The snow-capped Kunlun Mountains are pictured in west China on July 30, 2009. The Kunlun Mountains run 2500 kilometers from east to west, connecting western Sichuan with the Pamir Range and forming the northern rim of the Tibetan Plateau. Their average altitude is 5,500-6,000 kilometers. The mountains are shaped like a python, which is why they are known as "the spine of Asia." [Xinhua photos]