In 2021, when the water and grass on the Mongolian plateau are at their most abundant, Food and Heart followed the research team to the prairie, heading north from the Ulan Hada volcanic grassland to Hohhot, and encountered a rare heavy rain on the grassland on the way.
The most interesting thing is that in the reinforced concrete jungle, the sky I see is always a gray slab, but on the vast Mongolian plateau, there are actually strong winds and rainstorms in the vast field of vision at the same time. There are also illustrations of blue sky and white clouds. The teacher kept driving ahead to remind us, look, it is raining heavily on the left, and there is a blue sky on the right; we are about to enter a heavy rain shower... The interesting scenes and exciting feelings are really difficult to describe in words. Due to abundant rainfall this year, the grass in Hohhot is exceptionally green and the sky is exceptionally blue.
From Hohhot, continue westward along the Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway (G6/G7). The vegetation is getting sparser and sparse. Daqingshan and Yinshan have changed from being lush and lush with vegetation to gradually becoming covered with gravel beaches and flat land. The vegetation on the mountains and mountains is getting less and less, and when you reach Alxa, it is almost a Gobi desert.
1. The sky-like Alxa
Alxa League is located in the westernmost part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is connected to the three cities of Wuhai, Bayannur and Ordos to the east and northeast, and to the south and southeast. It is adjacent to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu Province to the west and southwest, and Mongolia to the north. The Alxa Plateau is part of the Inner Mongolia Plateau. The word "Alxa" comes from ancient Turkic language. Some people say it is another transliteration of "Helan", although the difference sounds obvious. It is said that Helan in Mongolian means horse.
The Alxa Plateau is mainly located in the west and north of the Helan Mountains. Rainwater here is absolutely rare, but we actually brought a little rain along the way! The evaporation of water there is much greater than the amount of precipitation. The water resources are mainly groundwater and there is less surface water. The vegetation is mainly extremely sparse shrubs and semi-shrub deserts, and there is even almost no grass in large areas. Water pools, swamps and grass lakes are mainly distributed in the Tengger Desert and the Ulan Buh Desert, commonly known as desert lake basins.
After walking in the haze and light rain for many days, we arrived in the hinterland of Alxa. The sky was clear and the stingy white clouds seemed not to take the initiative to be nostalgic for this barren land. Seeing the clouds floating toward the east intact, the teacher said that the clouds seemed to contain at least dozens of tons of water, but had no intention of falling down.
I am standing on the sand pile now, and I really want to catch that stingy cloud and put it on the Alxa Plateau.
On the Alxa Plateau, drought-tolerant camels are mainly grazed. There are no cattle or sheep here, and occasionally horses can be seen. The horses under the setting sun are dyed into a different color by the red sun, full of the kind of illusion and beauty that you can't usually see.
The horses in the sunset are full of power and beauty.
The beautiful sunset on the Alxa Plateau
Watching the teacher take photos of the sunset was so engaging that I never left until the end. We all accompanied the teacher to enjoy the whole process of the sunset.
At sunset, eight lifelike animal-headed harps of different shapes are blown by the breeze. The dynamic setting sun in front of you and the animal-headed harp on the right play a plateau symphony that echoes endlessly.
After entering Alxa, although it no longer seemed to have a strong sense of life, I felt a bit disappointed when I felt the scenery of a sunset. But the teacher still reminded us excitedly that there is a particularly beautiful song called Alxa, which is like the sky. Seeing the barren grassland, with no sight of cows and sheep in the windblown grass, there is indeed no sense of beauty. Optimistic and sentimental people will in turn praise the sky that rarely spreads sweet rain and feels sorry for them. I suddenly felt Moved. Contentment is the kind of mentality we talk about. On the way to dinner, I was thinking and listened to the powerful song - the sky-like Alxa over and over again on my phone.
"A distant mirage
The camel caravan is like a moving mountain
A mysterious dream is in the horizon
Abba's figure is looming
Hey... my Alxa
The sky-like Alxa
The vast golden desert
The camel bells bring me back to my childhood
p>A lullaby is ringing in my ears again
Grandma’s voice is suddenly near and far away
A lullaby is ringing in my ears again
Grandma’s voice is suddenly near Huyuan
Hey... my Alxa
Alxa as blue as the sea
Hey... my Alxa
Canghai Like Alxa
Sand Sea Oasis Clear Spring
Swans miss the golden temple
The vast earth is home
The thoughts in my heart will last forever
The boundless earth is my home
The thoughts in my heart will last forever
Alas... my Alxa
The boundless earth Alxa
Hey... my Alxa
The vast land of Alxa"
If you take a moment to listen to this song, look at this land vividly, and think about the singer The feeling, coupled with the musical effect of the morinouqin, may really be a tear-jerking feeling of sadness and joy. Sadness is not negativity, but a helpless sigh. Joy is a strong will and an effort that does not yield to nature.
2. Green Populus euphratica forest and pink tamarisk trees
Ejina Banner of Alxa League is probably one of the best places to view the combination of desert, Populus euphratica forest and lake oasis closest to Beijing. one.
Coming from Alxa Left Banner to Ejina, the low shrubs on the road were gradually replaced by poplar euphratica trees. The closer to Ejina, the more trees and camels there were. The original desolate state of the desert was changed by Ejina, and the meaning of Ejina cannot be ignored. Ejina means black water river. Every winter, spring and summer are the dry seasons in Ejina. In September, a black water, Ejina River, will suddenly appear in this deserted land.
In addition to eating and drinking, the special feature of Ejina may be the Populus euphratica forest. People say that they will live for a thousand years, even if they die, they will not fall for a thousand years, and even if they fall, they will remain immortal for a thousand years. Today's Populus euphratica forest is not yet the golden time with blue sky and clear water. Most people will come here in autumn to experience the stunning combination of golden Populus euphratica forest and blue sky, green water and yellow sand. However, forest visitors may not have seen the blooming Populus euphratica trees and their leaves. Adult leaves of Populus euphratica are more angular than leaves of poplar trees, a bit like multi-angular duck webs. What surprised me was that the young leaves of Populus euphratica looked like willow trees. At first glance, I thought it was some kind of plant attached to the Populus euphratica tree. I was so confused that I didn't know whether to call it Populus euphratica or Willow euphratica.
Food and Heart and the research team arrived in Ejina at the end of July, which was the dry season of the Ejina River. The river bed has dried up, and there is not a drop of water except for the sand. Only the green grass and trees by the river can make people realize that there is still water underground. The leaves of the poplar trees are still green, but the big trees on the long yellow sand make people look admirable. The combination of green trees, blue sky and yellow sand is still beautiful.
There is a desert-like strip between the Populus euphratica forest in the distance and the reeds nearby. This is the Ejina River. The reeds did not dry up because the river dried up, because they were drawing from the river water hidden underground.
The Ejina River is really a magical river. It can become invisible and turn into a desert in different seasons. It can also become a raging and rapid river in another season. It is not an ordinary small river or stream. Walking on the sand piles of the river bed, the traces of erosion over time and seasons told me everything.
In addition to poplar trees, we also saw clusters of red willows. Many people like to eat tamarisk kebabs, but do you know what a tamarisk tree looks like? Have you ever seen tamarisk blooming? You can also see a few tamarisk trees in the National Olympic Village in Beijing, but the dense tamarisk trees in Ejina and the conspicuous combination of colors and leaves are indeed much more spectacular than the National Olympic Village. Although we did not catch up with the most beautiful season of poplar trees, we caught up with the blooming time of red willow trees. The tamarisk blooms in Beijing in June, obviously two months later here.
Red willow, also known as multi-branched willow, is named after its red bark. It is a shrub or small tree and a sand- and drought-resistant plant widely distributed in desert areas. My friends are probably familiar with it. Although tamarisk is now planted in many parks in the east and south, if I didn't tell you that it was a tamarisk, you might actually think it was some kind of cypress plant.
Perhaps because of the drought, the flowers of tamarisk are very small, but they are very beautiful when you look closely. The yellow sand, green leaves, pink flowers and red branches are particularly enchanting. If it is a large tamarisk forest, it will be very shocking when it blooms. .
People in the northwest region love red willow trees very much. This small tree may seem to have weak branches, but it is very tough and tenacious because its narrow leaves can prevent water from evaporating and act like a fine net to block wind and sand. It is said that its root system is well-developed and penetrates deep into the earth to gain the ability to resist drought, wind, sand and cold. Strong wind and sand are difficult to uproot it. It is said that its lifespan can exceed a hundred or even a thousand years, and it can become a life landscape in the desert like the poplar tree.
Food and Heart I saw the red willow tree for the first time in Beijing a few years ago, but I didn’t know its name. I just liked it very much and wanted to see it bloom every year in May/June. After getting to know this beautiful and tenacious life deeply in Ejin this time, I immediately went to the Ant Forest to plant a red willow tree with reverence. I hope that it will thrive in the Xilin Gol grassland together with my wishes in the future.
We only stayed in Ejina for a short time, hoping not to miss any moment of gaining knowledge. After dinner, the hotel owner enthusiastically recommended that we go for a walk in a nearby small park after dinner. This is a long and narrow park. You can walk out of the park quickly. The road that crosses the park is a dry river, and on the other side of the river is a large poplar forest. While walking along the river bank, we startled a pheasant and watched it fly towards the Populus euphratica forest. Following its prompts, we discovered a larger Populus euphratica forest.
The park is not too big, so I quickly walked across it from east to west, north and south. In addition to poplar trees, red willow trees, a small shrub that looks like a black wolfberry, hollyhocks, and various miscellaneous plants that have begun to wither and turn yellow. Grass, this place is more like a small natural ecological park that integrates almost all local plant and vegetation resources. There are not many artificial traces. Although it is not gorgeous and beautiful, it is filled with a fresh fragrance that people have never smelled before. Sweet smell. I can't tell whether it's the fragrance of flowers, aromatic plants, or the fragrance of earth, leaves or weeds, but it smells very comfortable, refreshing and powerfully penetrating.
While taking a relaxing and comfortable walk, the name of a bacterium - Bacillus subtilis - flashed in Food and Heart's eyes and mind.
3. Bacillus subtilis
Bacillus subtilis, English name Bacillus subtilis, is a species of Bacillus and is widely distributed in grass, leaves, branches, soil and decay Among the organic matter, as animals eat plants, they are also widely distributed in the digestive tract and feces of herbivores. Named for its tendency to grow in the sap of dead grass. In fact, this fungus is attached to leaves and plant leaves in large numbers, quietly waiting for the cycle of seasons and the moment when flowers and leaves fall. Then they activate their power to transform dead leaves and grass into New spring for plants is the energy source for germination - fertilizer. Bacillus subtilis is also a microorganism that is beneficial to humans. Bacillus subtilis is an aerobic bacterium that can also tolerate the hypoxic environment of the intestine and can survive in most extreme environments inside and outside the body.
Although Bacillus subtilis sounds a bit boring and few people call it by its real name, it is the mommy’s love you have given your children. Bacillus subtilis is used in many countries around the world, including China, in animal feed, fermented soy products and as a probiotic supplement. Its figure has a completely irreplaceable and prominent position in another food - natto.
A large number of studies have found that Bacillus subtilis has the following 18 beneficial effects:
What is different from other probiotics is that: Bacillus subtilis has both probiotic properties and prebiotics The characteristic is that it is a probiotic and can promote the growth of other probiotics. At present, most of the probiotics are Lactobacillus, Chromic acid bacteria or Bifidobacterium. Lactobacilli are mostly facultative aerobic bacteria. Although they like anaerobic environment, they can also tolerate oxygen environment, while Bifidobacterium is strictly anaerobic. bacteria. The same or similar probiotics require similar living environment and survival materials. They are mostly in a competitive relationship with each other and are difficult to promote each other. Some lactobacilli also produce lactobacilli, which inhibit the growth of other lactobacilli; Bacillus subtilis is an aerobic bacterium. It can tolerate low-oxygen environments and is in a different ecological niche than Lactobacillus. Its products of decomposing plant food can also promote the growth of Lactobacillus.
4. Warm summary of Food and Heart
Although Food and Heart and the others did not stay in Alxa for a long time, they were impressed by the beautiful scenery and enthusiastic people here. Very impressed.
In this arid, barren, yet beautiful and vast environment, there live tenacious plants (such as poplar trees, tamarisk trees, and camel thorns), and strong animals (such as camels and horses), There are still enthusiastic and optimistic people living here, and their tough and beautiful lives make people respect and love them from the bottom of their hearts.
Due to the epidemic and the adjustment of the itinerary, the Food and Heart group arrived in Ejina one day earlier than expected. On the way, they communicated with the hotel whether they could check in one day early and cancel their stay the next day. After the hotel confirmed it, they were not only happy but We agreed, and all the rooms we booked were upgraded at the same price. Each room was larger and more comfortable than booked, which was really surprising. The buffet breakfast here is also very rich. When we left, the store owner went out to say goodbye and gave us a lot of home-grown cucumbers and tomatoes for us to eat on the road, which was very touching.
Why are the people here so warm and kind? Is it because Mongolians are naturally hospitable? Is it because the environment here is beautiful and harmonious? Although this is indeed a place where humans and natural ecology are in harmony, Food and Heart still firmly believes that a reason that cannot be ignored is that the environment here is filled with a large number of microorganisms that are beneficial to people, animals, and plants.
In addition to Mycobacterium vaccae introduced in Journey in Search of Beneficial Microorganisms 1: Ulan Hada Volcanic Grassland and Gannan Grassland and Mycobacterium vaccae, the environment here also contains a large number of Bacillus subtilis.
Different from other probiotics, Bacillus subtilis not only has many benefits for the human body, but also for plants such as Populus euphratica and tamarisk, as well as animals such as camels and horses. Moreover, Bacillus subtilis not only has probiotic properties itself, but its metabolites and digested products also have prebiotic properties, which can promote the growth of other probiotics in the intestine.
In Ejina, Food and Heart are particularly happy. The scene I just saw is: at night, there are no players on the beach volleyball court in the park, but there are many children playing in the sand, and the parents Chatting at the gate of the stadium, not caring if the children get dirty. In the process of playing, these children will surely acquire many microorganisms that are beneficial to the human body, increase the diversity and stability of the intestinal flora, and promote the development of the gut, immunity and brain.
On the other hand, in big cities, parents will make a fuss if their children grab a handful of hay or touch some dirt, and teach their children not to touch dirty things, let alone lie on the grass.
However, there is indeed a problem, that is, the lawns in the parks are often not allowed to be stepped on, and pesticides are sprayed. The dead grass leaves in the parks are often cleaned and transported away quickly before Bacillus subtilis can treat them. I don’t know whether they are buried as compost or compost. Incineration treatment. In fact, it is a waste of very good human health resources.
Many people have had such an experience. In late autumn and early winter, stepping on the thick fallen leaves, walking forward step by step, listening to the rustling of the fallen leaves, they are very relaxed and happy, and their food and heart are super good. Enjoy this feeling. In the long process of evolution, humans and animals have to interact with all living things, and they have also acquired an instinct to be in close contact with environmental microorganisms in various seasons. Fallen leaves and dead grass contain a large number of microorganisms that are beneficial to humans, such as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis. When walking on fallen leaves and dead grass, the crushed powder blows into our nasal cavities and mouths with bacteria and autumn wind, allowing us to acquire these microorganisms. Enhance immunity and prevent infections such as influenza viruses, rhinoviruses, and coronaviruses after winter.
Not only that, they can boost our mood and mood. So, don’t hesitate the next time you want to step on fallen leaves. Don’t stop your children from stepping on fallen leaves, because this is a very natural and very healthy activity. It is our instinct calling: Come and replenish probiotics. Bar! I also especially want to appeal to the gardeners and cleaners, and even more to their managers, these things are not garbage! It is a mediator of biological microorganisms that keeps humans away from diseases and improves emotional intelligence.
Bacillus subtilis also has many excellent properties and can be used to make fermented food - natto. Natto is formed by fermenting cooked soybeans with Bacillus subtilis. People who have time can make their own natto at home, while those who don’t have time can buy natto directly in supermarkets or online stores. The taste of natto may be difficult for some people to accept at first, but if you eat too much, you will fall in love with the taste, because compared with the smell and the mood after eating, the taste when eating can be completely ignored, and even more... tasty.
If you can eat natto and often go for a walk in the forest and grass, and get more Bacillus subtilis that naturally exists in the environment, so that your mouth and nose can be protected, I really don’t know how effective it will be. It’s beautiful. I feel happy just thinking about it. I feel like I’ve written too much again without realizing it. See you next time!