Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas

Yunnan Three Parallel Rivers Reserve is the upstream part of three famous rivers in Asia.The Jinsha River (Upper Yangtze River), Lancang River (Upper Mekong River), and Nu River (Upper Salween) rush into parallel in this area, from north to south. Icebergs and snow-capped peaks can be seen all over the region, among which are the snow-capped Meili mountain, the snow-capped Baima mountain and the snow-capped Haba mountain which form a very spectacular landscape.

This place known as the “World Bank of Biological Genes” is also the most abundant geological and geomorphological museum in the world. In 2003, the reserve of the three parallel rivers of Yunnan was registered with the natural world heritage.

Due to the peculiar geological structure of the Three Parallel Rivers region, the most concentrated biodiversity, rich human resources and the beautiful and magical natural landscapes of Eurasia make this region a wonder of the world. This area is of great value for showing the geological history associated with the collision of the Indian Ocean Technton Plate and the Eurasian Plate over the past 50 million years, showing the closure of the ancient Mediterranean and the uprising of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau. The diversity of rock types in this region testifies to this history. The karst topography, granite monoliths and sandstone landforms of Danxia in the high mountains cover some of the largest mountains in the world.