At an average altitude of 5500 to 6,000 m (or 18,045 to 19,685 ft), Kunlun Mountain starts on Pamirs Plateau in the west, extending 2,500 km (1553 mi). Honored as the 'ancestor of all mountains' since ancient times, the mountain is the bed of Taoism and Chinese folklore. The well-known stories such as 'Chang' Flying to the Moon', 'Journey to the West' and 'The White Snake' are all related to the mountain. It is said that the mountain is the home of all deities, led by Queen Mother of the West (Empress of Heaven), while the 'Heavenly Pool' finds its origin in the Black Sea on the northern mountainside. Its two most famous main peaks - Yuzhu Peak and Yuxu Peak, not far from the mountain pass, are said to be the avatar of two sisters of Jade Emperor (Emperor of Heaven), both of them rising more than 6,000 m. (19,685 ft.) above the sea level, and thus capped with snow all year round. As such, they are often chosen as the holy lands for cultivation and worship, near and far.Kunlun Mountain Pass is about 4,767 m (15,640 ft) high above the sea level, with peculiar icy hills. Miraculously, although the icy earth are frozen throughout the year, green grasses are covered on the surface, where are blooming with various wild flowers in the summer. At the pass stands landmark of the pass and two memorial monuments, one for the mountain pass while the other for Jisang Suonandajie, a Tibetan who dedicated his life to the protection of wild animals in Hoh Xil .
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