The Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area in Lijiang City is the southernmost large snow mountain in the Northern Hemisphere. Located in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, it is a 5A level national scenic spot officially approved by the National Tourism Administration. It is 35 kilometers long from north to south and 13 kilometers wide from east to west, covering an area of 960 square kilometers. The main peak, Fan, has a steep elevation of 5596 meters, and the high mountain snow landscape is located at an altitude of over 4000 meters, with dangerous, strange, beautiful, and beautiful scenery.
The Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area has abundant natural tourism resources, and its landscapes can be roughly divided into snow and glacier landscapes, alpine meadow landscapes, primitive forest landscapes, snow mountain water features, etc. The main peak Fan has a steep altitude of 5596 meters and is the lowest latitude and highest altitude mountain peak in the northern hemisphere of the world. Yulong Snow Mountain is called “Oulu” in Naxi language, meaning silver mountain rocks. It is wrapped in silver, with thirteen snow peaks stretching endlessly, like a “giant dragon” soaring and dancing, hence it is called the “Jade Dragon”.
The forest vegetation of Yulong Snow Mountain can be divided into four community types, namely: Yunnan pine forest community, Lijiang spruce forest community, large fruited redwood forest community, and fir forest community. The richness of plant species (including woody, shrub, and herbaceous) first increases and then decreases with increasing altitude. The species richness of the shrub layer shows a significant decreasing pattern with increasing altitude.
There are 59 species of major wild economic animals recorded in Yulong Snow Mountain, including 57 species belonging to 8 orders, 21 families, 42 genera of mammals. They are mostly distributed in high-altitude and sparsely populated areas, with the characteristics of more species and fewer numbers. Among them, there are 25 rare and endangered animals that are under national key protection.
Blue Moon Valley
The snow and ice of Yulong Snow Mountain melted into river water and flowed through a valley at the eastern foot of the mountain. The moon was reflected in the blue lake water against the backdrop of the blue sky, and the blue moon valley in British writer Hilton’s “The Disappearing Horizon” was similar to this. Named ‘Blue Moon Valley’.
Baishui River
Between Ganhaizi and Yunshanping, there is a valley with dense forests, a clear stream flowing long, and a river with clear springs flowing long at the bottom of the valley, called Baishui River. Due to the fact that the riverbed and terrace are composed of fragments of white marble and charcoal, they appear as a grayish white color; The clear spring flows over the stone and is also white, named “Baishui River” because of its color. The water of Baishui River comes from the melting water of glaciers and snow fields at an altitude of four to five kilometers.
Yunshanping
Yunshanping, with an altitude of 3240 meters, is a forested grassland located to the east of Yulong Snow Mountain, covering an area of approximately 0.5 square kilometers and standing at an altitude of around 3000 meters. In Naxi language, it is called “Wulu Youcui Ge”, which means a place of martyrdom. In the Naxi Dongba classic “Lu Ban Lu Rao”, Yunshanping was depicted as an ideal paradise where white deer were used as plowing oxen, red tigers as mounts, pheasants and birds came to announce dawn, white snow brewed wine, golden fruits on trees, and clean and fly free. It is also known as the “Jade Dragon Third Country” in Naxi mythology.
Yak ping
Maoniuping Naxi is called “Ge Zhangu” (Ge is a high mountain meadow, which is arranged like stars, and Gu is a square or corner), meaning a high mountain meadow arranged like stars. At an altitude of 3700 meters, the scenery is picturesque throughout the year.
