Situated in the north-west of Sichuan Province, the Huanglong valley with its series of travertine lakes, waterfalls, forests and mountain scenery is a superlative natural property. Topped by permanently snow-capped peaks rising from a base of 1,700 m up to 5,588 m, these include the easternmost glacier in China. Covering 60,000 ha, this area located within the Minshan Mountains also includes spectacular limestone formations and hot springs. Its diverse forest ecosystems provide the home for a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda and Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.As a national park, Huanglong is protected by national and local laws and regulations. These laws and regulations include the Environment Protection Law,Law of China on the Protection of Wildlife, Regulation on National Park in China, Sichuan Provincial Regulation on World Heritage Protection, promulgatedin 2004, and Regulation on Implementing Sichuan Provincial Regulation on World Heritage Protection promulgated by Aba Autonomous Prefecture. These ensure the long-term management and conservation of the property.