Mingyong Glacier, Sacred glacier near Mount Meili, Yunnan Province, China
Mingyong Glacier is a valley glacier on the slopes of Mount Meili in northwestern Yunnan, China. It flows down from the Meili Snow Mountain massif and reaches an unusually low elevation, where the ice meets dense forest vegetation.
Mingyong Glacier began forming several thousand years ago during a cooler and wetter period in the region's climate. Since the 1990s, it has been retreating steadily, and the lower edge of the ice has moved noticeably uphill.
The glacier is considered a sacred part of Mount Meili by the Tibetan villagers of Mingyong, who see the ice as a living body of the mountain god. During religious festivals, pilgrims gather at the foot of the glacier to burn incense and leave offerings.
A trail through the forest leads to a viewing platform where the glacier is clearly visible. Starting early in the morning gives the best chance of a clear view, as clouds tend to build up later in the day.
Mingyong Glacier descends to around 8,800 feet (2,700 meters), making it one of the lowest-lying glaciers at this latitude anywhere on Earth. At its lower edge, visitors can see ice sitting directly next to green trees, a sight that is rare anywhere in the world.
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