The Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan Protected Areas, Lijiang is the 29th project of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage in China. This marvelous natural scene was first discovered by an expert at the United Nations in the 1980 while he was studying a satellite map of the Northern Hemisphere. He found that in the northwest area of Yunnan Province, three rivers were flowing parallel to each other from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the south but never converged during their course. Once discovered, the Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan Protected Areas aroused quite an interest among geologists and other researchers.
The Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan Protected Areas in Lijiang comprises of the Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nu River that flow parallel to each other along the Hengduan Mountain range for several hundred kilometers. All these rivers originate in the Tanggula Mountain on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and follow a distinct course that is separated by very short distance. The distance between the Lancang River and Jinsha River is only 66 kilometers (about 41 miles) and between the Lancang River and Nu River, the distance is less than 19 kilometers (about 12 miles). Given the short distance between their courses, it is a very rare phenomenon that they do not converge. Equally interesting is the fact that entrances of these three parallel rivers to different seas are separated by thousands of kilometers.
The Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan Protected Areas in Lijiang covers Nu Jiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Lijiang District. This protected area is endowed with several panoramic vistas and breathtaking sceneries. This area abounds in many gurgling rivers, majestic mountains, deep gorges, rare species of flora and fauna and is home to 16 ethnic groups. You can see various snow capped mountains in the Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan Protected Area in Lijiang. The height of these mountains varies from 2,000 meters (about 6562 feet) to 6,000 meters (over 19,600 feet), and there are more than 100 snow covered mountains higher than 5, 000 meters (over 16, 400 feet) in this area. The most famous among them is the Meili Snow Mountain, which is regarded as a Holy Mountain by the local Tibetan People.
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