Sand controlling plan of Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring

   Section One  Planning aim and guiding principle

1.  Planning aim

This plan aims to recover the original special flow field in Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring within 20 years by scientific planning and sandstorm control measures, to resolve the worrying situation completely where the Crescent Moon-shaped Spring is surrounded by all sand dunes and protect the incomparably beautiful scenery of “sand dunes around the spring and reflected in the spring” & “mountains with the spring, sand with the water”. On the basic respect for natural law, this plan aims to exploit the tourist resources reasonably to realize the harmonious coexistence of human & nature and sustainable development of scenic spot & surrounding areas.

2.Guiding principle

This plan is designed upon the following basic guiding principles:

  (1)  Respect the natural law, based on real observation fact and analyses;

   (2). Recover the damage caused by force of nature, with the assistant of necessary and suitable engineering measures;

(3).  Realize the harmonious coexistence of human & nature as well as socioeconomic development in surrounding areas, starting from protecting and exploiting the tourist resources in the scenic spot;

 (4). Make comprehensive plan with stepwise demonstration. Proceed carefully in case of irrecoverable error resulted from multiple effects and even destructive negative effects.

   (5). Coordinate in sand treatment planning under the premise of General Plan for Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring 2008-2025.

         Section Two  Detailed planning

1.Short-range planning(year 2011–2015)

(2). In order to speed up and improve the environmental protection & treatment in Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring, it is suggested to set up the Environmental Protection Institute of Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring to carry out or associate with related scientific research institution for environmental monitoring, protection as well as research work, in charge of the formulation and implementation environmental protection in the scenic spot.

  (3). Build streamline sand guiding wall in the south of Spring Pavilion to transport the sand at the foot of Southern Dune and to stop the mountain foot forward leading situation caused wind or artificial sliding on the other hand.

      (4). Reform the architectural complex of Spring Pavilion to increase its ventilation degree along east–west and relieve the severe sand accumulation in the northern slope of Southern Dune in the west of Spring Pavilion.

      (5). Open the Northern Dune to visitors properly to change and recover the slope form of Spring Slope by visitors’ climbing and sliding.

        (6). Repair the southeast arm of Northern Dune, distributing the airflow into Large Spring Bay reasonably in order to relieve the accumulated “forward leading” and accumulated sand in the west side, restraining the inward moving of the Spring Slope of Southern Dune. It is suggested to set up blocking barriers with high top and low bottom along the sand ridge line by comparing current morphological character of southeast arm of Northern Dune to that in the 1960s, manually move peripheral coarse material to both sides of the barriers to repair the shape of southeast arm, in accordance with the shape in the 1960s.

        (7). Increase the water delivery to Crescent Moon-shaped Spring properly to raise the water level and enlarge the water area in order to elevate the topography inside the Large Spring Bay for the recovery of intrinsic airflow diversion mechanism. Reduce the wind volume towards west & northwest and increase the wind volume toward southwest to relieve the accumulated “forward leading” and accumulated sand in the west side, restraining the northward movement of Southern Dunes. In the meantime, local circulation between Crescent Moon-shaped Spring and sand dunes can be strengthened to increase the sand delivery amount inside the Large Spring Bay.

         (8). Revamp the underlying surface of Small Spring Bay, allow its full play to prevent the sand and guide the wind direction. It is suggested to pull down the above-ground structures or change them into streamline or ventilated type. Cut down tall trees and compact shrub forest to strengthen wind guiding function. Plant low shrub grass to change the buildings vertical to predominant wind direction into parallel direction to maintain the sand preventing function.

       (9). Set up two buffer zones with the width of 500-1000m in the periphery of the scenic spot, including the outer-ring of Northern Dune and low sand dune area of Eastern Gobi, referring to Picture 7.1. The first buffer zone will be close to the low dune area of Northern Dune and Eastern Gob with the width of 200-300m where new buildings and plants are forbidden and only existing structure and trees can be kept; the second buffer zone will be build outside the first one with the width of 300-700m in which new structures and plants are restricted strictly. The height of structures inside the buffer zones shall not be higher than 8m according to General Plan for Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring 2008-2025.

Picture 7.1 Diagrammatic sketch of simulant establishment of buffer areas in the periphery 

The central goal of short-range planning is to improve and recover sand environment of the core areas (Large Spring Bay and Small Spring Bay), regain its flow field and dune morphology especially the flow field in the core areas with northerly and northeasterly, restricting the northward movement of Southern Dune, accumulation increase in the upper & middle part of Northern Dune and accumulated sand in the west side.

2. Medium term planning (year 2016-2020)

  (1). Reform the protection forest near sand dunes inside the first buffer zones in the north of Northern Dune and Western Dune, relieving the sand accumulation problems in the northeastern corner of Northern Dune. Transport westerly wind to disturb the airflow in the north of Western Dune to increase sand transporting capacity of western region and conduct effective restriction to the northward movement of Southern Dune, which also weakens the disturbing on the southern airflow of Western Dune from the westerly wind. Thus sand transporting capacity of northward movement of Southern Dune will be abated and so is the northward range.

      (2). Manually reform the southwest side of southwest arm of Northern Dune properly and intermediately cut down the protection forest inside the buffer zones of western periphery, so as to enhance the westerly wind inside Large Spring Bay and promote the sand transport balance.

 (3). Build the decision-making system of visitor number control and open areas. Control the visitor number and sand sliding location according the sand discharge rate & sand material during visitors’ climbing and sliding a few days ago or last night., making their ability to reinvent on the regional sand dunes less than or same as the recovery capability of nature itself.

    (4). Remaining land use types of other regions in the buffer zones. New buildings and plants are forbidden in the first buffer zone and structure expansion and new trees are strictly restrained in the second buffer zone.

The main goal of medium term planning is to reform the surrounding areas of the scenic spot, especially the sand environment in the west entrance, and recover the flow field of westerly wind inside Large Spring Bay in order to suppress the sand damage in core areas caused by artificially over sliding.

3.Long-range planning (year 2021-2030)

 (1). Sand treatment for the southern slope of Southern Dune and areas south of it. Increase the field moisture of southern slope of Southern Dune and areas south of it by introducing manual irrigation. Some mechanical defense measures such as grass squares around the border are taken to decrease the sand transport quantity from Southern Dune effectively and restrains the northward movement of Southern Dune in an effective way.

(2). Reform the protection forests in the low sand dune area of Eastern Gobi in the northeast and peripheral buffer zones, speed up the wind velocity when northerly, northeasterly and westerly wind comes into the scenic spot and increase the sand transport intensity inside it.

The goal of long-range planning is to stop the northward movement of Southern Dune completely and recover the flow filed inside Large Spring Bay, so as to realize the dynamic balance of sand transport.

Section Three  Attention points in the implement process

Mount Mingshashan and Crescent Moon-shaped Spring is influenced by multiple circulation when the dunes are changed due to both natural factors and indispensable human factors. The change between circulation and dunes forms a complicated system impacted by the interaction and interrelationship of multiple levels & factors. It is difficult to figure out the total relationship among those factors. So we are double cautious during the plan making process, analyze & sequence the plan implement strictly which means the further step will be planned after the last one has reached expected target. So during the implement process, the planning procedure must be followed strictly especially for the contents in three phrases which cannot be exchanged easily and real time monitoring on treatment results shall be carried out for suitable improvement. Although cautious and detailed analysis has been made in the plan, there will also be some missing points and imperfect consideration due to the complexity of such implement. Consequently, except the short-range planning, assessment and analysis must be done to the previous planning implement during medium term planning and long-range planning when detailed demonstration analysis shall also be made to pre-implemented contents.