World Natural Heritage: Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2)

The Lancang River is the upper reaches of the Mekong River and flows into the South China Sea, and the Nujiang River is the upper reaches of the Salween River and flows into the Andaman Sea. The Lancang River and Nujiang River are two international rivers, with the Lancang River flowing through six countries (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam) and is also known as the "Oriental Danube." The shortest straight line distance between the Lancang River and Jinsha River is 66 kilometers and that between the Lancang River and Nujiang River is less than 19 kilometers.

Controlled by the geological structure conditions, the three rivers run through the whole region from north to south and are limited in a narrow zone of 60 to 100 kilometers, forming the only wonder of three parallel rivers in the world and generating the Nujiang Grand Canyon, the Meili Snow Mountain and the Grand Canyon of the Lancang River and the Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Jinsha River. In the three parallel rivers region, the rivers and mountains stand at intervals, which are the Gaoligong Mountain, Nujiang River, Nushan Mountain (Biluo Snow Mountain), Lancang River, Yunling Mountain, Jinsha River and Shaluli Mountain from east to west. Looking from the air, the three rivers run through the whole region from north to south, flowing through 170 kilometers and creating the unique geological wonders of "four abreast mountains and three parallel rivers" in the world.