MIN MOUNTAINS

WadeGiles romanization and Pinyin Min Shan, range in southwestern Kansu and northwest Szechwan sheng (provinces), China. The Min Mountains are a branch of the Kunlun Mountains and have a roughly northwest to southeast axis. The range is made up of extremely rugged limestone, with an average elevation of 8,200 feet (2,500 m) above sea level; individual peaks reach much higher elevations. In the western section of the range, several peaks reach nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m) and occasionally even higher. The structure of the system is complex, consisting of several chains, which mingle with the northern part of the north to south Ta-hseh Mountains of western Szechwan. The area is mostly very arid, and much of it consists of grassland and mountain meadow. The vegetation cover, however, varies greatly according to altitude and position. In the west, the very highest peaks have snow cover. The area is drained to the south by the Min River and its tributaries, which empty into the Yangtze River. The northern slopes are drained in the west by the headwaters of the Huang Ho (Yellow River) and in the east by the tributaries of the Chia-ling River. The region is inhabited by Tibetan herdsmen, with some Mongols living in the far west. The Chinese are confined to the market towns and to scattered cultivated areas. The name Min is a very ancient one; in early times it was the name of one or other of the major peaks of this range, rather than of the range as a whole. Other names are applied to various parts of the Min Mountains. The far western ranges are called the Amne Machin (Chi-shih Mountains), and the northern section is called the Hsi-ch'ing Mountains. The section of the central range lying west of the Min River, which has an axis running almost north to south, is known as the Chiung-lai Mountains. The easternmost section, which joins the Ta-pa Mountains, is known as the Mo-t'ien Mountains.