Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a cluster of snow-capped peaks located in Lijiang, Yunnan Province. It is bounded by the Lijiang-Minyin Highway to the east, Tiger Leaping Gorge to the west, starts from Yu Lake in the south, and extends to the Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge in Daju in the north. Situated between 100°4′2″-100°16′30″ E longitude and 27°3′2″-27°18′57″ N latitude, it lies about 15 kilometers north of Lijiang. Stretching 75 kilometers in length, it runs parallel to the Zhongdian Snow Mountain to the west and the Mianmian Mountain to the east. Extending from Sanjiangkou in the north down to 27° N latitude in the south, the mountain range unfolds like a fan facing the Ancient Town. The 13 peaks are arranged longitudinally from south to north, with the highest peak, Shanzidou (Fan-shaped Precipice), reaching an altitude of 5,590.2 meters. The snow line sits between 4,800 and 5,000 meters. Notably, it is home to the temperate marine glaciers closest to the equator on the Eurasian continent.
In the Naxi language, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is called "Oulu," meaning "Heavenly Mountain." Its thirteen continuous peaks resemble a "giant dragon" soaring and dancing, hence the name "Jade Dragon." Additionally, because the rock composition consists mainly of limestone and basalt, creating a striking contrast of black and white, it is also known as the "Black and White Snow Mountain." It is regarded as the sacred mountain of the Naxi people and is believed to be the incarnation of "Sanduo," the protective deity of the Naxi ethnic group.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain boasts abundant natural and cultural resources. The Yunnan Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve was established in 1984. In 2001, it was rated as a National 4A-level Tourist Attraction, and in May 2007, it was upgraded to a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction.
On July 22, 2023, the new campus of the Yulong Snow Mountain Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was officially inaugurated in Yu Lake Village, marking a new stage in glacier and environmental research on the mountain. In 2024, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was selected as one of the first "World Tourism Famous Mountains."