Overlooking the northwest of China’s Yunnan Province from aboard an airplane, we just can’t help marveling a geological wonder that scientists believe was created by the Himalayas orogenic movement that took place 60 millions of years ago. Greeting our eyes are the snow-clad mountain ranges of Dandang Lika, Nushan, Gaoligong and Yunling that align majestically from south to north, in the narrowest part of the longitudinal valley of the Hengduan Mountains. Sandwiched in between the mountain ranges are the rivers of Jinsha, Lancang and Nujiang magnificent with their turbulent waters. The three rivers are among the most important in Asia. Mighty as they are, the rivers run abreast in an area of 35,000 square meters.
    When this issue of China’s Ethnic Groups was about to come off the press, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed this area with three mighty rivers abreast, referred to in Chinese as “Sanjiang” for short, on the List of World Natural Heritage.