Yunnan province, Southwestern China, recently held a conference to promote tourism in its vast Three Parallel Rivers Protected Areas. Here is a brief glimpse of an ancient and majestic land.

Yunnan tourism focuses on environmental protection?

The three rivers—the Nujiang, the Lancang, and the Jinsha—run through nine nature reserves and 10 scenic spots, including Lijiang City of Yunnan province, the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture.

The Protected Areas encompass high snowy mountain peaks, gorges and dangerous shoals, immense forests, and glacial erosion lakes.

In a province rich in spectacular scenery, the area at the convergence of East Asia, South Asia, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is its largest, covering 1.7 million hectares. Moreover, the area has immense biological diversity and is home to a variety of colorful ethnic cultures.

On July 2, 2003, the site was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.