| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Location of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas indicated by a red circle | |
| Location | Yunnan,China |
| Criteria | Natural: (vii)(viii)(ix)(x) |
| Reference | 1083 |
| Inscription | 2003 (27thSession) |
| Extensions | 2010 |
| Coordinates | 27°53′42″N98°24′23″E / 27.89500°N 98.40639°E /27.89500; 98.40639 |
  Location of Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan  Three Parallel Rivers (China) Show map of China | |
TheThree Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (Chinese:云南三江并流;pinyin:Yúnnán Sānjiāng Bìngliú) is aUNESCO World Heritage Site inYunnan province, China. It lies within thedrainage basins of the upper reaches of theJinsha (Yangtze), Lancang (Mekong) and Nujiang (Salween) rivers, in the Yunnan section of theHengduan Mountains.[1]
The protected areas extend over 15 core areas, totalling 939,441.4 ha, and buffer areas, totalling 758,977.8 ha across a region of 180 km by 310 km. Here, for a distance of over 300 km, three ofAsia's great rivers run roughly parallel to one another though separated by high mountain ranges with peaks over 6,000 meters. After this area of nearconfluence, the rivers greatly diverge: theNujiang River becomes Salween and empties out atMoulmein,Burma, into theIndian Ocean; the Lancang becomes theMekong and empties at south ofHo Chi Minh City,Vietnam into theSouth China Sea; and theYangtze flows into theEast China Sea atShanghai. Selected nature reserves and places of scenic beauty in this unique region were collectively awarded World Heritage Site status in 2003 for their very rich biodiversity and outstanding topographical diversity.
Running parallel to these three rivers, slightly to the west, is the river gorge of theN'Mai River, the main tributary to theIrrawaddy River. About 100 kilometers to the west and northwest is the watershed of theLohit River, a tributary of theBrahmaputra River and the greaterGanges-Brahmaputra system. Thus, in this unique mountainous region, adjacent headwaters feed five of Asia's most significant rivers; from east to west, they are: Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Irrawaddy, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra. They are all among the top 15 rivers on the continent by volume or length.
In its description,UNESCO mentions: "(It) may be the most biologically diversetemperate region on earth" and "An exceptional range of topographical features - fromgorges tokarst to glaciated peaks -- is associated with the site being at a 'collision point' oftectonic plates".
Due to its topography and geographical location, theThree Parallel Rivers region contains many climate types. Average annual precipitation ranges from 4,600 mm in the Dulongjian area in the west ofGongshan county to 300 mm in the upper valleys of the Yangtze river. The protected areas are home to around 6,000 species of plants, 173 species of mammals, and 417 species of birds. Many of the flora and fauna species areendemic to the region.
The Three Parallel Rivers has been acknowledged as anatural World Heritage Site. Demographically, the region contains many of the twenty-five ethnic groups found in Yunnan province (including theDerung, the smallest of all of China's minority groups). Other minorities found in this region include theTibetan people, theNu people, theLisu, theBai, thePumi and theNaxi. Many of these minorities still usetraditional costumes as their normal daily attire.
In the same region as the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas lies theOld Town of Lijiang, which is also a World Heritage Site in its own right.
The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas consists of fifteen protected areas, in eight geographic clusters. The areas include:
According to UNESCO "The area covered by the World Heritage site is claimed to be the mostbiodiverse and least disturbedtemperateecosystems in the world".
The protectedterrestrial ecoregion areas of thisbiodiversity hotspot are for a large part covered with both temperateconiferous andbroadleaf forests. The protected areas are home to around 6,000 species of plants, many of which areendemic to the region. More than 200 varieties ofrhododendron and more than 100 species ofgentians andprimulas are found in the areas.
The fauna found in the areas includes 173 species of mammals, of which 81 are endemic, and 417 species of birds, of which 22 are endemic. Some of the mammals which inhabit these regions are the endemicblack snub-nosed monkey, theIndian leopard,snow leopard, andclouded leopard; theGaoligong pika,Gongshan muntjac,Chinese shrew mole, andcapped langur; thestump-tailed macaque,Asiatic wild dog,black musk deer, andtakin; thesmooth-coated otter,hoolock gibbon,Asian black bear andred panda.
Rare bird species in the areas includechestnut-throated partridge, theLady Amherst's pheasant,white-eared pheasant,Yunnan nuthatch, andgiant nuthatch; thewhite-speckled laughingthrush,ferruginous duck,Severtzov's grouse, andbrown-winged parrotbill; theWard's trogon,black-necked crane andVerreaux's monal-partridge.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
| East |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| South Central |
| |
| Southwestern | ||
| North | ||
| Northeast | ||
| Northwestern | ||
| Multiple regions |
| |
