Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2003.

Located in Yunnan Province, this 1. 7 million hectare site features sections of the upper reaches of three of the great rivers:the Jinsha(Yangtze), Lancang(Mekong), and Nu(Salween)running roughly parallel, north to south over a stretch of more than 170 kilometers. It is celebrated as the"World Gene Bank"and the richest geological and geomorphological museum.

The protected areas not only provide an excellent physical foundation for the formation of high biodiversity but also hold significant geological value. They showcase the geological history of the last 50 million years, particularly the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, the closure of the ancient Tethys Sea, and the uplift of the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.