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The Mighty Tien Shan


The Mighty Tien Shan
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1369 W: 9 N: 6334] (18906)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1991-01
Categories: Mountain
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-06-27 4:47
Viewed: 6409
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I am just about to set off fo Scotland - I am not holding out much hope for the weather as some places in the north have just experienced disasterous flooding - a month's rainfall in a few hours. This posting is a view of the Tien Shan in Almaty taken just as Kazakstan became independent from the USSR. It was taken only a couple of hundred miles from my Chinse posting - Bayanbulak Natural Grassland.

The Tian Shan (Chinese: 天山; Pinyin: Tiān Shān; "celestial mountains"), also commonly spelled Tien Shan, and known as Tangri Tagh ("celestial mountains" or "mountains of the spirits") in the Uyghur language, is a mountain range located in Central Asia.

The now widely-used name Tian Shan is a Chinese translation of the Uyghur name, which may in turn go back to a Xiongnu name, qilian (祁连) reported by the Shiji as the homeland of the Yuezhi, which has been argued[1] to refer to the Tian Shan rather than to the range 1,500 km further the east now known by this name. Another mountain range located in the general vicinity, the Tannu-Ola Mountains (Tuvan: Таңды-Уула Tangdy-Uula), also bears a synonymous name ("heaven/celestial mountains" or "god/spirit mountains").

The range lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. In the south it links up with the Pamir. It also extends into the Chinese province of Xinjiang and into the northern areas of Pakistan and some parts of Jammu and Kashmir where it meets with Hindu Kush.

In western cartography the eastern end of the Tian Shan is usually understood to be just west of Ürümqi, while the range to the east of that city is known as the Bogda Shan. However, in Chinese cartography, from the Han Dynasty to the present, the Tian Shan is also considered to include the Bogda Shan and Barkol ranges.

The Tian Shan are a part of the Himalayan orogenic belt which was formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates in the Cenozoic era. They are one of the longest mountain ranges in Central Asia, stretching some 2,800 km eastward from Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

This is a scanned slide.

delic, LordPotty, garyfudge, Debz, petrudamsa has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
Scotland Tripgaryfudge 1 06-27 11:55
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 440 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-06-27 5:55]

Hi James,
Let's see if I'll be the first today. Bold picture here taken in January. The peak is shown in all its majesty. Exposure is perfect. I like the faint hint of an alpenglow if that's what it is. Regards,
Hakan

A very impressive looking peak James.
Those pines are clasic pine tree shape.
Nice exposure and hint of morning or evening sun.
Cheers, Steve

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-06-27 10:04]

Hello James,
Excellent scan of this impressive mountain in fine winter lighting. If you're off to Scotland Ben Nevis must be a mole hill compared to this one. Hope the floods have abated and have a nice time!
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

James your knowledge of destinations is astonishing and your wite-ups really informative.

A wonderful shot of a very impressive mountain.

Gary

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1772 W: 36 N: 5597] (18598)
  • [2007-06-27 12:52]

Hi James,
This is not only mighty but really gigantic. The snowladen peak stands in all its glory and the miniscule pine trees add that much beauty to the shot. The glow of the peak in the morning sun looks marvellous. A wonderful place to be in as like all other places you have been. I have almost seen the entire world through your 'lenses'. Superbly composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2007-06-27 16:21]

Hi James.You can see why its called the Mighty.
a excellent compostion. with a very nice POV.I like the sun lighton the mountain top.very well done TFS great notes again..

Nick..

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-06-27 22:24]

Hello James

Wow,what a beautiful shot.The sheer magnitude of this mountain is felt in this image.I like the composition and the trees diagonally climbing the face of the mountain.The top of the mountain has a hint of sun illuminating it.Nicely done.TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • Debz Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 505 W: 0 N: 847] (3307)
  • [2007-07-01 7:50]

Hi James, as always this is a fabulous pov on this mountain, it shows the peak and enormity of it perfectly. Great detail and sharpness, good exposure and good colours.
tfs
debz

Hello James,
Majestic mountain!
Good details, and like in all images of some age a tad of colour decay but then it is wintertime...
Scenery is well framed, and sunrays hitting here and there add life!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Hi James,

I just had a look at your gallery. You're quite a globe trotter! I choosed to comment this pic, because there are just few images from that part of the world on TN. And this is a majestic peak indeed, that you caught with your camera in full splendor.

Cheers, Petru

Impressive picture, well taken.

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