Tian Shan, << tyehn shahn >>, also spelled Tien Shan, is a mountain system in central Asia. It runs for more than 1,500 miles (2,410 kilometers) northeast of the Pamirs in Kyrgyzstan and northwestern China (see Pamirs). Tian Shan, which means Heavenly Mountains, is the highest mountain system north of Tibet. Peak Pobedy, the highest peak, rises 24,406 feet (7,439 meters) above sea level. Rivers flow from Tian Shan into Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and south into China. The system includes some of the world’s largest alpine glaciers.
