a mountain range in China, the northern forward chain of the Nan Shan at the southwestern edge of the Ala Shan desert. Length, more than 200 km; elevation, to 3,658 m. It is composed mainly of gneisses and limestones. East of the Shui Ho water gap, the Lungshou Shan continues in the form of a chain of isolated ridges. The range is covered with sparse desert vegetation and in places by groves of xerophytic shrubs. Stone and gravel plains stretch along the foothills of the range, and along the southern edge there are sections of the Great Wall.