Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain range within the territory of Lijiang City, Yunnan Province. It is bordered by the Lijiang-Mingyin Highway to the east, faces the Tiger Leaping Gorge to the west, starts from Yuhu in the south, and extends to the mouth of the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge in the north. Located between 100°4'2"E - 100°16'30"E and 27°3'2"N - 27°18'57"N, it is about 15 kilometers north of Lijiang, with a total length of 75 kilometers. It is the mountain range with perennial snow closest to the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. Across the river to the west is the Zhongdian Snow Mountain, and to the east is the Mianmian Mountain, standing side by side. From the Sanjiangkou in the north, it extends southward to the latitude of 27°N, spreading out like a fan facing the ancient town. The 13 peaks of the mountain are arranged longitudinally from south to north, with the main peak, Fanzi Steep, reaching an altitude of 5596 meters, covered with snow all year round, and the snow line is between 4800 and 5000 meters. It has the temperate maritime glacier that is the closest to the equator on the Eurasian continent. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is called 'Oulu' in the Naxi language, meaning 'Mountain of the Gods'. Its thirteen continuous peaks resemble a 'giant dragon' soaring and dancing, hence the name 'Jade Dragon'. Also, because its rocks are mainly limestone and basalt, which are distinctly black and white, it is also known as the 'Black and White Snow Mountain'. It is the sacred mountain of the Naxi people, believed to be the incarnation of the Naxi's protective deity 'Sanduo'. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain possesses rich natural and cultural resources. In 1984, the Yunnan Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve was established. In 2001, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was rated as a 4A-level tourist attraction. In May 2007, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was rated as one of the first national 5A-level tourist attractions.