Qínlǐngshān

The western Qinling rise south of the upper Wei River, between the valleys of Ningyuan and Zhang County. Steep ridges and deep gullies divide this mountain country, where natural forest and pasture cover parts of the slopes. Streams descend northward toward the Wei, including the Zhang and other tributaries. Across the river, the drier loess hills of central Gansu present a different landscape. The mountains form a rugged southern backdrop to the settlements and roads of the Wei valley.