Published : 02/07/2024

On July 2, 2003, the "Three Parallel Rivers" in the northwestern part of Yunnan was included in the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The "Three Rivers" refer to the Jinsha River, the Lancang River, and the Nu River.

All three originate from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, yet they run in parallel from north to south in Yunnan Province, covering more than 170 kilometres. They run through the Daankalik Mountain, Gaoligongshan Mountain, Nu Mountain and Yunling among other magnificent mountain ranges, forming a unique geographical landscape where the rivers run in parallel without converging, a rare sight in the world.

The shortest linear distance between the Lancang River and the Jinsha River is 66 kilometres, while the shortest linear distance between the Lancang River and the Nu River is less than 19 kilometres.

The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas cover an area of 1.7 million hectares, including nine nature reserves and ten scenic and historic areas located in Lijiang City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan.

It is one of the rare representative areas of high-mountain terrain and its evolution in the world, and also one of the regions with the richest biodiversity globally.

The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas has attracted global attention since being discovered on a satellite scan image by a UNESCO official in 1985.

In 1988, it was designated as a national scenic and historic area in the second batch approved by the State Council.