玉龙雪山位于丽江西北，呈南北走向，东西宽约13公里，南北长约35公里，与哈巴雪山对峙，汹涌澎湃的金沙江奔腾相间。全山13峰，峰峰终年积雪不化，如一条矫健的玉龙横卧山巅，有一跃而入金沙江之势，故名玉龙雪山。
locatingbetween10004’-10016’eastlongitudeand2703’-2740’northlatitude,jadedragonsnowmountain(yulongmountain)isthesouthernmostglacierinthenorthernhemisphere.consistingof13peaks,amongwhichshanzidouisthehighestonewithanaltitudeof5,600meters(18,360feet),jadedragonsnowmountainstretchesalengthof35kilometers(22miles)andawidthof20kilometers(13miles).lookingfromlijiangoldtowninthesouthwhichis15kilometers(ninemiles)away,thesnow-coveredandfog-enlacedmountainresemblesajadedragonlyingintheclouds,hence,thenamejadedragonsnowmountain.
accordingtothegeologists’research,forabout400millionyearstheareaaroundjadedragonsnowmountainwastheoceananditwasduringthelast600thousandyearsthatthedifferentlandscapeshadcomeintobeingbecauseoftheuprisingofthelithosphere.archaiclegendaboutthismysteriousandbeautifulsnowmountaingoeslikethis:onceuponatime,jadedragonsnowmountainandhabasnowmountainweretwins.theyhadlivedonpanningingoldensandriveruntilonedayanevilfiendusurpedtheriver.thebrotherswereverybraveandhadafiercefightwiththefiend,habadiedinthefightandjadedragondroveoffthefiendafterwearingout13swords.forguardingthepeopleandpreventingthereturnofthefiend,jadedragonheldthe13swordsinhandsdayandnight.astimepassed,thebrothershadturnedintothetwosnowmountains,andthe13swordshadbecomethe13peaks.jadedragonsnowmountainisaholymountainforthelocalnaxipeoplenotonlybecauseofthelegend,butalsobecauselongtimeago,itwasaplaceforyoungloverstosacrificetheiryounglivesinhonoroftrueloveandtoescapefromthearrangedmarriagesandfeudalethics.
jadedragonsnowmountainisasanctuaryforrareanimalsandwildplants.infact,onefourthofallplantspeciesinchinacanbefoundhereand20primevalforestcommunitiesshelterabigfamilyof400typesoftreesand30kindsofanimalswhichareprotectedbythestate.thesespeciesliveindifferenttemperaturelevelsandcreatedifferentkindsofviewsofjadedragonsnowmountain.the13peaks,whichhavethealtitudesofatleast4,000meters,arecoveredbysnowallyearround;themountainiscalledthe"naturalglaciermuseum"forithasalltypesofglacier.movedownfromthemountaintopandyoucanseeriversandpools,whichareformedbythethawedsnowwaterrunningalongthevalleyandthroughtheforests.theplantsandtheanimalsaredifferentaccordingtothealtitude,soaretheviews.everysightbringsyouasurpriseandeverysteptakesyoutoanewscene.eachofthemeadowsonjadedragonsnowmountainhasitsownspecialcharacterduetotheirdifferentlandscapeandheight.forinstance,yunshanping(spruceplateau)isgrasslandwithgiganticspruceswhilstganhaizi(drysea)usedtobeahighlandlakeasitsnametells,themeadowwasformedafterthewaterhaddriedup.
jadedragonsnowmountainnowisafamousscenicspotforsightseeing,mountaineering,skiing,exploration,scientificresearchandtakingholiday.besides,widespreadlegendsandmythsofthenaxiethnicminorityandtheunclimbedshanzidouareallimportantattractivespotsforthosewhocometojadedragonsnowmountain.