Known as the "King of Mountains in Sichuan," Gongga Mountain lies at the juncture of three coun­ties—Luding, Kangding, and Jiulong—in Gangtse Tibetan Autonomous Prefec­ture. The Tibetan word gong means snow and ga means white, so the two characters together mean "pure white peak." Gongga Mountain, snowcovered throughout the year, is the highest peak of the Hengduan Mountain Range. Glaciers have been preserved here. The glacial waterfall in Hailuogou is the largest in China at 3,543 feet high and 3,609 feet wide. In the surrounding area are 71 glacial rivers. The drop in altitude from the main peak to the Dadu River Valley is 21,509 feet, resulting in the enormous diversity of plant and animal species and the variable climatic conditions. With Gongga Mountain at the center, the Gongga scenic area is more than 107,639 square feet in size, the largest in China.