhabited.
5. Agriculture is the backbone of the Region's
econo111V, but an important and expanding segment of
China's mineral production and industrial capacity also
is located here.
6. Coal, petroleum, iron, copper, and
various minerals from desert salt lakes are
exploited in the Region; some of these deposits
are served by refineries built nearby (see Figure 1).
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 Approved-For Release 20,01 /12/05; 'CIA
i..J j'.'..L.; ... I ,....J
It ,,iOita1__ll.L iti ic~tty?;.
7. The Lan-choU !IR curtain:; art ions of five
major physical regions. Most of the eastern third 25X1C
of the 1111.1 1tary region is termed the Lae: ;5 lands - -
a unique arca.t of wind-deposited soil, To the
south, Egli mountains rise sharply above the
Loesslands to form another region, the Southern
Mountains. The northern part of the MR consists
of largely uninhabited desert, steppes, and barren
mountains -- the Northern Deserts Region -- part
of a far larger physical. realm loosely termed
Inner or Central. Asia. To the south a narrow
corridor of oases and transpc-'rt routes -- the
Kansu Corridor (Region) -- separates the deserts
from the lofty heights (10,000 to 17,000 feet)
of the (Tibet-) Tsinghai Plateau, the fifth
physical division.
The Loess lands (See attached map, back of folder.)
8. The Loesslands Region is the most densely
populated portion of the Lan-chou MR even though
much of its topography typically consists of
rounded and flat-topped hills that are separated
by a vast number of steep-walled ravines and
valleys. Here and there scattered mountains rise
above the plateau surface; occasional basins and
broad river valleys -- such as that of the Wei --
also are found. The area's thicl: blanket of
wind-deposited soil, termed loess or huang-ti
(yellow earth), makes it one of the most unusual
physical regions' on earth. In places the loess is
1,000 feet thick, though its average depth is much
less, and except for the higher ridges and peaks,
all landforms have been blanketed by it (see
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Figure 2).
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 t.110u1;i1 I)ot excc'pt.i.ulia l ly rert. Llc, I ovs
Is an casi1y 1~ol-ked 5011 and being extremely 1101,01Ic7
retail n; much of the nIC;lJ1`1- amount ci mcistura
falling upon it.. ~lu-- has cultivated the Loess lands
since prehistorl:c times - - the valley bottoms, the
flat and rounded hill tops, and, by constructing
terraces, the steep valley walls (s'ee Figure 3) .
In some areas , caves honeycomb valleys, providing
dwellings that are economical to construct and are
cool in summer and easy to heat in winter (see
Figure 4) They present hazards to the occupants
however, since loess is lightly cemented and
unstable when wet. Flash floods and carthquakes
cause many to collapse.
10. Scant natural. vegetation remains -- mainly
patches of grass and, along water courses, low
shrubs and meager stands of trees -- all thinning
toward the north and west as the climate becomes
drier. Extensive conservation measures have been
initiated to stabilize the soil and reduce erosion
by planting fast-growing grass, shrubs, and trees.
11. The climate of the Loesslands is marginal
for agriculture, with scant precipitation, cold
and blustery winters, and sha.'p daily and seasonal
temperature contrasts. Yearly' precipitation
averages between 13 and 20 inches with amounts
decreasing from southeast to northwest -- though
topography influences totals locally. Distinct
wet and' dry seasons exist, and normally 60 to 75
percent of all precipitation occurs from June
through September. In contrast, the winter months
are very dry, and from December through February
normally only one-half inch of precipitation --
usually snow -- is recorded. Occasional dry years
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 and dry cycle;; are CH tical to a riculture in vi OW
of the 11KIrJ;1.11;11. IIInout1t of 1')1'eec1.1)l.tatio)II in the
1,ooSS.1anclS regicon. X1.1 theu;1,11 very heavy ra infai l:,
are infrequent, their occurrence usually c;au:Aes
great local, hardships as accelerated) erosion
collapses valley wails, and growing crops are
covered with a thick layer of mud.
12. ,January temperatures average 15?F to
2U?F overall with lower readings in the north and
higher in the south. Sian, located in a sheltered
site in the Wei Valley, has all average January
temperature of just under freezing. Summer
temperatures can be high -- normally with maxima
in the 80's at mid-day in most areas but reaching
into the 90's at places, such as at Sian. Severe
duststorms arc a hazard, occurring mainly in
winter and spring.
13. The Wei Valley is the economic focus of
the Loesslands. It contains a portion of China's
major east-west transportation routes, including
the Lung-ilai Railway; it has important industrial
and transportation centers; and'the Valley is
intensively cultivated to small grains, corn,
vegetables, and fruit (see Figure 5). Winter
wheat is planted in September and October and
harvested from late May to mid-June. Potatoes are
planted in late March with other crops following
in April. The harvest season extends from early
to mid-August through early November.
14. The two major urban centers of the
Lan-chou MR -- Sian and Lan-chou -- have expanded
markedly during the past two decades with estimated
populations of near 1 million for Lan-chou and well
over that figure for Sian. Sian is noted for its
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Approved For Release 2001/12/05 CIA- DP85T00875R000600030003-6
texts I('r, alls e1(.L-c.Lt'I ,a1 cc111 11 iac'1It. a11t La11-e 110 0i'
its prtroIeucl refillcer>',
I) et rocilem cal:s, and cilentica1. fertilizer product.
Add 1. ti onal ly , Lani - ehoil i s the key t ran S1)ortation
hub f roln W'h.ich major rail. and roads 1cad to all
prlnc.i.pal areas within the Lan-thou MR as well. as
to connections with other major regions of China.
Southern Moulltai.ns
15, The Southern Mountains Region consists
of two rugged, parallel. ranges -- the Tsinling and
Ta-pa Shan -- separated by the sizeable basin and
valley of the upper Ilan Shui (river), centered at
slam-chung. This mountainous barrier forms what
has been called the most significant physical
-livide in China. Not only does it separate the
drainage basins of China's two great rivers, the
Iluang and Yangtze, but considerable climatic,
vegetative, and crop differences occur north and
south of these mountains. The Tsinling and Ta-pa
Shan are sufficiently high (generally 8,000 to
10,000 feet elevations) and broad to afford
considerable protection to the Szechwan Basin to
the south by blocking most of the cold, bitter air
masses that affect northern China. Conversely,
the mountains prevent much of the moist, monsoonal
air-of summer sweeping into China from the south
and southwest from reaching the Loesslands and
deserts to the north.
16.? The climate of the Southern Mountains
varies cons&.derably because the great differences
in elevation and exposure produce marked local
variations. Generally, precipitation amounts
total about 30 inches annually with the heavy
concentration during the summer months. Moderate
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 t:L'utl~e Vat.ur~:; i.n tl-c, up l and.; l)1 tt:; i nc rl'~-r;c~d
prcc.ipi.tatfOR rc;ult 11) an nl)tnndant and varied
veget? ttion cover -- needlelc,-f evergreen rorest:;,
shrub's, and open t;ru:;s:1u-tds thI'ULIJ,11IUIIt, With
stands of broadleaf deciduous forest:; to,,tiard tile
cast. Forests are generally thicker on the
northern slopes. Lower slopes and 'valley floors
are usually cultivated.
17. Most of the Southern Mountains Region is
sparsely populated; a major exception is the
fertile Tian-chung 13asi.n (about 60'miles by 10 in
size), plus a few smaller basins and valleys -- as
at An-k' ang. Ilan-chung and An-k'ang are not only
the largest population centers in this region, but
they also are important rice-growing areas --
extensions of the agricultural. patterns of the
Szechwan Basin -- favored by 90?F mid-summer
temperatures and adequate summer rain. Planting
of seedbeds and transplanting take place from
early ;,larch through April. Harvest begins in
early October and lasts for a month, coincident
with the planting of winter wheat. Wheat is
harvested early in May. Corn is an important
upland crop, planted in March and May and
harvested in July and late August.
18. Aside from its rugged terrain, the most
distinctive feature of the Southern Mountains is
its isolation. This region traditionally has been
little affected by changing conditions elsewhere
in'China because of its remoteness and difficult
access. Settlement and transportation routes are
principally confined to the valleys. Roads in the
Han Valley connect Ch'eng-tu in Szechwan Province
with the Wei Valley, the North China Plain, and
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1111d(I Ic Y,I)II,t:: re it 1,011. 'I'lls.' I'ao-c111 - C11'U111;-t.U
RBI i lway, completed ill 11).So and the Inll,f or transport
link bcetwr'on northern C11i nu and S :ec hwnn I'rov i rice ,
win(I;, tortuously north - sol:t h til ro-.-gh the Sou the ell
Mounta1.11s, ut'i.i i zing many long 1)1'j d ;os and tunnels
often alternating in rapid succession. The gradient:
of the 57-mile section between Pao-chi and
Deng-hsien is so steep that auxiliary electric
engines must be used. A rail line is being
constructed from Yang-p'i.ng-k'uang -- on the
Pao-chi - Ch'eng-tu line in southern Shensi --
eastward to Wu-han in llupeh Province; when completed
it will greatly improve accessibility from the
middle Yangtze region.
Northern Deserts
19. The Northern Deserts Region, a largely
negative, barrier area of barren gravel plains,
deep sands, and low hills and mountains, has
assumed much greater strategic and military
importance during the past decade as Sino-Soviet
relations worsened and a Soviet military buildup
in Mongolia commenced.
20. Physically,-the region consists of one
of the most arid and least populated portions of
the extensive desert and steppe country that
comprises the inner Asian frontiers of China.
Because of the meager precipitation -- in most
places less than S inches annually -- pastures are
few. Settlements are largely restricted to
discontinuous and relatively small agricultural
areas -- most of them adjacent to the }luang lio in
the Ningsia Hui Autonomous Region.
App
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 21. 1:1'I'0-'tS to i.--c-~:~ t(~ ca J; t'i('1-Ito-'d1 1)I.OdUCtiMI
along the :;o--thc rn -;-:-r};in , 01' the I :ni on J nVe
included COil St-?UC:IIOil 0C 'i,rrlg;-tIon w01-1:.;, 1pla-It ill
g
nu-nerou:; slrr.Iter be Its to halt. bIui.;Ing saund from
encroaching; upon agricultural Iand:,, and
desalinization of some desert sol..ls (see Figure 6)
A large darn built in the t:h' i-ng-t' ung gorge of the
Iluang, Ho south of Yin-cl-'uan, for example, controls
flooding and 'provides a more reliable year-round
water supply. The dam also provides 260,000 kw of
electricity for the area -- a major, factor in the
decision to build the Chin-chi Aluminum Plant just
3 miles to the west along the Lan-thou - Pao-t'011
Railroad.
22. Spring wheat is the major crop; planted
in late March and early April, it is reaped in
late July and early August. Potatoes are planted
immediately after wheat and are harvested in
September. Millet, oats, and buckwheat planted
from late April to early June are harvested in
September and early October. Rice and cotton may
be included in this latter cycle, with the cotton
harvest lasting into early Nover.ber (see Figure 7).
23. The Northern Deserts Region contains the
largest concentration of ilui in China, most of
whom live in agricultural settlements in the
Ningsia llui Autonomous Region. Incorporated into
Kansu Province in 1954, the Autonomous Region was
reestablished again in 1958 after considerable
agitation by the Hui, who have a history of
discontent under and uprisings against the Ilan.
Elsewhere, the Deserts Region is almost empty of
people with exceptions in the oasis at Min-ch'in
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 ,-nd wn-.11.I t'lL,i 1st:; .-Ie11i; tilt 1i .'i' -11:1 liar
111 tile' 1.'e:i t:. Sonic' .1.1nd 1-cc I illil.I t l Ull Iwe)1
at t?c.-nl)t(d in tI'lesc' aI- vas.
24 . ',Io,;t: oI' tike No rthvi'1- Dv scrts 1 gicon was
dot ached train the Inner ion go ii an Aut onomous Region
in late 1.969 and added to Kansu and `;i.ngsfri. The
Change was prohabi.y in response to the Sino-Soviet
border incidents in 1969, the continuing Soviet
military build-up in Mongolia, and the consequent
need to reorganize military and administrative
functions and missions in this increasingly
strategic area.
hansu Corridor
25. The Kansu Corridor is a narrow strip of
relatively densely populated land, some 600 miles
long, that has served since ancient times as the
major land route between "China Proper" and Central
Asia. In the past caravans plodded their wa' on
this first leg of the storied Silk Road; today,
the Lan-chow - Sinkiang Railroad and a major
highway provide quick transport to China's
westernmost province of Sinkiang.
26. Physically, the Corridor lies in a
trough at elevations between 4,000 to 6,000 feet
between the high wall of the Ch'i-lien Shan-;4o,
the northernmost range of the Tsinghai Plateau,
and considerably lower and broken mountains to the
north, which are collectively termed the Pei Shan.
Alluvial.. deposits carried by glacial-fed streams
originating in the Ch'i-lien Shan pave most of the
Corridor with a hard, flat to rolling surface that
is interrupted occasionally by rocky outcrops, the
spur of a low mountain ridge, or sand dunes. Cut
off by high mountains, the Corridor receives less
than 10 inches of precipitation annually.
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 27, A St ri--1;.oI' uasiS :,ctL1.t-n-U-nLs runii1--g
the rt-1 1 length of ti-e Corri dor 11 rov ided food,
water, and markets for trt-velers of the ancient
Silk Road. Today, agriculture has expanded
through increased and improved irrigation facilities
and some limited 'industry has been introduced (sec
figure 8) . Wheat, cotton, rice, and numerous
varieties of fruits and vegetables are the
principal agricultural commodities. Stock
grazing is also important.
28. The construction of the Lan-chow - Sinkiang
Railroad through the Corridor in the 1950's marked
the beginning of the rapid industrial. buildup.,
including advanced weapons facilities, in the area.
Important rail spurs serve these plants and sites.
A major highway parallels the railroad, with a
branch road extending south into Ts ingha i and
Tibet.
Tsinghai Plateau
29. Part of the highest and most continuous
highland in the world, Tsinghai is the most remote
and sparsely populated of the physical divisions
of the Lan-chou MR. Mountains form the boundaries
of the region to the north and south, and elsewhere
they occasionally interrupt the plateau landscape.
Most of this region is treeless and uninhabited,'
relieved only by often luxuriant grasslands,
occasional brackish or saline lakes, and a few
streams and rivers. In the central and western
higher portions of the plateau, streams flow in
broad, shallow valleys; in the lower eastern and
southeastern portions, however, valleys are often
V-shaped and the terrain moderately dissected.
Two distinctive basins are located in the north
-- the Tsaidam Basin, comprising nearly a fourth-
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 oi' 'I'sI111;hai PrOViIICU , and t.hc S1.1;II Ior brit higher
b,I11 SLIfFUUIIkii11J', l~U-.U :NOOr ((,I1~ 1111, Ilil.i), th
brackish lake from which the province t1-kcs 1
11111110.
30. I:xtens:iVe S~l'asslands COVCr 111L1ch 0f
Tsi.nghai. with the best i,1 the lower elevations Of
eastern Tsinghal and in the highlands northeast of
the Tsaidam 13asin (sec Figure 9). The grass .1 ands
support a major animal husbandry industry ; large
numbers of sheep, goats, and cat tic are herded by
nomadic Tibetans, Mongols, and smallehr ethnic groups.
Scattered stands of needleleaf evergreens occur at
lower elevations in the cast and northeast and are
most common on northern slopes and along stream
beds.
31. The Tsaidam Basin is an arid, flat to
rolling basin with comparatively low elevations
(8,000 to 10,000 feet) for Tsinghai. Vast
expanses of sand dunes, some 300 feet high, gravel
r'.ains, and salt flats cover the western portion
of the basin (see Figure 10); salt and brackish
marshes and lakes -- fed by streams originating in
the surrounding mountains -- and extensive
grasslands cover the eastern and lower half. The
western half of the basin is uninhabited, except
for settlements such as those established to
support the exploitation of the small petroleum
fields at Leng-hu and Mang-vai. In the east,
a number of small settlements arc located along
the southern margins of the basin -- mostly
transport-oriented to support shipment of supplies
to Tibet. Salts are taken from some of the salt
lakes in the eastern Tsaidam.
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32.
Ihr.. el inhale OIthe 1 .iiiglinI I f,)11 1'al'1C`S
IJ l t 1 1 o l o %,rl t, i oil ,III .I I o(.*,I I I (. r )'a i 11 CC.'ti(d i, l ' Oil 4 , 1) 11 t
the gC.11cra 1, C11aract.e'risL L C S 1)rCVa 1.11111'. 1.11 wet;ternl
Ch I.IIa 112'- 1)1'ecso11I; c11.111at;1C 1)1'0bt0111F, however, are
in tCIIS 1.i:i.CII by Very 1111,11 CI Cvat.i on IS - - certain auras
are over 20,000 feet. Although 90 degree temperatures
have been recorded, summer maxima normally are in
the 70's, and. throughout the year extreme daily
temperature variations -- part:icul.arly in summer
and fall -- arc common. Winter temperatures average
well below freezing and are often accompanied by
fearsome winds; in the higher portions of the
plateau, temperatures may drop to -20?It or lower.
Precipitation is generally less than 15 inches,
most of it occurring during the period from May
through October.
33. The political and economic focus of
Tsinghai is in the relatively narrow corridor of
the Huang Shui and its tributaries extending
eastward from Koko Nor. Tsinghai.'s capital,
Hsi-ning, a city of more than 400,000 inhabitants,
is a key supply and transportation center for
Tsinghai and Tibet. A branch of the Lan-chou -
Sinkiang Railway connects Hsi-ning with Lan-chou,
and from Hsi-ning extensions
northward to the Ta-t'ung
coal mining district. Important roads extend into
southern Tsinghai and westward across the Tsaidam
Basin to Sinkiang. The Tsinghai-Tibet road extends
southward from Ko-erh-mu (see Figure 11).
34. Most of the 2.8 million population of
singhai inhabit the northeastern portion of the
province. At least half of the population are Han
- 14 -
 Ap
Chi who I. i%,., 11111,1111 )' in the let'; Ill-ball cellte 1'S
and vi 1Lo':uted in ihc' I1u;1l1"; 6!III~. Valley and
its tr.ibutari.es, lilsuwhcrc the, population is widely
Scattered and mostly nomadic, composed mai.n.ly of
11ibetans, p1 us a scattering of Ilul, Mongol, and
Turkic groups (see Figure 12)
Transpol'tation
35. The Wei Valley and the Kansu Corridor,
connected in the vicinity of Lan-chou by valleys
through the eastern Ch'i-lien Shan and the Loess
Plateau, have throughout history been occupied by
routes leading west into Central Asia. Today the
Lung-Ilai. Railroad and its continuation, the
Lan-chou - Sinkiang Railroad, rel.resent the key
transportation facility in the Lan-chou hilt.
Important connecting lines include the Lan-chou -
Pao-t'ou, Pao-chi - Ch'eng-tu, and the Ho-k'ou -
Ilai.-yen lines. Additionally, numerous shorter
lines and spurs lead from the main lines to service
industrial and military installations.
36. Transport on the main rail lines is
generally unimpeded by terrain with exceptions
where several lines enter the highlands surrounding
Lan-chou (see Figure 13). The Lung-Hai line, for
example, must rise nearly 3,300 feet in elevation
through twisting valleys of eroded loess to reach
Ian-chou, and the Lan-chou - Pao-t'ou and Sinkiang
lines must. pass through the outliers of Ch'i-lien
Shan. Numerous bridges and tunnels and several
tight hairpin curves must be negotiated. Generally,
tunnels and bridges are less than 1,000 feet long,
although one tunnel just north of the Pai-yin
copper complex, north of Lan-chou on the Lan-chou -
Pao-t'ou line, is 4,200 feet in length. Another
- 15
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 Appro
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S) LRC'I7 D RAILROADS IN T.Alf-CHOU MR
Ic
Lon-chou - Sinkiang Line
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Approved For Release 200171 2/i5\: CIA-RDP85T00875R000600030003-6
Pao-t'ou' - Lan-c.icu
Line
 25X1 C
37. The rail net adequately handle:; the
existing traCf'ic. About 30 stations, rail. yards,
and transsh.i pment point:; wi th five or more tracks
arc located wi thin the Lan-chow MR.- 1,1111-Chou has
ivc rail yards with a total of 64 tracks, and
Sian has thrdc with a total of 89 tracks.
38. The primary road not follows in part the
cast-west trending valleys and corridors used by
the major rail lines. Roads serve (is extensions
to the railroad system, linking key areas of the
Lan-chou MR with almost all. of Tsinghai, most of
Ningsi.a, northern Shensi., and much of eastern
Kansu. The primary roads are usually t,?:o-lancd
and classified as "loose surface, all weather,"
which could mean any type of "all tiwreather" surface
short of black top -- including crushed rock,
rolled native soil, and, in the Tsaidam Basin,*
salt. Some roads in the immediate vicinity of
Sian are paved.
39. Secondary and tertiary systems consist
of fair weather roads, trails, and tracks (see
Figure 14). They generally serve local destinations
and, connect to the primary system at irregular
intervals. Large areas in the Northern Deserts,
the Tsaidam Pasin, southwestern Tsinghai and the
higher mountains are not served by any type of
route.
Environmental Conditions and Special Military Problems
40. Extremes of weather, the effects of thin
air at ,high altitudes, aid related problems associated
with the physical environment provide significant
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Coln, traint.,; to the estabii.;.tclrnt and Operational
aitect:iteit e.;.. or military tin1.t',; itt tl;c La-t?c~tou iit?
41.. Road use problems in the Lan-thou Nk
are seasona' in occurrence and pt?lmari.I>' cttu:;cad
by t:he affects of weather on road surface materials.
Only in restricted areas, such as the Southern
Mountains and in a few places elsewhere, does the
terrain create major problems of grade, sharp
curves, and switchbacks. Most problems arc
related to excessive moisture -- normally summer
rains -- that cause washouts, landslides, and
muddy and boggy conditions. Spring thaws create
slippery and often hazardous conditions locally
for brief periods on many of the roads. This
problem is intensified at higher elevations in
Tsinghai where thaw-freeze cycles are of longer
duration and severity. Winter and spring snow also
creates occasional road problems in a few and
generally limited areas of very high elevation
in Tsinghai.
42. Soil conditions in the loess areas
present special problems. Loess, when dry, is
firm and offers good footing for man and machine.
When wet, however, it is unstable and becomes
miry. Movement across the intcrfluves in heavily
dissected loessial areas requires constant
detouring to avoid the steep-walled valleys.
Routes on the valley floors constantly change
direction as one twisting valley feeds into
another. Additional hazards are narrow roads,
often deeply incised into the soft .loess, and
narrow, low capacity bridges.
43. The firm, gravel-surfaced Gobi provides
excellent traction year-round for off-road travel,
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allcl :aimi.1:1r Cnlldi.tioll ('Xi..;
I L.", It; t 5o011a1 1 y
,it
in 111tv..h Of tho high plat-:au coontr;' of
'1''ing;llai
(sec Flg1,ure 15).
Conventionally equipped vehicles would
have difficulty in extensive bands of deep sand
and dunes, however, of the Ala Shan Desert (see
Figure 16). High dunes would require detours.
Blowing sand and dust, most common in winter and
spring when winds are strongest, cover tracks,
reduce visibility, and impair the operating
efficiency of man and machine. Steep, rugged
slopes, often strewn with boulders, almost preclude
off-road movement in mountainous areas. Northern
Tsinglhai's vast grasslands and the firm sand and
gravel. margins of the Tsaidam Basin offer unimpeded
passage. The marshes and sand dunes of the central
basin and salt pans where the water table is close
to the surface would have to be avoided. Otherwise,
salt is an excellent surface as demonstrated by its
use as pavement.
44. Beginning with the spring thaws and
continuing on through the summer rains, streams
and, rivers rise sharply. Not only do swollen
rivers frequently wash out roads and bridges, but
their enlarged widths-present formidable barriers,,
limiting use of fords and ferries. The Huang Ho
surpasses 1,000 feet in width and reaches depths
of 30 feet in August and September .on the flat
Ningsia Plain (see Figure 17). Only three road
bridges cross the Huang Igo in its loop around the
part of the Ordos Desert within the Military Region
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and the Loess I,Iind:, - - still the (1M111 ill the Cii' iny;-t' u ng
Cu1-~;c, t~;I1i,-shnih, alto at h'u - lain.
The road
across the dam .is not a pl'imary route, but the
.Shill - tsu.i - si1a11 bri.dge curries road traffic from
Pao-t'ou, and the bridge Lit Wu-pao carries a road
from 'I'' ai-yuan, capital of Shansi, into northern
Shensi.
45. Rock usable as road building material
and for other construction work is commonly
available in the Kansu Corridor, in the Southern
Mountains, and in Tsinglhai; however, in much of
the Northern Deserts and loessial areas bedrock
is often 20 or more feet below the surface. Ample
quantities of sand and gravel are found in the
desert regions and in stream valleys throughout
the Lan-chow Mlt. Timber is locally available in
the Tsinling Mountains, in eastern and northeastern
Tsinghai, and in the Southern Mountains. Elsewhere
timber is scarce or lacking and either construction
substitutes are used or timber is hauled in from
other areas.
46. Extreme cold and high elevations of 10,000
to 17,000 feet in Tsinghai present special problems.
Personnel from the lowlands have to go through a
period of accli'matization. Cold weather clothing
is required, and eyes have to be protected from
the glare of bright sun, reflected off sand and
snow. Engines must be winterized and modified for
operation in rarified air and extreme cold.
(Engines lose 30 of their power for every 1,000
feet of elevation, and spark plugs become fouled
and pistons coated with carbon.) Special fuels
and lubricants are required. Fixed-wing aircraft
need longer runways -- 650 feet for every 1,000
feet of elevation.
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-17. 'I0.1;L 01' t.)-e 1,4111-(: IIoil :1R hag; 1 im!tc(1
su1)I)IIe.; of Su1-ftlC water durInp, at: loast hail C the
year - - fr0111 1 ate Ca 11 through spring or (arl.y.
s1M111cc1'. Loi ?;v i 1vv- s ii --d :s Lreit ms have water the
year round, .11. though I L may I uqui. - I i ea Lawn t and
will bo muddy at times, and quanti ties reduced
during periods of Croezing. Smaller streams, dry
4 to 5 months of the year, usually have water from
l1arch to November.
48. Depths and amounts of ground water vary
greatly. In most areas supplies pf fresh water
are limited or, ati in the loess areas, locally
plentiful but at considerable depths. Fresh
water can often be Coul,cl, however, at depths of
less than 20 feet in the alluvial. fans of the
Kansu Corridor and in the valleys of the 0-chi-na
lie and Su-1o 11o that drain portions of the
Corridor; along the southern margins of the
Tsaiclam Basin; and around Koko Nor. Lenses of
fresh water can be found at depths of from 20 to
20U feet at scattered places in the deserts; as
salt and brackish water also are present, care is
required in tapping fresh water supplies.
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