The Xiaoxiang, and all mountains further south bounded by the Jinsha (upper Yangtze) River, are more commonly considered a northern extension of the Yungui.

The Xiaoxiang are notable for their high ridge line, providing an unusually consistent straight range of peaks in the region.

[2] The Xiaoxiang Range was heavily glaciated during the last glacial period leaving many cirques and tarns dotted along the ridgeline today.

[4] The valleys surrounding the Xiaoxiang were originally inhabited by Yi peoples before Han Chinese settlement.

Thus, the lakes and forests along the Xiaoxiang ridgeline form a significant contiguous ecological habitat dominated by indigenous rhododendron species.