Qinling or Tsinling [key], mountain range, outlier of the Kunlun Mts., between the Wei and Han rivers, Shaanxi prov., central China; Taibai shan (13,494 ft/4,113 m) is the highest peak. The range is wooded, and coal is mined in the central region. The Qinling, with the Huai River to the east, marks the geographical boundary between N and central China; rice and citrus fruits are generally not found south of this line. The range is also a natural barrier impeding north-south movement; it checked the Mongol advance in the 13th cent. and divided the Muslim and Taiping rebellion areas in the 19th cent. The name sometimes appears as Tsinling.
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