Tomur Mountain - is back side of Pobeda peak.
Pobeda peak has the name of Mt. Tomur from China side!!!
(The text below is taken from the book "Planting the Five-Star Flag on Mt. Tomur.", by Foreign Languages Press Peking, 1979)
In July 1977, the Chinese mountaineers ascended for the first time Mt. Tomur, the
highest peak of the Tien-Shan Mountains, from its southern slope.
(In the photo to the left) Mt. Tomur >
Mt. Tomur, meaning "iron mountain" in Uighur, is located in Aksu Prefecture, Sin-
kiang Uighur Autonomous Region. Standing 7,435.3 metres above sea level, like a white-
haired man of age it has witnessed, from time immemorial, the progress of China's various nationalities in Sinkiang living and working together and jointly creating a brilliant
history of the Chinese nation on this rich and beautiful land. It has witnessed the invasion and ravage by foreign aggressors of the vast areas on the northwest frontier, as well
as the heroic struggles of the people of the various nationalities against imperialism and
feudalism.
The Tomur area has been part of China's sacred territory since ancient times. Historical records show that the rulers of the Han (206 B. C. -A. D. 220) and Tang (618-907)
dynasties maintained administrative offices, appointed or dismissed officials and stationed
troops to set up military colonies in Sinkiang, then known as the "Western Regions."
The vast areas north and south of the Tien-Shan and east and south of Lake Balkhash
were formally incorporated into the united and multi-national China. During the Han
Dynasty when Chang Chien was sent as an imperial emissary to the Western Regions
(139-126 B.C.), he passed through the Muzart Pass, cut across the Tien-Shan Mountains
and reached the Fergana river valley via the Issyk Lake. Some geographic records of that
time made reference to the central Tien-Shan Mountains (that is, the highest section of
the Tien-Shan in the Mt. Tomur area), and were the earliest in the world concerning the
Tien-Shan. In the Tang Dynasty, as cultural exchanges between China and Western countries developed, the region south and north of the Tien-Shan became an important trade
(In the photo to the left) Panorama of Mt. Tomur from Southeastern slope at 4.000 m>
route. In the 7th century when the Tang Dynasty Monk Hsuan Tsang went to India in
search of Buddhist sutras, he also passed through the Muzart Pass from Aksu northward.
In his Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty, he vividly describes
the Tien-Shan Mountains. The Tang Dynasty's famous poet Li Po was born in the town of
Suiyeh (near present-day Tokmak), northwest of the Issyk Lake. Some of his popular poems
describe the beauty of the Tien-Shan Mountains, such as: "The bright moon is above the
Tien-Shan, Misty in the sea of clouds" and "The Tienshan is still snow-clad in May, No
trace of flowers but cold all around," Close contacts were maintained between the people of the hinterland and of the various nationalities in the frontier regions during the
Sung (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. The Ching government appointed in 1762 a "General of Hi" in Sinkiang to administer the military and
civil affairs of the wide areas east and south of Lake Balkhash and the Pamirs. In 1884,
Sinkiang was formally established as a province. Tsarist Russia repeatedly invaded China
from the mid-19th century, carving off a large part of China's territory. But even according to the unequal "Protocol on Sino-Russian Boundary in the Kashgar Region" of 1882,
Mt. Tomur remained on China's side. After the founding of the new China, Sinkiang
became one of the national autonomous regions.
(In the photo to the right) Panorama of Mt. Tomur from Southweastern slope at 4.000 m>
Mt. Tomur is clad in snow all year round. To ascend the summit, the Chinese mountaineers faced precipitous slopes, deep canyons, glaciers, capricious weather, rarefied
air and frequent ice, snow and rock avalanches. By overcoming tremendous difficulties,
they successfully planted a five-star red flag on the summit. Working in close co-operation
with scientists, surveyors, carneramen and journalists, they also erected a three-metre red
metal surveying tripod inscribed with the words "Chinese Mountaineering Expedition."
They collected samples of ice, snow and rock, measured the exact height of Mt. Tomur,
shot a film and took photos of the peak. They also surveyed the peak and the surrounding area and carried out a study of its glaciology, hydrology, geology and biology, and
obtained a great amount of important data.
The Mt. Tomur area is not only beautiful in landscape, but also rich in resources.
