The Bayankala Mountains form the great divide
between China's Yellow River on its north and Yangtze
River on its south. Situated in
the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest peak
reaches an altitude of 5267 m. The picture
shows the northern slope of the Bayankala Mountains.
The source of Yellow River is traced to a basin
at the foot of these mountains.
The snow-clad Bayankala Mountains
Just a short distance from the source
the river drains two major lakes,
the Zaling Lake and Eling Lake,
separated by about 20 km.
Picture below shows the Eling Lake in winter
sparking in a layer of ice.
In the Tibetan language, Zaling means a grayish-white color,
while Eling means a verdant-blue hue.
Picture source: YRCC, Huanghe Feng,
Yellow River Pub House, 1996.