Hi, I am China: Ali, birth place of brilliant ancient civilization

The Shiquan River in Ali (Photo/Xu Yongchun)

Ali Prefecture, with an average altitude of above 4,500 meters and an area of more than 300,000 square kilometers, is located in the western part of the Tibetan region.

Ali Prefecture is full of barren and desolate places. It is where a mysterious and brilliant ancient civilization was nurtured. The current ritual procedures preserved in the Tibetan culture and religions are closely related to the old civilization. Therefore, Ali is called the “second Dunhuang” by scholars.