Xinjiang Tianshan

The Tianshan Mountains extend across China, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan from east to west. The whole length from east to west is 2,500 km and the width from south to north is 100-400 km. The length of the segment within China reaches 1,700 km, or 2/3 of the entire mountain range. The average elevation of the mountains is 4,000 m. The Tianshan Mountains are the natural division between the mid-temperate and warm temperate zones of Xinjiang. Since the Precambrian Era some 600 million years ago, the Tianshan Mountains have undergone an evolutionary sequence from an ancient continent to ancient Tethys Sea，rising to mountains, erosion to a peneplain and uplifting into major mountain ranges. Neo-tectonic movements have played a decisive role in the configuration of the modern mountainous features of the Tianshan Mountains. The multiple tectonic movements have formed huge mountain chains and basins among the mountains, as well as frontal faults and terraces. Intensively affected by neo-tectonic movements and other processes, enormously thick red Tertiary sediments have accumulated in sunken frontal basins. These have since been eroded into canyons and steep cliffs which are now extensive and form grand red Tertiary canyons landscapes.

There are 15,953 glaciers in the whole Tianshan Mountains range with a total area of 15,416.41 km² and an ice volume of 1,048.247 km³ . Within China's part, there are 9,081 glaciers with an area of 9,235.96 km² and an ice volume of 1,011.748 km³, accounting for 57%, 59.9% and 96.5% respectively of that of the whole Tianshan Mountains. The total number of glaciers of Xinjiang Tianshan is the largest in China and the ice volume is the second largest in China. Tomur Peak, which is the highest in the Tianshan Mountains, has a large number and area of glaciers. There are 629 glaciers in Tomur Peak region with an area of 3,849.47 km² and, within China, they account for 81% and 71.3% of the total, respectively. There are 15 glaciers with an area over 300 km² in the middle and low latitude zones of the world and three of them, i.e. 20% of the global total, are located at the junction of Tomur Peak-Hantengri. Numerous rivers originate from the glaciers of Xinjiang Tianshan. Between 20-50% of the run-off in Xinjiang is glacial melt-water from Tianshan and, in some cases, it is as high as 70%. All these rivers support the oasis ecosystems on which human societies depend.

The nominated area possesses the most complete vertical series of botanic distribution belts in Tianshan, including desert zone, desert steppe, shrubbery, river valley forest, wild fruit forest, mixed forest of spruce and broadleaved trees, pure Picea schrenkiana, cypress and shrubs, alpine meadows, and glaciers and snow-covered peaks. The nominated area includes the major ecological formations of Tianshan, such as Form. Picea schrenkiana, Form. Malus sieversii+Armenica vulgris, Form. Betula tianschanica, Form. Populus tremula, Form. Juniperus sabina, Form. Sabina pseudosabina, Form. Tamarix ramosissima, Form. Haloxylon ammodendron, Form. Bothriochloa ischaemum, and Form. Thylacospermum caespitosum,etc. The nominated area contains over 1800 plant species, for example, endangered plant Goodyera repens (CITES 2007)and endemic plants Saussurea involucrata and Tulipa sinkiangensi. The nominated area has more than 400 animal species, including representative endangered animals, such as Uncia uncia (IUCN 2009；CITES 2007), Cygnus cygnus (IUCN 2009; CITES 2007), Cervus elaphus (IUCN 2009), Podoces biddulphi (IUCN 2009), Ovis ammon (IUCN 2009), Ibex sibiricus (IUCN 2009) etc.

The nominated area contains important wildlife habitats. (1) Picea schrenkiana is an ancient tree species dating back to the Tertiary, and its global distribution is confined to the Tianshan Mountains. The nominated Kuerdening National Nature Reserve is most abundant in trees with the height of 70m, the DBH of 1.7m, and the wood volume of 50 m³. (2) The wild fruit forests of Central Asia mainly occur in Tianshan mountainous river valleys at an elevation of 1,200-1,500 m. The total area of these wild fruit forests in the world is about 17,000 km², and the area within China is about 8,000 km². There are abundant botanical resources of wild fruit trees in the nominated sites including apple, plum, peach and apricot and so on. (3) Habitats for snow leopards. Snow leopards have been identified by IUCN as being endangered. They only inhabit Central and Southern Asia. The number of snow leopards in the world is estimated at about 2,500 and there are more than 1,650 snow leopards living within Xinjiang. Around the Tianshan Tomur Peak, the number of the snow leopards is over 600 and good populations of prey species argali and ibex remain. (4) Habitats for Ranodon sibiricus, they have been identified by IUCN as being endangered and requiring protection. They are the most primitive species of amphibians and this kind of species only inhabit springs along the border Alatau Mountain between China and Kazakstan. Four isolated habitats have been discovered recently and they are all located within Wenquan county of Xinjiang. The number of this animal has been estimated at less than 6,000. (5) Breeding ground of swans. Bayinbuluke National Nature Reserve includes the largest breeding ground and habitat of swans in China, with an area of 1,368 km². There are, in total, 128 kinds of birds including Cygnus cygnus, Cygnus columbianus, Cygnus olor, wild geese etc. The number of these birds reaches over 100,000 and the number of Cygnus cygnus is the largest, totaling 3,000-7,000.

The nominated area, Xinjiang Tianshan, includes six National Nature Reserves and National Park, and the six districts have different scientific and aesthetic values. They include the geology and geography of the Tianshan Mountains, vertical natural biogeographic belts, habitats of wild plants and animals, the beauty of mountainous natural landscapes and so on. These districts and their various assets together form the special natural heritage value of Xinjiang Tianshan, six districts of which have different features and can not be replaced by each other. (1) Tomur Peak National Natural Reserves is the typical representative of the South Tianshan Mountains. It contains one of the largest concentrations of huge mountain glaciers in the world. It is one of the regions in the world where snow leopards and their prey are the most abundant. It represents the complete vertical series of natural landscape belts of South Tianshan, as well as the grand geography of the red Tertiary canyon landscape. (2) Kuerdeny National Nature Reserve is the typical representative of the middle Tianshan Mountains. It is the seedbed and the world's core area of Picea schrenkiana. It is also the distribution centre and seedbed of wild apples, wild walnuts, Prunus dornesticus etc. and it represents the complete vertical series of biogeographical belts of the middle Tianshan Mountains. (3) Tianshan Tianchi National Park is the typical representative of East Tianshan, a site of renowned beauty, and recognized as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve. The glaciers in this region are the most sensitive indicators for climate change in the extremely arid zone. (4) Sayram National Park is the typical representative of the faulted basins of the Tianshan Mountains . The complete lacustrine sedimentation sequence has recorded the evolution of the climate and environment since the Quaternary. Sayram is the largest lake and alpine lake inflow lake in the Tianshan mountain ranges of Xinjiang. There are colorful flowers and grassland around the lake which represent the beauty of the alpine meadows on the Tianshan Mountains. It is probably the core area of Ranodon sibiricus, as well as ancient wild fruit forests. (5) Bayinbuluke National Nature Reserve represents Tianshan tectonic basins and typical wetlands, and is the southern margin of the breeding ground of Cygnus cygnus. (6) Nalaty National Park is the typical representative of Tianshan integrated natural beauty.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

The nominated area is the outstanding example of mountain aesthetics in an arid area. It includes tall and dense natural forests of Picea schrenkiana, rare wild fruit forests, colorful alpine meadows with countless flowers, red Tertiary canyon landscape with rock spires and intricate cliffs, wetlands and beautiful swan lakes, and the folk customs of the nomadic peoples, such as Mongols and Kazaks. And thus it possesses high-quality aesthetic value, showed as spectacular beauty of glaciers, original beauty of Picea schrenkiana, seasonal beauty of wild fruit forests, color beauty of tessellated meadow, pictographic beauty of red Tertiary canyons, formal beauty of rivers, lakes, and marshes, dynamic beauty of astronomical phenomena landscapes, heroic posture beauty of wildlife, and the folk-customs beauty of the nomadic peoples.

The nominated area is a key to the understanding of global evolution of Tianshan. The Tianshan Mountains have undergone a 600 million years evolutionary sequence from an ancient continent to ancient Tethys Sea and mountains, erosion to a peneplain and uplifting into major mountain ranges. The multiple tectonic movements have formed huge mountain chains and basins among the mountains, as well as examples of mountain planation, folds and faults，a wide variety of glacial forms，red Tertiary canyons landscapes. These special tectonic structures and landscapes is the Typical representive of Tianshan.

The nominated area is the prominent representative of mountain glacier in arid area of Eurasia. It has spectacular modern glaciers, where mountain glaciers and super glaciers are most concentrated in the global temperate arid area. All kinds of mountain glacier landscapes are completely preserved in the nominated area where dendritic valley glacier landforms and flat glacier landforms possess global representation. It is located between Tarim Basin and Junggar Basin, which are extremely arid, and its mountain glaciers are the most sensitive indicator of climate change in the arid areas. The vertical natural biogeographic belts of the nominated area reflect the change of ecological process in the temperate arid area. Tianshan is the largest mountain range of the global temperate arid area, surrounded by deserts on three sides, isolated relatively from other geographic units, which forms the most unique three mountain-oasis-desert geographical landscape and ecosystem. The typical vertical natural biogeographic belts of the nominated area, incorporating glaciers, rivers and lakes, and associated forests, grasslands, oases, and deserts, in an integrated way, reflects the change of vertical belt spectra in warm arid mountains, temperate arid mountains and the internal faulted basins of Tianshan. It also represents the distribution and universal law of biodiversity in temperate arid mountain affected by the hydrothermal space variation of elevation, slope aspect and slope.

The nominated area is the crucial zone of biodiversity and habitats for significant species in the hinterland of Eurasia. According to recognized global bio-geographical systems (Udvardy 1975), Xinjiang Tianshan is located in the "Pamir-Tian-Shan Highlands" Biogeographical Province. It is the most representative zone of the Mountains of Central Asia within the system of 34 biodiversity hotspots recognized by CI, the international example of Middle Asian Montane Steppe and Woodlands within the system of 200 global bioregions recognized by WWF, and the important breeding ground of Taklimakan Desert within the system of 218 EBAs recognized by BIC. It has high value for scientific research and environmental protection, including significant representation of the biodiversity in arid mountains, the genetic value of the seed resources of endemic plants, and the habitats of some relict and endangered animals. Picea schrenkiana is a "living fossil" in the biological evolution of Tianshan. The Picea schrenkiana located in the nominated area is the most outstanding representative in the total Tianshan, whose plantation stock, crown height, and the total wood volume are rare in the world. It is also one of the concentrations of the mid Asian wild fruit forests and the most typical zone of wild walnuts, Prunus clomestica and wild apricots in the world, which is the crucial zone of globally significant genetic resources. It is the distribution zone where wild animals such as snow leopards and Ranodon sibiricus are the most concentrated in the world. It is also the largest habitat of swans in China, as well as the world's southern margin of the breeding ground of Cygnus Cygnus.

 The nominated area reflects, in an integrated way, the particular physical geography and the unique natural characters of geography and geology, biodiversity, biological evolution and scenic beauty of Tianshan - one of earth's most striking and distinctive major mountain ranges. It represents the systematic values of the geography, biology and aesthetics of the world's arid mountainous zones. Thus, according to scientific importance, aesthetics and protection status, the nominated area possesses outstanding universal values.

Satements of authenticity and/or integrity

The government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has established a leading committee which is composed by the Chairman of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, administrator of each nominated heritage sites and the relevant departments. A special office for World Natural Heritage declaration has been set up. It is responsible for coordination matters concerned with the protection, management and relationship of the nominated heritage sites, and implement the World Heritage Convention. The nominated districts of the Tianshan Mountains are recognized as a UNESCO MAB Reserve, National Nature Reserves or National Parks, which are under the protection of national laws. All the nominated districts are large enough to include complete ecological systems and to maintain the integrity of their associated natural processes. They also include complete vertical series of natural biogeographical belts and the habitats of endangered creatures. The nominated areas are of outstanding universal value for all of these reasons. There is distinct geographical boundary between the core and the buffer zones in each nominated district. Because the nominated districts are mostly natural reserves that support few people, the natural attributes of the nominated districts have been well preserved.

Comparison with other similar properties

(1) According to Geological World Heritage: a Global Framework (2005) and the newly- inscribed World Natural Heritages from 2006 to 2009, There are 12 properties have been inscribed on the World Heritage List for outstanding universal value for the mountains, and 5 properties with significant mountains values, but which are inscribed on the World Heritage List for other reasons. Comparison with those 17 properties, Tianshan possesses the prominent mountain geology, biology and aesthetic values in background of temperate arid zone, which are incomparable. Comparison with 15 properties with significant glacier values, the nominated area is the prominent representative for outstanding glacier value in the Central Asia arid area. Tomur Peak is a concentration of Tianshan mountain glaciers, which is across China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, is the biggest glaciation center in the Tianshan Mountains. Within China, the nominated heritage accounts for 81% of the total ice area and 71.3% of the total volume respectively, that is incomparable for three neighboring countries. (2) Compared with the four Tianshan nominated heritage of neighboring countries, Xinjiang Tianshan accounts for 2/3 of the total Tianshan, which represents the characteristics of natural geography and biodiversity and ecology evolution in East and Central Tianshan. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan account only for the remaining 1/3, which represents the system characteristics only of the Western Tianshan. (3)As far as 34 biodivetsity hotspots are concerned, there is no World Natural Heritage in the Mountains of Central Asia. Compared with neighboring countries which are located in the same "Pamir-Tian-Shan Highlands" biogeographical provinces, the nominated area has great resemblance in ecosystem and plant-animal succession, but Xinjiang Tianshan is the most important habitat for Picea schrenkiana, Uncia uncia, Cygnus cygnus,and Ranodon sibiricus etc., which can not be replaced by the nominated area of neighboring countries.