XINING — Asia’s “water tower” — Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai province — is teeming with life, according to a recent survey. Many rare wildlife species have been found, along with 33 species of protected plants.

The park is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. The name Sanjiangyuan means “source of three rivers”.

According to the survey, which was conducted last year, there are about 9.96 million hectares of grassland, 2.15 million hectares of wetland and 299,000 hectares of forest in the park. Its water resources average about 8.4 billion cubic meters.

Tian Junliang, deputy director of the park’s administration bureau, said the survey aimed to gather important data about the park’s natural resources for future protection and management.

China is setting up a national park system and has launched a pilot program that will see 10 national parks established across the country to protect the natural environment and endangered species. Sanjiangyuan National Park will be the first. It is set to open in 2020.