Knowra Hengduan Mountains Hengduan Mountains The Hengduan Mountains are a system of mountain ranges in southwestern China, between the Tibetan Plateau and the Sichuan Basin. Deep river valleys and steep climatic gradients make them one of the world’s richest temperate regions for biodiversity.
Tibetan Plateau : A high plateau in Central and East Asia, bounded by major mountain systems and containing the headwaters of many large rivers. The plateau borders the Hengduan ranges to the northwest and helps define their high-relief setting.
Three Parallel Rivers : A UNESCO World Heritage region in Yunnan where the upper Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween rivers flow in parallel deep valleys. This protected region shows the Hengduan’s defining combination of parallel rivers, steep relief, and diverse habitats.
Hengduan Mountains conifer forests : A temperate conifer forest ecoregion of southwestern China, containing extensive forests of fir, spruce, and other trees. These forests cover large areas of the higher ranges and anchor many of their distinctive ecosystems.
Meili Snow Mountain : A mountain massif in northwestern Yunnan, China, whose highest peak is Kawagebo. It exemplifies the region’s dramatic high peaks and sacred mountain landscapes.
Sichuan Basin : A densely populated lowland basin in southwestern China, enclosed by mountains and centered on the Sichuan region. Its western rim meets the Hengduan system, marking a sharp transition from basin to mountain terrain.
Orographic precipitation : Precipitation produced when moist air rises, cools, and condenses as it crosses elevated terrain. Mountain barriers create sharp differences in rainfall between slopes and valleys across the ranges.
Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas : A UNESCO World Heritage property comprising protected areas in the mountainous region of northwestern Yunnan. Its protected landscapes conserve a representative stretch of the Hengduan’s exceptional river-valley diversity.
Kawagebo : The highest peak of Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan, China, rising to about 6,740 meters. Its elevation illustrates the extreme vertical range found within the Hengduan Mountains.
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau : A dissected plateau in southwestern China, characterized by varied elevations, karst landscapes, and deeply incised valleys. It extends southeast of the Hengduan ranges and connects their relief to southwestern China’s broader uplands.
Rain shadow : A dry region on the sheltered side of a mountain range, where descending air has lost much of its moisture. Rain-shadow effects help produce contrasting habitats across and within the Hengduan ranges.
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