Kading Valley

Kading Valley (Chinese: 卡定沟, Tibetan: ག་དིང་), located 24 km northeast of Bayi Town in Nyingchi, Tibet Autonomous Region, is a protected geological area within the Nyang River basin at 2,980 meters elevation.

[3] The ecosystem sustains endemic species like Rhododendron wardii and Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana), with mixed coniferous-broadleaf forests covering 83% of its 12.6 km² area.

Since 2015, the Nyingchi Ecological Bureau has implemented visitor caps (800 daily) and constructed elevated walkways to prevent soil erosion.

[4][5] Culturally significant as a pilgrimage site, local legends attribute the rock formations to Padmasambhava's 8th-century spiritual imprints.

UNESCO designated it part of the "Tibet Plateau Water-Circuit" geopark network in 2022, recognizing its integration of geological heritage and traditional environmental stewardship.