“三江并流”是指金沙江、澜沧江和怒江这三条发源于青藏高原的大江在云南省境内自北向南并行奔流170多公里，穿越担当力卡山、高黎贡山、怒山和云岭等崇山峻岭之间，形成世界上罕见的“江水并流而不交汇”的奇特自然地理景观。其间澜沧江与金沙江最短直线距离为66公里，澜沧江与怒江的最短直线距离不到19公里。
The Parallel Flow of Three Rivers refers to the world’s rare natural geographic of “parallel flow of rivers without merge” involving three rivers of same source from Tibet Plateau –Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nu River. These three great rivers run in parallel for a length of 170km from north to south within the boundary of Yunan Province. These rivers wind their way through Lika Mountain, Gaoligong Mountain, Nu Mountain and Yun Ridge till at last they reach wher they have formed the unique natural wonder. The shortest, direct distance between Lancang Riverand Jinsha River is 66km and that between Lancang River and Nu River no more than 19km.
“三江并流”自然景观由怒江、澜沧江、金沙江及其流域内的山脉组成，涵盖范围达170万公顷，它包括位于云南省丽江市、迪庆藏族自治州、怒江傈僳族自治州的9个自然保护区和10个风景名胜区。它地处东亚、南亚和青藏高原三大地理区域的交汇处，是世界上罕见的高山地貌及其演化的代表地区，也是世界上生物物种最丰富的地区之一。景区跨越丽江地区、迪庆藏族自治州、怒江傈僳族自治州三个地州。
The natural wonder of “Parallel Flow of Three Rivers” is composed of Nu River, Lancang River and Jinsha River and the mountain ranges within its drainage. With a total area of 1.7 million hectares, it includes nine natural reserves and ten scenic spots in Lijiang City, Diqing Tibetan Prefect and Nu River Lisu Li-Su Lisaw Prefecture of Yunan Province. Located in wher three major geographic zones of East Asia, South Asia and Tibet Plateau meet, it is the world’s rarely seen, typical area of mountainous landform and its evolution as well as one of the world’s most species-abundant zones. The scenic spot involves Lijiang Area, Diqing Tibetan Prefect and Nu River Lisu Li-Su Lisaw Prefecture.
“三江并流”地区是世界上蕴藏最丰富的地质地貌博物馆。4000万年前，印度次大陆板块与欧亚大陆板块大碰撞，引发了横断山脉的急剧挤压、隆升、切割，高山与大江交替展布，形成世界上独有的三江并行奔流170千米的自然奇观。
The area of Parallel Flow of Three Rivers is a museum of geology and landform of greatest diversity in the world. Forty million years ago, the clash between the Indian Secondary Plate and Eurasia Plate caused the violent crush, rise and cut-off of Hengduan Mountains. High mountains and great rivers intertwine to form world’s only natural wonder of 170-kilometer parallel flow of three rivers.
“三江并流”景区内高山雪峰横亘，海拔变化呈垂直分布，从760米的怒江干热河谷到6740米的卡瓦格博峰，汇集了高山峡谷、雪峰冰川、高原湿地、森林草甸、淡水湖泊、稀有动物、珍贵植物等奇观异景。景区有118座海拔5000米以上、造型迥异的雪山。与雪山相伴的是静立的原始森林和星罗棋布的数百个冰蚀湖泊。海拔达6740米的梅里雪山主峰卡瓦格博峰上覆盖着万年冰川，晶莹剔透的冰川从峰顶一直延伸至海拔2700米的明永村森林地带，这是目前世界上最为壮观且稀有的低纬度低海拔季风海洋性现代冰川。千百年来，藏族人民把梅里雪山视为神山，恪守着登山者不得擅入的禁忌。
Within the scenic zone of Parallel Flow of Three Rivers, high mountains and snow-capped peaks tower around, with perpendicular distribution of variation of the seal levels ranging from 760m of Rehe Valley of the Nu River to 6,740m of Kawaboge Peak. High-rising mountain ranges and gorges, snow-capped peaks and glaciers, plateau and marshes, forests and prairie, fresh water lakes, rare animals and plants together make up the exotic and unique scenery here. There are 118 snow-capped mountains of various shapes and above the seal level of 1,500m. Right beside the snow-capped mountains are the primitive forests and densely-populated lakes of snow erosion. The Kawagebo Peak, the major peak of Meili Snow-capped Mountain that is above the seal of 6,740m is covered glaciers formed over ten thousand years. The crystal and glowing glaciers extend from the peak top to the Mingyong Village Forest at the seal level of 2,700m and this is by far the world’s most spectacular and rare contemporary monsoon maritime glaciers of low seal level and low altitude. Over the past thousands of years, the Tibetan people have regarded the Meili Snow-capped Mountain as a magic mountain, maintaining the taboo that mountaineers be forbidden to enter.
丽江老君山分布着中国面积最大、发育最完整的丹霞地貌奇观，它镶嵌在莽莽原始森林的万绿丛中，璀璨夺目。有不少红色岩石表面风化形成龟裂状构造，其中一座山坡形如千万只小龟又组成一只大龟，排列自然而有序，仿佛向着太阳升起的东方行进。
The Laojun Mountain of Lijiang has China’s largest, fully-developed landform wonder, embedded glaringly in the lush primitive forest. And due to wind erosion, some red rocks exhibit a cracking structure on the surface. In particular, one mountain slopes look as if hundreds of thousands of little turtles gather to form one giant turtle, all staying in neat order and seemingly marching towards the east wher the sun rises.