Xinjiang Tianshan
The Xinjiang Tianshan consists of four parts: Tomur, Karajun-Kurdenin, Bayinbukuk and Bogda, with a total area of 606,833 hectares. It is part of the Tianshan mountain range in Central Asia, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world. The Xinjiang Tianshan has unique natural geographical features and scenic areas, including spectacular snow-capped mountains, glacier-capped peaks, pristine forests and grasslands, clear rivers and lakes, and red-bed canyons. These landscapes contrast with the vast desert landscapes adjacent to them, forming a sharp visual contrast of hot and cold, dry and wet, desolate and lush. The landforms and ecosystems of the site have been well preserved since the Pliocene, and are an outstanding example of ongoing biological and ecological evolutionary processes. The site also extends to the Taklimakan Desert, one of the largest and highest deserts in the world, famous for its huge dune formations and huge sandstorms. The Xinjiang Tianshan is also an important habitat for endemic and relict plant species in China, some of which are rare and endangered.