Southwest China's Yunnan Province is seeking to have its "Three Rivers Running Abreast" area placed on the World Heritage List, a local official revealed yesterday.

"The area, which is located in northwestern Yunnan, is famous for its striking geological formations and biodiversity, which meets specified requirements listed in the articles set down in the World Heritage Convention," said Chen Xicheng, a deputy director with the province's department of construction.

The three rivers are the Jinsha River (the upper reaches of the Yangtze River), the Lancang River or upper reaches of the Mekong River, and the Nu River, which lies between the mountains extending southward from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Southwest China.

The three rivers run abreast for more than 400 kilometers and in some places the distance between them is only about 70 kilometers. "It is miraculous," Chen said.

The glaciers, snowfields and limestone caverns in the region are all of outstanding universal value from the point of view of scientific research, ecological conservation and natural beauty, according to Chen. Meanwhile, almost all the climatic zones of the earth appear in the area and it is a haven for many rare plant and animal species.

According to Chen, more than 210 rare plant species, 20 per cent of the total of such species in China, are found in the area.

The China National Commission for UNESCO has said it will support the province's bid.

"We support their application because the site is really of outstanding universal value from the historical, scientific and aesthetic point of view," said Du Yu, an official with the commission.

(China Daily 03/30/3001)