TSINLING MOUNTAINS

Wade-Giles romanization Ch'in Ling, Pinyin Qin Ling, mountain range in North China, extending east-west from southeast Kansu province into Shensi and Honan provinces. It is considered to be an extension of the Kunlun Mountains. It constitutes a watershed between the Wei and Han rivers and reaches a height of 12,359 feet (3,767 m) at T'ai-pai (mount). The range forms a sharp physical divide, of climatic as well as topographic significance, separating the dry loess lands of the north from the green, forested hills of the south.