Hengduan Mountains

Here the Jinsha, Lancang and Nu rivers run side by side through deep gorges, and a single mountain can hold all four seasons in a rare vertical sweep of habitats.

Beneath Mount Gongga, king of Sichuan's peaks, the Hailuogou Glacier descends to low altitude and meets primeval forest in a spectacular living landscape.

Revered as foremost of the eight sacred mountains of the Tibetan regions, Meili Snow Mountain shelters primeval alpine conifers and vast swathes of wild rhododendron.

Hailed as the last pure land on the blue planet, Luorong Meadow spreads alpine wetland and pristine grassland beneath Yading's three guardian snow peaks.

By the Yuan, the Tea Horse Road served as an important corridor into Tibet and for central-government administration, linking trade and transport across the Hengduan region.

In 2003, the Three Parallel Rivers protected areas were inscribed for their geological, scenic, ecological, and biodiversity values.