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In the far north, at the junction of China and Mongolia, there is a little-known lake, which has witnessed the changes of time and the vicissitudes of history. They are Lake Bell.
Many people subconsciously think of Lake Baikal, and although the two names are similar, they have very different stories.
Lake Bell, formerly known as the "Fishing Sea", now straddles the Sino-Mongolian border, most of which belongs to the state of Mongolia. And Lake Baikal, the deepest freshwater lake in the world, lies quietly in the bosom of Russia.
Let's go back in time and see how these two lakes have a relationship with Chinese civilization.
The changing situation of the fishing sea
On the southwestern edge of the Mongolia Plateau, there is a lake that shimmers with silver light, this is Lake Bell, which was known as the Fishing Sea in ancient times.
It lies quietly in the embrace of the Hulunbuir grassland, with a total area of 608.78 square kilometers. However, there is a little-known history hidden behind this number.
Let's turn the hand back to the end of the 14th century. At this time, the fishing sea is in the midst of change. After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, the remnants of the forces retreated to Saibei and established the so-called "Northern Yuan". And in the south, the emerging Ming dynasty was stepping up its efforts to consolidate power.
In 1387, Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, decided to completely solve the hidden dangers in the north. He summoned the general Lan Yu and ordered to lead an army of 150,000 to the north. The target of this army was the ruler of the Northern Yuan, Timur.
Timur was the grandson of Emperor Shun of Yuan and the de facto ruler of the Northern Yuan. He inherited the bravery of the Mongolia, but not their good fortune. During his reign, Northern Yuan's power declined, but he still dreamed of one day restoring the glory of the Mongolia Empire.
In March 1388, the spring was cold. The army of blue jade quietly came to the shore of the fishing sea. Just when the Northern Yuan army was defenseless, the Ming army suddenly launched a fierce attack. The raid was so swift that the Northern Yuan army simply did not have time to put up an effective resistance.
On the battlefield, the sword light and sword shadows, and the sound of killing shook the sky. The Ming army rushed to the Northern Yuan military camp like a tide, and the enemy was swept to pieces. Timur fled in a hurry, and his army was devastated by this sudden attack.
When the smoke cleared, the fishing seashore was a mess. The Ming army seized a large amount of booty, including gold and silver treasures, cattle, sheep and camels. What's more, this battle completely destroyed the foundation of the Northern Yuan, and the dominance of the Golden Family was gone forever.
The victory of this battle is not only Lan Yu's personal credit. In fact, the planning and command of the entire campaign condensed the wisdom of the Ming Dynasty's military group. In addition to Lan Yu, there are also famous generals such as Xu Da and Chang Yuchun who participated in the planning of this Northern Expedition.
The impact of the Battle of the Fishing Sea was far-reaching. It not only completely shattered the dream of the restoration of the Northern Yuan, but also greatly weakened the power of the Mongolia ministries. In the decades that followed, the situation on the Mongolian plateau changed dramatically. The originally unified Mongolia tribes began to divide and fight with each other.
Zhu Yuanzhang took advantage of the situation to set up nine important military towns along the Great Wall, forming a solid border defense system. This system played an important defensive role in the following centuries.
However, the development of history is always full of surprises. Although the Ming Dynasty won a decisive victory in this campaign, the Mongolia did not disappear. In the centuries that followed, they remained an important force that the Central Plains Dynasty had to face.
Yuerhai witnessed this battle that changed the course of history, but its story does not end there. In the years to come, the lake will continue to silently watch the changes on the grassland. Its fate will continue to change with the wheel of history.
The modern fate of Lake Bell
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye we are in the 20th century. At this time, the fishing sea has long been renamed Bear Lake, but it still lies quietly on the grassland, witnessing the great changes in the world around it.
In 1960, the mainland and Mongolia signed the Sino-Mongolian Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance.
After that, Mongolia made a claim to Lake Bear and took practical action to occupy most of Lake Bear Lake.
The move sparked eight years of negotiations between the two countries. During the negotiations, both sides insisted on their positions, and at a time when the impasse was difficult to resolve, the international community intervened.
As a result of the efforts of all parties, a compromise was finally reached: Lake Bear would be split in two.
In 1962, the border between China and Mongolia was officially demarcated. According to the agreement, only 6% of the area of Lake Bear was retained on the mainland, while the remaining 93.4% was allocated to Mongolia.
Today, if you stand on the shores of Lake Bell, you will see an invisible line running across the lake. The northern and eastern parts of the lake belong to the mainland, while the southern and western parts belong to Mongolia. The Halaha River flows into the lake from the west, while the Wuersun River flows from the north and connects with Hulun Lake.
Despite its small size, the Bear Lake region, to which the mainland belongs, has become a popular summer destination. Every summer, many tourists come here to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains, and feel the vastness and tranquility of the grassland.
At the same time, China and Mongolia are also actively promoting cooperation. Lake Bear is no longer a dividing line, but a link between the two countries. The two countries have carried out close cooperation in environmental protection and tourism development to jointly protect this beautiful lake.
The long history of Lake Baikal
When we talk about Lake Bell, we cannot fail to mention its "distant relative" - Lake Baikal. Known as the "Pearl of Siberia", this lake has an equally complex and long history, and has countless historical ties with the Chinese civilization.
Lake Baikal, known as the "Pearl of Siberia", is located in the south of Siberia and is the deepest and largest freshwater lake in the world. This blue water makes up one-fifth of the planet's freshwater, and its deep waters are rich in stories and history.
As early as several thousand years BC, there were traces of human activity around Lake Baikal. Archaeologists have discovered Stone Age sites along the lakeside, and the tools and ornaments unearthed in these sites bear witness to the wisdom and creativity of ancient ancestors.
Over time, different peoples have risen and fallen in this land, leaving behind a rich cultural heritage.
In the 13th century, Genghis Khan's iron cavalry swept across Eurasia, and Lake Baikal and its surrounding areas were included in the territory of the Mongolia Empire. Mongolia call this lake the "North Sea" and consider it a sacred place. During the period of Mongolia rule, the Baikal region became an important transit point for trade, where various goods and cultures met.
After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Lake Baikal became a part of the territory of China as a matter of course. However, with the decline of the Mongolia Empire, the ownership of this region began to blur. By the time of the Ming Dynasty, the Baikal region gradually became a power vacuum.
This state of affairs continued until the beginning of the 17th century, when Russia began to expand eastward. In 1643, an expedition consisting of Cossacks reached Lake Baikal for the first time. They were struck by the magnificent view of the lake and called it the "Sacred Sea". This expedition became an important starting point for Russia's further development of Siberia.
However, the arrival of the Russians was not all smooth sailing. The Buryats, who lived around Lake Baikal at that time, rose up in revolt.
The Buryats are a Mongolian ethnic group that has lived on this land for generations and has their own unique culture and beliefs. In the face of the invasion of outsiders, they put up a stubborn resistance.
The conflict lasted for decades. The Russians, with their advanced weapons and organizational superiority, gradually gained an advantage. By the end of the 17th century, Russia essentially controlled the Baikal region. In 1661, Russia established the Irkutsk fortress on the shores of Lake Baikal, and the city later became the center of all of Eastern Siberia.
Despite this, the question of the ownership of Lake Baikal has not yet been finally resolved. The Qing Dynasty also maintained a certain interest in this area at this time.
It was not until 1688 that an important negotiation began in Nebuchu. The Qing Dynasty sent a negotiating team headed by Suo Etu, who proposed to use the Lena River as a boundary and claim that Lake Baikal belonged to China.
However, the representative of the Russian side, Golovin, insisted that Baikal had been the territory of the tsars since ancient times. The two sides held their own opinions, and the negotiations reached an impasse for a time. It was at this time that the rise of the Dzungar Khanate upset the balance.
Faced with this new threat, the Qing Dynasty had to adjust its strategy and chose to compromise on the Baikal issue.
In 1689, the two sides signed the Treaty of Nebuchu, which demarcated the Sino-Russian border with the Gelbiqi and Erguna rivers as the boundary. This meant that the Qing Dynasty abandoned the Baikal region.
Modern development and condition of the two lakes
Lake Bell and Lake Baikal have played a very different but equally important role in modern society over time. The modernization of these two lakes reflects the development trajectory of the countries and regions in which they are located.
After the demarcation of Lake Bell between China and Mongolia, the development of Lake Bear has entered a new stage. Although the territory of the mainland is not large, it is endowed with important strategic significance.
In the 70s of the last century, a hydrological station was established here on the mainland and systematic monitoring of the lake began. These data not only provide a basis for local flood control and drought control, but also provide valuable information for the study of climate change.
At the same time, Mongolia is also actively developing Lake Bear. They set up a fishing base on the shore of the lake and began to fish the fish resources in the lake on a large scale.
However, overfishing soon led to a sharp decline in fish stocks. Faced with this problem, Mongolia implemented a strict fishing quota system in the early 90s in an attempt to restore the ecological balance of the lake.
In the 21st century, Lake Bell's biggest challenge is water scarcity. Reduced precipitation due to climate change, coupled with over-intake of water from upstream areas, continues to reduce lake water levels.
In the face of this crisis, China and Mongolia began to work closely together. In 2008, the two countries signed the China-Mongolia Agreement on Transboundary Water Cooperation and jointly developed a conservation plan for Lake Bell.
In contrast, the modernization of Lake Baikal is much more spectacular. At the end of the 19th century, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway brought unprecedented opportunities for the development of this remote lake region.
Cities along the railway line sprung up, and Irkutsk developed into the political and economic center of Eastern Siberia.
However, rapid industrialization has also caused serious pollution problems on Lake Baikal. In the 60s of the 20th century, the Soviet Union built a large pulp mill on the shore of the lake, and a large amount of industrial wastewater was discharged directly into the lake. This has led to a sharp deterioration in the quality of the lake's water, with many endemic species in danger of extinction.
Faced with this crisis, Soviet scientists issued a warning. In 1986, the USSR ordered the closure of all pulp mills on the shores of Lake Baikal. This decision, while costing it financially, is a crucial step in protecting this unique ecosystem.
After that, the conservation of Lake Baikal did not stop. In 1996, UNESCO listed Lake Baikal as a World Natural Heritage Site. Russia has also promulgated the Law on the Protection of Lake Baikal, which provides legal guarantees for the protection of the lake.
However, the contradiction between protection and development remains. In recent years, with the rise of tourism, a large number of tourists have flocked to the Baikal region. While this has brought economic benefits to the local area, it has also put new pressure on fragile ecosystems. Finding a balance between protection and development has become a new challenge for Russia.
The modernization of Lake Bell and Lake Baikal reflects the attitudes and strategies of different countries and regions in the face of environmental problems. Their story continues, how will it play out in the future? The answer to this question remains to be given.
Epilogue:
Lake Bell and Lake Baikal, two lakes with similar names, have very different but closely related destinies. Their stories are like a mirror, reflecting the complex changes in China's relations with neighboring countries in modern times.
Today, when we stand on the shores of these two lakes, we see a scene of peace and tranquility. What do you think differently about this?
Resources:
[1] Hulunbuir released fish fry in Bell Lake in the boundary lake of China and Mongolia to promote sustainable development[J].Aquaculture,2011,32(11):10.)
[1] Xiao Yang. The tragedy of Lake Baikal[J].Study and Exploration,1980,(05):120-121.
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