The Qinling Mountains are lofty and expansive, with highly varied terrain. They stretch over 1,600 km from east to west, with the highest peak rising to 3,771 meters and the main ridge reaching elevations of 2,000-2,800 meters. During summer, warm and humid air currents from the southeast and southwest rise when they reach the mountains. As the air ascends, it cools and the water vapor condenses, producing rainfall. At the same time, the hot, dry air that amasses over the Guanzhong Plain to the north has difficulty crossing the high peaks and penetrating deep into the mountains. As a result, the mountains naturally remain cool, despite their proximity to warmer regions.

The Qinling Mountains are home to one of the largest mountain forest ecosystems in China. Broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests and mixed forests cover its mountainsides, forming an enormous natural temperature-regulation system.

In 2024, vegetation coverage in the Qinling region reached 90.91 percent. Through transpiration, plants continuously release water vapor into the atmosphere while absorbing and using heat, helping buffer high temperatures and lower the surrounding environmental temperature.

In other words, the forests act much like a giant, naturally powered air-conditioning system.

The Qinling’s cooling effect does not stop with its forests. Temperature differences between day and night create a stable mountain-valley circulation.

During the day, sun-warmed mountain slopes cause warm air to rise, drawing cooler air from forested valleys upward. At night, the mountains cool faster than the plains, sending cool air downward through valleys and ravines toward the foothills and surrounding areas.

This natural circulating air-delivery mechanism ensures that fresh breezes flow through the Qinling day and night, alleviating the stifling summer heat.

The Qinling Mountains are also a major ecological “oxygen production base.” With extensive forests and many waterways, the region enjoys abundant negative oxygen ions and excellent air quality. In fact, 99.4 percent of the region has been rated as having excellent or good air quality.

Monitoring data show that Qinling forests can sequester up to 1,043.79 grams of carbon per square meter annually while releasing 2,732.64 grams of oxygen per square meter. This makes the Qinling more than just a summer retreat. It is a vital ecological barrier, a natural climate regulator and a giant carbon-sequestering and oxygen-producing ecosystem.

The coolness of the Qinling is a gift shaped by millions of years of ecological evolution. Protecting its forests and respecting regulations in mountain areas are essential to ensuring that this natural “super air conditioner” and “oxygen bar” can continue to benefit people and nature for generations to come.

(Source: Xi’an Qinling Mountains Ecological Environment Protection Administration)