Tian Shan

The central Tian Shan surround the high Yulduz basin with snow-covered ridges. Streams descending from glaciers and mountain slopes feed the Kaidu River, which winds across the grasslands before flowing southeast toward Bosten Lake. The high pastureland and wetlands contrast with the steep, cold ranges enclosing them. Valleys and passes provide ways through a mountain system that separates the Tarim Basin from lands farther north.