The Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is also called the Plateau of Tibet or the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau , or the inland plateau of Asia. It is the largest and highest plateau in the world with an average elevation of around 4,500 meters (14,800 ft).

The Tibetan Plateau is known as "the roof of the world" and "the third pole". Most of its area is in China's Tibet and Qinghai provinces. Here is interesting geographical, historical, cultural, and travel-related information so that you can know all about "the roof of the world".

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  • Where is the Tibetan Plateau
  • What is the Tibetan Plateau Unique For

Tibetan Plateau History

Geography of the tibetan plateau, the population of the tibetan plateau, elevation of the tibetan plateau, tibetan plateau climate.

  • How has the Rise of the Tibetan Plateau Affect Climate

Transport on the Tibetan Plateau

  • Visiting the Tibetan Plateau

Where is the Tibetan Plateau?

Definition: The Tibetan plateau could be defined as the high-altitude area 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) or more above sea level bounded by the Himalayas and other lesser-known mountain ranges in and around China.

Extent: With the Pamir Plateau to its west and the Loess Plateau in the East, the Tibetan Plateau starts from the southern margin of the Himalayas and stretches northward to the northern edge of the Kunlun Mountains and the Altun Mountain .

It is about 2,800km (1,700 miles) wide from east to west and up to 1,500 km (900 miles) across from north to south, with a total area of about 2.5 million square kilometers (1 million square miles).

Almost a quarter of the land area of China is the Tibetan plateau . Most of the Plateau is in Tibet and a part of it is in Qinghai. Not all of Tibet is part of the plateau though since there are lowlands in the southeast in Nyingchi and Shannan .

Politically: Other portions of the plateau area are in Sichuan and Xinjiang in China, as well as the Himalayas and Karakoram Range in Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan. In Pakistan, the boundary starts east of the town of Rudok. Two northern districts of Nepal are considered part of this plateau region.

  • Length: 2,800 km (1,730 miles) east to west
  • Width:300–1,500 km (180–930 miles) north to south
  • Total area: 2,500,000 square km (970,000 square miles)

What is the Tibetan Plateau Unique For?

The Tibetan Plateau is known as " the roof of the world " as it's the highest and largest plateau on Earth. At elevation 3,000–5,000 meters (10,000–16,000 feet), it is the birthplace of several of the world's major rivers in South Asia and East Asia.

There are many of the world's highest lakes on the plateau, including Lake Namtso and Qinghai Lake .

The deepest and longest canyon in the world is the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon , about 1½ hours from Lhasa by car. It is a river valley like a long trench cut across the Tibetan Plateau just north of the Himalayas leading down to lowlands in the Nyingchi region of Tibet and Bangladesh.

The deepest point is 6,009 meters (19,714 feet) deep. It's deeper than any mountain in the US is tall!

How was the Tibetan Plateau formed?

The formation of the Tibetan Plateau is tied to Himalayan orogeny. The Tibetan Plateau has been lifted up twice by tectonic plate movements.

About 70 million years ago geologists estimate, the northward-moving Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate.

The movement resulted in strong uplift of the then southern edge of the Asian continental mass , which led to the uplift of the Tibetan plateau : from the Himalayas in the south to the K unlun Mountains and the Hoh Xil area in the north.

As the Indian plate continued to drift northward, it caused secondary crumpling of the Tibetan Plateau: Mt. Kailash and Mt. Nyenchen Tangula were lifted up sharply.

The Tibet region was separated from the ocean and became a large land inland plateau north of the Indian subcontinent.

The Tibetan Plateau's terrain was once a vast plain with dense rivers and lakes and full of the lush jungle with a southern coastline. How different it is now!

The formation of the Tibetan Plateau with several uplift stages has left it high and dry, crisscrossed with mountain ranges, and mostly barren or grassy.

Still growing, the Tibetan Plateau's spread has slowed to an annual growth rate of 7 cm wider per year. The "roof of the world" is getting wider and higher, while Mount Everest the highest peak on earth rises with it.

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Tibetan Imperial Age and Afterwards

It wasn't until the early 7th century that Songtsen Gampo (the first king of Tibet) unified the kingdoms on the Tibetan plateau and set up his capital in Lhasa . His empire was known as the Tupo Kingdom.

Historians think that Tibetan Empire, centered in Lhasa , eventually grew to cover a huge area. The Tibetan Empire at its greatest extent between the 780s and the 790s covered Kashmir and spanned far west of Kashgar , so it included present-day northern Pakistan and areas west of it.

In the opening years of the 9th century, the empire included the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang and the Himalayas, and it reached the provinces of Gansu and Yunnan . The empire fell due to civil war in the 840s.

During the Ming Empire period (1368–1644), the Dalai Lamas began to rule the Tibetans . The fifth Dalai Lama built the Potala Palace in Lhasa in 1645–9 to be the palace and fortress of the Dalai Lamas, cementing their central place in Tibetan history until the modern China era.

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Rivers of the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is known as the birthplace of many famous rivers. Its southern Himalayan mountains contain the headwaters of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra rivers, which flow southwards through the Indian subcontinent.

Several rivers originate on Tibetan Plateau and flow eastwards and southeastwards. The eastwards flowing rivers are the Yellow River I and the Yangtze , which flows east through China to the Yellow Sea.

The southeastward flowing rivers are the Mekong and Salween in the Southeast Asian peninsula and the Irrawaddy River in Burma.

Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau

There are more than 1,500 lakes on the Tibetan Plateau , accounting for 50% of the total area of lakes in China. Among them, there are 1,091 lakes with an area of more than 1 square kilometer. That makes it the plateau containing the largest area and number of lakes.

There are both freshwater and saltwater lakes on the plateau.

In the northeast corner of the plateau, Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in China. It covers an area of 4,573 square kilometers (1,766 square miles). The lake is about 3,260 meters (10,700feet) above sea level.

The Chaerhan Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in China. At the same time, it is also one of the most famous interior salt lakes in the world. Lake Namtso at an altitude of 4,718 meters (15,420 feet) is the biggest saltwater lake in Tibet.

Freshwater lakes on the plateau include Lake Manasarovar , Lake Yamdrok , and Lake Pangong Tso .

To find out more on 10 Sacred Lakes of Tibet

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Animals of the Tibetan Plateau

Most of the plateau is grassland, and some of it is tundra-like in the arctic. Because the region is high and arid, there aren't a lot of big animals. Large animals include wolves, leopards, antelopes, and yaks. Large birds such as hawks, eagles, and vultures also live there.

Most of the population of the plateau is ethnic Tibetan , but there are also ethnic Han Chinese, Mongols , and other ethnic groups. It is estimated that 4.5 million Tibetans live on the plateau as well as a few hundred thousand other people.

Tibetans don't only live in Tibet . They also live in several Chinese provinces west and north of Tibet such as Qinghai . Tibet has a population of about 3 million, and Qinghai has a population of almost 6 million. But many of these people don't live in plateau areas of these provinces.

There is such a low population on the Tibetan Plateau because the climate there is not very suitable for human habitation. 80% of the terrain is "desert" (tundra and high mountains). The climate is dry and cold with a lack of oxygen.

Contact us to plan a trip to Qinghai also

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In the map below, you can see that the highest prefectures of the plateau in Tibet are in the north and west . Lhasa Prefecture in the center is substantially lower and Nyingchi is the lowest prefecture. The Himalayan Mountain chain is the southern boundary of the vast plateau.

How do Tibetans Survive High Altitudes?

Tibetan Plateau has an average altitude of 4,500 meters; it is difficult for ordinary people to visit there. Oxygen is 35% to 40% below that at sea level.

More than 50% of the Tibetan Plateau's population live in areas around 3,500 meters above sea level, while the hardiest nomads can reside at altitudes above 4,800 meters.

Because they grow up there and through heredity, Tibetans have more nitrogen oxide in their blood than any other ethnic group. This helps them absorb oxygen more easily.

Low oxygen makes it difficult for people over 60 and many other people to visit some parts of the plateau such as Ngari (Ali Prefecture) in northeastern Tibet because the altitude is high at over 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) and facilities are primitive.

So, people who wish to travel to higher regions of the plateau should acclimate first lower down. For example, travelers in Tibet could first spend at least 3 days at a place with relatively low altitude such as Lhasa for acclimatization before traveling to a higher altitude.

Even Lhasa itself gives almost everyone a case of mild altitude sickness .

See How to Deal with Altitude Sickness in Tibet .

Altitudes of major Tibet places of interest

The cultural and architectural attractions are mainly around the city of Lhasa in a circle around it that includes Shigatse and Gyantse (up to altitude 4,000 meters) within a 4-or-5-hour drive southwest Lhasa and Nagqu (altitude 4,500 meters) a 5-or-6-hour drive north of Lhasa.

See more on Altitudes of Major Tibet Destinations .

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The weather on the plateau depends on the altitude: temperature decreases with an increase of altitude . It is generally dry and cold in winter, while cool and rainy in summer, sometimes with hail. The average July high is 20°C (68°F) and the January low averages-6°C (21°F).

Why Is the Tibetan Plateau So Dry?

With its high altitudes, the air is thinner and therefore drier on the Tibetan plateau . Also, the warm and humid monsoon air from the Indian Ocean is blocked by the Himalayan mountain chain. Thus the annual precipitation in the plateau's south is less than 600 mm.

Meanwhile, the northern half of the plateau is even drier, being further from the ocean. The Kunlun Mountain chain area is an alpine desert with very little rainfall — annual precipitation averaging less than 100 mm.

How has the Rise of the Tibetan Plateau Affected Climate?

The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau is a big contributor to South and East Asia's monsoon climate.

Due to the high altitude of the Tibetan Plateau, the upper atmosphere can be heated more quickly, resulting in a greater temperature difference between the continent and the Indian Ocean.

This adds to the strength of southwesterly monsoon winds, which bring abundant rainfall to southern Asia.

The Tibetan Plateau plays an important role in the climate of China and even Northern Asia. It is calculated that there would not be a Siberia-Mongolia high-pressure zone without the Tibetan Plateau.

The area of Lhasa is at an elevation of around 3,700 meters (12,000 feet), and it is pleasant in the summer. In the winters , though, temperatures are well below freezing.

The high altitude makes it feel warmer in the sunshine. However, bad weather feels harsher at higher altitudes. Low pressure and higher wind speeds reduce oxygen levels and temperature.

In the Ngari (Ali) region, during the daytime in August, the temperature is above 10 ℃ (50 ℉), but it may drop to subfreezing at night.

Contact us to check Tibet Climate .

Constructing railroads on the plateau is difficult because of the rugged terrain and permafrost in some areas. However, in 2006, a railway was built all the way to Lhasa from Xining .

This was a major achievement: the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the highest railway in the world. The scenery along the railway is beautiful, stark, and almost otherworldly. Several times, the train goes above 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The terrain is like few places in the world.

Tibetan travel is possible by plane or train, but at times, there are travel restrictions. Most people go to the inner Tibetan Plateau via Lhasa and a Qinghai-Tibet train or a flight.

See more on Lhasa Transportation .

Contact us to check train prices etc. for the Qinghai-Tibet railway or other transport.

Visiting the Tibetan Plateau with Us

If you are interested in visiting Tibet, our popular 7-Day Tibet Tour by Train from Xining takes a Qinghai–Tibet train allowing you to relax while you acclimate to the elevation before seeing the Lhasa sights.

Having a knowledgeable local guide and interpreter is very useful and actually mandatory in Tibet. We can also arrange the mandatory Tibet Permits as an approved operator for Tibet tours.

Recommended Tibetan Plateau tours that we can personalize:

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Our tours are customizable. We are confident we can design an itinerary that's perfect for you. Just send us your ideas and questions. Inquiries are free and receive a response within 24 hours.

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Tibet and beyond

The Potala Palace in Morning Sunlight

Exploration Junkie

Travel Log: Exploring the Majestic Tibetan Plateau With Ease

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Are you dreaming of exploring a land where the sky meets the Earth in an endless embrace? That’s The Tibetan Plateau ! It is not just any ordinary destination! And why not? It’s the largest area of uplifted crust on Earth, standing tall at an average elevation of over 4,500 meters above sea level. Imagine being on top of the world, quite literally! 

So, how do you go about making the most of your journey through this majestic land? That’s exactly what we’re here to help you with. From navigating the high altitudes to immersing yourself in the rich culture, we’ll show you how to explore the Tibetan Plateau with ease. 

Get ready for an adventure of a lifetime!

Obtaining the Necessary Permits 

When planning your journey to the Tibetan Plateau, one of the first things you need to take care of is obtaining the necessary permits. This is important because Tibet is an autonomous region of China, and special permits are required for foreigners to visit. Without these permits, you won’t be able to enter certain areas or travel freely within the region.

So, what all permits do you need? 

Firstly, you’ll need to apply for Tibet travel permit if you are a foreign traveler visiting Tibet. While the permit application process may seem daunting at first. But it’s relatively straightforward with the help of a reputable travel agency. They’ll guide you through the process and ensure that you have all the necessary permits before you embark on your journey.

Mountains and lake in Tibet

Getting There

This vast area, often referred is more accessible than you might think. There are a few main routes and modes of transportation that can help you start your adventure.

Firstly, you can enter it through China, which most travelers choose. The city of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, serves as the primary gateway for many. You can catch a flight to Lhasa from several major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai. 

If you are looking for a bit more adventure, traveling overland is an option. Routes from Kathmandu in Nepal to Lhasa are popular among travelers who are up for the challenge. This journey can be made by jeep or bus. The best part is that it takes you across the Himalayas, offering spectacular views and the chance to visit Everest Base Camp on the way. 

Adventures in the High Altitude

The vast, open spaces and the serene beauty of the Tibetan Plateau offer some of the most memorable trekking and hiking experiences. Yes, that’s right! There are numerous trails that cater to all levels of trekkers, from beginners to those seeking a challenge. 

For a start, you can consider easier routes that allow you to soak in the stunning landscapes without pushing you too hard. Then, as you get more comfortable, there are trails that take you through more demanding terrains, offering breathtaking views as your reward. Always remember, the key to enjoying these trails is to go at your own pace and take in the beauty around you.

Wildlife spotting and nature walks are another highlight of the Tibetan Plateau. This area is home to some unique animals that you won’t find anywhere else. Keep your eyes peeled for the Tibetan antelope, wild yaks, and elusive snow leopard from a safe distance. 

If you’re craving an adrenaline rush, why not try out adventurous activities like mountain biking and rock climbing? The rugged terrain of the Tibetan Plateau provides the perfect backdrop for outdoor thrills. Remember to prioritize safety and respect the environment as you embark on your adrenaline-fueled adventures.

Scenery in Tibet

Challenges and Considerations

Traveling at high altitudes comes with its own set of challenges. To ensure you have a safe and enjoyable trip, understand these and prepare for them beforehand. 

Some common challenges include:

  • High Altitude – The Tibetan Plateau is way up there. That means less oxygen, which can make breathing a bit tough at first.
  • Acclimatization – Your body needs time to adjust to the altitude. So, take it slow when you first arrive.
  • Limited Infrastructure – Some parts of Tibet are pretty remote, which means infrastructure like roads and facilities might be limited. Be prepared for rough roads and basic amenities.
  • Altitude Sickness – It’s common to feel a bit queasy or lightheaded at high altitudes . Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and listen to your body. If you start feeling really unwell, descend to a lower altitude as soon as possible.

Finally, it’s clear that the Tibetan Plateau is a place to experience with all your senses, to learn from, and to carry in your heart long after you’ve returned home. To those who dream of exploring it, know that an adventure awaits that will transform your photo album and your soul. So, take the step, embark on the journey, and let the magic of this extraordinary place unfold.

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Julien is an exploration-minded, curiosity-driven traveler and blogger. On a mission to witness the planet's natural beauty and diversity, he shares his experiences on this website through articles, videos, and photography, including interactive virtual tours.

Fascinated by animals and plants since young, he is also fond of outdoor and so-called extreme sports, often discovered while traveling and practiced back at home where he focuses on improving his knowledge and skills - so he can explore further on the next trip!

More About Me

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Tibetan Plateau Guide: A Journey into the World’s Highest Plateau

tibetan plateau travel

The Tibetan Plateau is the roof of the world. It is a vast and unique high-elevation region filled with breathtaking landscapes. It is a rewarding destination to travel to, but also a place with some challenges. Here is a guide to the Tibetan Plateau to help familiarize you with this incredible location.

Where is the Tibetan Plateau?

8 Days Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Small Group Tour

8 Days Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Small Group Tour

Why is the tibetan plateau special.

Its unique geographical features are a large part of what makes the Tibetan Plateau so special a place. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Third Pole’ because it contains the largest concentration of ice and snow outside the polar regions, making it a vital water source for several major rivers in Asia.

Its unique landscape has also shaped the people, plants, and animals living there. The local flora and fauna have adapted to the high-altitude environment, making it a region of high biodiversity and ecological significance.

Tibetan culture and religion have also been shaped by the environment. Home to Tibetan Buddhism and a range of traditional lifestyles such as the nomadic people who still live on the plateau, visitors to Tibet can witness culture and lifestyles that trace their roots back to ancient times.

Tibetan Plateau

How Was the Tibetan Plateau Formed?

The Tibetan Plateau formed as the result of complex geological processes that spanned millions of years, and continue in the present day. Beginning with the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, the resulting uplift began the formation of the mountain ranges 50-55 million years ago.

As the collision continued, the crust of the tectonic plates thickened from the pressures and compression, slowly raising the elevation of the plateau. The thickening process caused the plateau to extend, shaping it into the landscape we see today. This still goes on now, causing the surrounding mountains to slowly rise while the weather erodes the rock into the rugged peaks the region is famous for.

How Big and How High is the Tibetan Plateau?

The Tibetan Plateau is vast, covering an area of approximately 2.5 million square kilometers. The average elevation is around 4,500 meters above sea level, with Mount Everest being the highest point at 8,848 meters. Dramatic valleys that dip down to 3,000 meters accentuate the soaring heights around them.

Mount Everest

What is the Climate on the Tibetan Plateau?

The climate of the region is shaped by its elevation and geography. Overall, the Tibetan Plateau is a cool and dry place. The high elevation leads to thinner air and lower atmospheric pressure, contributing to lower temperatures. Winters can be very harsh, with temperatures well below freezing and heavy snowfall. Summers are warmer with some rain and mild to warm temperatures.

Who Lives on the Tibetan Plateau?

The most prominent group of people on the Tibetan Plateau is the Tibetans themselves. They are the indigenous people of the region with a distinct culture and language, deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, where spiritual practices play a central role in their lives.

Nomadic herding communities continue to practice their traditional way of life on the Tibetan Plateau. Moving their tents in sync with the seasons, these people maintain a high level of self-sufficiency, relying on their herds of yak, sheep, and goats for both sustenance and trade.

Nomadic tents on Tibetan Plateau

Various other ethnic groups also inhabit the plateau, including the Hui, Sherpas, Ladakhis, and Bhutanese peoples. These groups have their own distinct cultures, adding to the diversity of the region.

How Can I Travel to the Tibetan Plateau?

There are several options for getting to the Tibetan Plateau, each with its advantages and considerations. Here is a summary to help you decide the best way to get there.

Fly to Lhasa

It is possible to fly to Lhasa from several cities in mainland China. Direct flights are available from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and other cities. The only direct international flight to Lhasa is from Kathmandu, Nepal. Flying to Lhasa gets you there quickly, so you’ll have more time to experience to sights.

Fly to Lhasa

Train to Lhasa

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, also known as the Tibet Train, connects several Chinese cities to Lhasa. Spanning approximately 1,956 kilometers and crossing high mountain passes, vast grasslands, and breathtaking landscapes, it offers a relaxed and scenic way to travel to the Tibetan Plateau. Depending on your departure point, the shortest journey typically takes around 22 hours, with stops in various towns and cities along the way, including Golmud and Nagqu.

Overland from Kathmandu to Lhasa

The overland route from Kathmandu to Lhasa involves crossing the Nepal-China border and driving through scenic landscapes. Passing through the Himalayan foothills, you see towns such as Gyirong before continuing your journey to Lhasa. The whole journey takes several days, but the gradual climb to the high elevations helps to avoid altitude sickness.

Overland from Mainland China to Lhasa

Popular starting points for the overland route to Lhasa from within mainland China include Chengdu, Xining, Kashgar, and Kunming. These routes involve driving through picturesque landscapes and experiencing gradual elevation changes. Among these routes, the Sichuan overland route from Chengdu to Lhasa is likely the most preferred choice for tourists.

Chengdu to Lhasa by G318

What Are the Top Sights to See on the Tibetan Plateau?

With centuries of cultural traditions and millennia of geological history, the Tibet Plateau has a lifetime's worth of sights to see. Among its natural wonders, Mt. Everest is the first that comes to mind when thinking about the Tibetan Plateau. The world’s tallest peak is best viewed from the Tibetan side where Everest Base Camp offers spectacular views of the mountain and surrounding landscape. Among the other mountains, Mount Kailash is an important pilgrimage site considered sacred by multiple religions.

Beautiful alpine lakes are another must-see attraction. Namtso Lake is one of the highest saltwater lakes in the world, known for its clear blue waters and stunning surroundings, and Yamdrok Lake attracts visitors for its spiritual significance and turquoise waters.

Namtso Lake

The first cultural attraction for many visitors is the Potala Palace located in Lhasa. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of both Tibetan Buddhism and Tibet itself, the building is a cultural wonder not to be missed. Also in Lhasa, Jokhang temple draws pilgrims from all over Tibet. It is the most sacred temple in Tibetan Buddhism and is conveniently located in the heart of the city.

Join Us for a Smooth Trip to the Tibetan Plateau

Make your travel easier by booking one of our small group tours or customized private tours. We offer options to suit everyone, ranging from budget tours that cover the main highlights, such as the 4-day Lhasa tour, to longer and more extensive tours, like the 15-day Mount Kailash tour, which provides a deeper immersion into the local culture and environment.

Mount Kailash tour

You can expect quality service from all of our tours. We start by helping you find the best choice for the experience you are looking for. We will handle arranging the Tibet Travel Permit and providing a knowledgeable local Tibetan guide. When you arrive in Tibet, all arrangements will be taken care of, including your hotel stay and a detailed itinerary.

Traveling to Tibet is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Tibetan Plateau is unlike anywhere else in the world, offering a range of natural and cultural wonders to awe visitors. With so much to choose from during your visit, this guide will provide a helpful overview of what to look for in your tour. Contact us for more details on specific packages and to begin turning your dream journey into reality.

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Tibetan Plateau - The World's Highest Plateau

  • by Catherine
  • Last Updated: 2023-08-31

Tibetan Plateau

Tibet Plateau or Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the world's highest plateau, with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, known as the "roof of the world". Actually Tibet Plateau and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are different geographical concepts. The concept of the Tibetan Plateau in China refers only to a part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, whose range refers to the area south of the Kunlun Mountains , north of the Himalayas , east of the Karakorum Mountains, and west of the Hengduan Mountains. After the mid-20th century, the term "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" was widely used in China. However, in foreign countries, the term "Tibetan Plateau" was adopted to describe the whole Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which had been used since the beginning of the 20th century. The scientific research community in China has adopted the Tibetan Plateau to translate "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau". So Tibetan Plateau mentioned below will be stated in a broad concept as Qinghai- Tibet Plateau.

Facts About The Plateau of Tibet

  • Latitude: 25°-40° N
  • Longitude: 74°-104° E
  • Area: 965,300 mi²
  • Length: 2,500 km (1,600 mi)
  • Width: 1,000 km (620 mi)
  • Average Altitude: 4,500m
  • County: China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan

The Tibetan Plateau is the East Asian plateau region, the highest plateau in the world, known as the "Roof of the World", "Snowy Plateau" and "Third Pole". Most of the areas are located in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, and part of Indian-controlled Kashmir. In China, it includes Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, Sichuan Province, and Yunnan Province, accounting for 23% of the total area of China.

Tibet Plateau

Six Geographical Regions

Geographically, the Plateau of Tibet can be divided into six parts: Northern Tibetan Plateau, Southern Tibetan Valley, Qaidam Basin, Qilian Mountain, Qinghai Plateau, and the Sichuan-Tibet Alpine Canyon Region.

6 regions

1. Northern Tibetan Plateau is located in the northern part of The Tibet Autonomous Region, between Gangdise Mountains, Kunlun Mountains, and Tanggula Mountains. The altitude is generally around 4,500 meters, which is the core part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The ground is not undulating, and there are a series of high-altitude mountain ranges but they don't look relatively high due to the plateau background. Many peaks are covered with snow all year round and glaciers are widespread.

2. Southern Tibetan Valley also is known as the southern Tibet mountainous region. It's located in the south of Tibet Autonomous Region, upstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River, between the Himalayas and Gangdise Mountains. It is about 1200 km long from east to west and 300 ~ 500km wide from north to south. The altitude is 3,000 ~ 4,000 meters. Along the bank of the river valley is mostly a partial plain.

3. Qaidam Basin is located between 90°16 '~ 99°10' east longitude and 35°20 '~ 39°25' north latitude, which is the largest plateau basin in Qinghai Province. It is 800 kilometers long from east to west and 400 kilometers wide from north to south, with a total area of about 270,000 square kilometers. It is under the jurisdiction of Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province.

4. Qilian Mountain is located in the northeast of Qinghai Province. It is adjacent to the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province in the north and east and to the Qaidam Basin in the south. Qilian Mountain is composed of fault-block mountains and valleys. It is 1,200 kilometers long from east to west and 250~400 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of about 100,000 square kilometers. The inter-mountain basins and valleys are generally between 3,000 and 4,000 meters above sea level, among which there are many peaks above 5,000 meters. The western terrain is high, and the ridges and valleys are parallelly spaced.

5. Qinghai Plateau is in the northeast part of the Tibetan Plateau. From Buerhan Buda Mountain and Qilian Mountain in the north to the northwest border of Sichuan in the south to Xiqing Mountain in the east, and to Tanggula Mountain in the southwest. Qinghai Plateau's average altitude is 4,000 meters above sea level. The highest point is Bukadaban Peak in the Kunlun Mountains, with an altitude of 6,860 meters. The lowest point is Xiaguankou Village in Minhe County, with an altitude of 1,650 meters.

6. Sichuan-Tibet Alpine Canyon Region refers to the western Sichuan Province, eastern Tibet Autonomous Region, and northwest Yunnan Province. It is located in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau. This region is featured by high-altitude and deep-cut landforms. Mountains and rivers are alternatively located. From east to west, there are Jiuding Mountain, Minjiang River, Qionglai Mountain, Dadu River, Daxue Mountain, Yalong River, Sharuli Mountain, Jinsha River, Quiet Mountain, Lancang River, Nu Mountain, Nu River and so on, with an altitude ranging from 3,000 ~ 4,500 meters.

Diverse Landforms

Tibetan Plateau's landform is diverse. It has a complex natural environment and various topographic features. It can be basically divided into six types: extremely high mountains, big mountains, medium mountains, low mountains, hills, and plains. In addition, there are glacial landforms, karst landforms, aeolian landforms, volcanic landforms, etc., which are unique and diverse in physical shape.

Mountain: The Plateau of Tibet is surrounded by many mountains, for example, the Kunlun Mountains, the Tangula Mountains, the Hengduan Mountains, the Gangdise Mountains , the Nyenqing Tangula Mountains, and the Himalayas, most of which run from northwest to southeast. They rise steeply from sea level. Among them, many peaks in the southern Himalayas are ranked in the top ten in the world. In particular, Everest is the highest peak in the world.

Mt.Everest

Glacier: Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau cover an area of 47,000 square kilometers, like Himalayan glaciers, Nyenqing Tanggula Mountain glaciers, Kunlun Mountain glaciers, etc., accounting for more than 80 percent of China's total area of glaciers.

River: The distribution of rivers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is mainly affected by the climate and its own topography. In addition to the abundant rainfall in the southeast, the river supply in the inland area mainly depends on the melting of glaciers or snow. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the birthplace of many rivers in China, with dense river networks in the southern and eastern margins. The larger outflow rivers are the Yarlung Zangbo River (the major tributaries include the Lhasa River, Nianchu River, Nyang Qu and Palonzangbu, etc.), Nu River, Pengqu and India River belonging to the Indian water system, as well as the upper reaches of major rivers such as the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang Rivers belonging to the Pacific water system.

Lake: Tibet Plateau has not only raised most of the major rivers in Asia but also a series of salt lakes and freshwater lakes. There are more than 1,500 lakes in the Tibetan Plateau lake area. The lakes in this area are mainly saltwater lakes and salt lakes. The famous lakes include Namtso, Qinghai Lake, Qarhan Salt Lake and Eling Lake. Due to the differences in the depths, sediments, and microscopic organisms of different lakes, when viewed from above, they collectively appear countless green, blue, and turquoise. The surface area and shape of the lakes vary greatly. The biggest lake is Silingtso while the most famous one is Namtso, which ranks among the highest salt lakes in the world, with an altitude of 4,718 meters. It is about 25 kilometers long and 79 kilometers wide.

The most famous lake in Tibet is Namtso.

Climate Characteristics of Tibetan Plateau

The climate features strong radiation, abundant sunshine, and less accumulated temperature, and the temperature decreases with the increase in altitude and latitude. According to calculations, the average annual temperature decreases by 0.57°C for every 100 meters of altitude increase, and the annual average temperature decreases by 0.63°C for every 1-degree increase in latitude. Winter is dry and cold with strong wind; Summer is cool and rainy with hail sometimes. In a word, the four seasons are not easy to distinguish. The average temperature of the warmest month in most areas is below 15℃, and the average temperature in January and July is 15-20℃ lower than that of the eastern plain at the same latitude. According to climate classification, except for the valley area in the southeastern margin, the whole of Tibet has no summer throughout the year. The annual total radiation value is as high as 5850-7950 MJ/m2, which is 0.5-1 times higher than the eastern plain at the same latitude.

The Plateau of Tibet is an initiator and regulator of climate change in the northern hemisphere, for the climate change of this area is not only a direct driver of climate change in the east and southwest of China but also in the Northern Hemisphere. Even to global climate change, it presents sensitivity, proactivity, and regulatory. The uplifted Tibetan Plateau acts as a giant windshield, effectively blocking the cold air from the northern continents from entering South Asia. At the same time, the Himalayas block warm and moist air from the south to the north, which is an important factor to causes the rainy season in South Asia. The plateau gets heated obviously in summer, thus forming an anticyclone in the upper air, which greatly enhances the intensity of the South Asian monsoon, as well as affects the location and intensity of the subtropical high.

Xiangxiong is the name of the Tibetan Plateau before the rise of the Tubo Kingdom. It is divided into three parts: the inner, the middle and the outer, namely, historical territory centered on today's Zada ​​County in Ngari Prefecture, Nyima County in Nagqu Prefecture and Zelzhol Monastery in Qamdo Prefecture. Xiangxiong culture originated from Kailas Range in Ngari and centered on Mount Kailash . From the early stage, it stood in awe of the nature of the universe, like the primitive worship of sacred mountains, sacred lakes, and deities, then gradually forming the Bonpo religion. The Xiangxiong culture includes the systems of medicine, architecture, Buddhism, philosophy, astronomy, and more. After thousands of years of precipitation and accumulation, it has become the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancestors of the Tibetan Plateau.

The living habits of the people thriving on the Tibetan Plateau are summarized in short: the clothing is mainly Tibetan robes. Men wear trousers and women wear long skirts. The main food is Zanba, butter tea, beef, and mutton. And the Tibetan people in pastoral areas live in tents, while people in rural areas live in 2 or 3 stories blockhouses, or wooden and stone single-story houses.

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The Tibetan Plateau: A Majestic Land of Nature and Culture

The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the “Roof of the World,” is a breathtaking and awe-inspiring region situated in Central Asia. With its remarkable geographical features, rich biodiversity, and vibrant cultural heritage, the Tibetan Plateau has captivated the hearts and minds of travelers, researchers, and nature enthusiasts from around the globe. In this article, we will delve into the wonders of the Tibetan Plateau, exploring its unique characteristics, environmental challenges, cultural significance, and much more.

1. Overview of the Tibetan Plateau

Tibetan Plateau scenery

Stretching over an area of approximately 2.5 million square kilometers, the Tibetan Plateau is the highest and largest plateau on Earth. It is surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, including the Himalayas to the south and the Kunlun Mountains to the north. The average elevation of the plateau exceeds 4,500 meters, making it an extraordinary natural wonder.

Importance and Significance

The Tibetan Plateau holds immense importance both in terms of its environmental significance and cultural heritage. It acts as a vital water source for several major rivers in Asia, including the Yangtze, Yellow River, and Indus River. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate, making it an indispensable part of Earth’s ecosystem.

2. Geographical Features

Location and size.

The Tibetan Plateau is located in the heart of Asia, spanning across multiple countries, including China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Its vast expanse covers parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, and Sichuan Province in China. With its vastness and remoteness, the plateau offers a sense of tranquility and isolation from the bustling world.

High Altitude and Climate

Due to its high elevation, the Tibetan Plateau experiences a unique and challenging climate. The region is characterized by long, harsh winters with extremely low temperatures and short, cool summers. The thin air at such high altitudes poses challenges to human habitation, but it also creates stunning landscapes and mesmerizing vistas.

Rivers and Lakes

Tibet Yamdrok Lake

The Tibetan Plateau is the birthplace of numerous mighty rivers that flow through Asia. The glacier-fed rivers originating from the plateau sustain millions of people living downstream, providing them with freshwater for drinking, agriculture, and various other needs. Additionally, the plateau is dotted with numerous breathtaking lakes, including the renowned Namtso and Yamdrok lakes.

3. Biodiversity

Unique flora and fauna.

Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is a biodiversity hotspot, boasting a wide array of unique plant and animal species. Its diverse ecosystems support a variety of flora, ranging from alpine meadows and shrubs to cold desert vegetation. Some of the notable fauna found in the region include the elusive snow leopard, Tibetan antelope, wild yaks, and a plethora of bird species.

Endangered Species

Unfortunately, the Tibetan Plateau is also home to several endangered species. Rapid climate change, habitat degradation, and poaching pose significant threats to the survival of these iconic creatures. Efforts are being made to protect and conserve these vulnerable species, but more work is needed to ensure their long-term survival.

4. Cultural Heritage

Tibetan buddhism.

Tibet Jokhang Temple

The Tibetan Plateau holds immense spiritual and cultural significance, primarily due to its association with Tibetan Buddhism. The region is dotted with numerous monasteries, temples, and sacred sites, which serve as centers of religious practice and pilgrimage. Tibetan Buddhism has had a profound influence on the lives of the people residing on the plateau, shaping their values, traditions, and way of life.

Monasteries and Temples

Potala Palace

The Tibetan Plateau is adorned with magnificent monasteries and temples that showcase the architectural brilliance and spiritual devotion of the Tibetan people. The Potala Palace in Lhasa, the Jokhang Temple , and the Tashilhunpo Monastery are just a few examples of the architectural wonders that grace the plateau, attracting countless visitors each year.

Traditional Tibetan Culture

The Tibetan Plateau is also renowned for its rich and vibrant cultural heritage. The Tibetan people have preserved their ancient traditions, customs, and arts, making the plateau a living museum of Tibetan culture. From colorful festivals and traditional music to intricate thangka paintings and exquisite handicrafts, the cultural tapestry of the Tibetan Plateau is a true testament to the resilience and creativity of its people.

5. Environmental Challenges

Climate change.

Like many other regions, the Tibetan Plateau is facing the adverse impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and changing precipitation patterns pose significant challenges to the delicate ecosystems of the plateau. The effects of climate change have far-reaching consequences, not only for the region but also for the global climate system.

Wildlife Conservation

Conserving the unique wildlife of the Tibetan Plateau is crucial for maintaining the ecological integrity of the region. Efforts are being made to establish protected areas and promote sustainable tourism practices that minimize disturbance to the fragile habitats. Additionally, raising awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation and engaging local communities in conservation initiatives are essential steps toward safeguarding the biodiversity of the plateau.

6. Tourism and Adventure

Popular tourist destinations.

The Tibetan Plateau attracts a significant number of tourists each year who seek to explore its natural and cultural wonders. Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is a popular destination, offering visitors the chance to visit iconic landmarks such as the Potala Palace and the Barkhor Street. Other notable tourist destinations include the Mount Everest Base Camp, the sacred Mount Kailash, and the enchanting Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.

Trekking and Mountaineering Opportunities

For adventure enthusiasts, the Tibetan Plateau offers a plethora of opportunities for trekking and mountaineering. The region is home to some of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Mount Cho Oyu. Adventurers can embark on epic journeys, traversing rugged terrains and witnessing breathtaking landscapes that few have the privilege to behold.

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7. Scientific Research

Exploration and discoveries.

The remote and pristine nature of the Tibetan Plateau has attracted scientific researchers from various disciplines. Geologists, climatologists, biologists, and other experts explore the plateau to study its geological formations, climate patterns, and unique ecosystems. Their research not only enhances our understanding of the region but also contributes to global scientific knowledge.

Geological and Climate Studies

The Tibetan Plateau is a natural laboratory for studying the Earth’s geological processes and climate dynamics. Scientists conduct studies to unravel the mysteries of how the plateau was formed, the impact of tectonic activities, and the role of the plateau in shaping regional and global climate patterns. These studies have profound implications for predicting and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The Tibetan Plateau is a land of enchantment and wonder, where nature and culture intertwine to create a captivating tapestry. From its awe-inspiring geographical features and rich biodiversity to its vibrant cultural heritage and pressing environmental challenges, the plateau offers a myriad of experiences and lessons. It is a place where one can immerse oneself in the beauty of the natural world while exploring the depths of the human spirit.

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Ask the experts: Travelling to Tibet

You asked: i've heard that both the altitude and political troubles can impede travel to the tibetan plateau. what do i need to know.

Q I've heard that both the altitude and political troubles can impede travel to the Tibetan Plateau. What do I need to know?

Lee Cobaj, travel writer: With its fairytale temples, snow-capped peaks and a population that radiates spirituality, Tibet has achieved near-mythical status as a travel destination. But appearances can be deceiving. Since 1949, China has exercised strict control over what's today called the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). There's a military presence here, with tight restrictions on religious and intellectual pursuits, and there are concerns surrounding the forced resettling of the population. But despite these worries, the Dalai Lama, Tibet's leader-in-exile, encourages people to visit the country, to see as much as they can and to tell others what they've seen and learned. Travel to the area is monitored; you'll need to travel in a group or with a guide at all times.

Alternatively, travellers can make for 'Greater Tibet' — where Tibetan exiles have made their home. As well as the TAR itself, this includes Qinghai, a fifth of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a third of Gansu province, two-thirds of Sichuan province and a quarter of Yunnan.

While there are still restrictions on Tibetans living in China, they're noticeably more relaxed than in the TAR; Buddhists can chat about the Dalai Lama, there are more Tibetan-owned businesses, and nomads (and hikers) can strike out across those magnificent lands without restraint.

Follow @Lee_Cobaj

Yaow Butwisate-Lok, Wendy Wu Tours : There's nowhere else on Earth like Tibet; the scenery is breathtaking, the people are welcoming, and the ancient religious culture offers travellers the opportunity for spiritual rejuvenation. Special travel permits for Tibet can only be granted by the Chinese authorities after the traveller has booked a tour and has had a visa for China approved by the UK embassy. Most tourists have no problem getting a permit but travel has to be with an escorted group, operated by an authorised tour operator or travel agent. At Wendy Wu Tours, our China office handle the permits for all our groups.

Altitude can prove a physical challenge. Fitness levels have little bearing on altitude sickness, so allow at least one day of rest on arrival. Keep hydrated and avoid coffee, tobacco and alcohol for the first few days. It also helps if you travel up to higher altitude gradually. On Wendy Wu Tours' Tibetan Wonders itinerary, we go to Shangri-La City, which is at lower altitude to Tibet, before flying up to Lhasa.

For me, Tsedang — the 'cradle of Tibetan civilisation' — in Lhasa is unmissable, home to the second-century Yumbulhakang Palace and Samye, Tibet's oldest monastery.

Follow @WendyWuToursUK ‏

Published in the October 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

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Home » Asia » China » Road-Tripping Western Sichuan – A Taste of the Tibetan Plateau (2024)

Road-Tripping Western Sichuan – A Taste of the Tibetan Plateau (2024)

An elephant sits upon my chest, or so it seems…

I never thought I’d experience being out of breath simply by lying in bed trying to sleep. My whole body is heavy as I become aware of how my head is literally and figuratively more in the clouds than usual. It’s a strange feeling – not having enough oxygen; it’s something I usually associate with scuba diving, far below sea level, rather than being hundreds of metres above it.

I flopped over and came face-to-face with my potential remedy: an oxygen machine, strapped in and ready to go in my room. Fumbling with my phone, I scanned the QR code that let me deposit the £1 required to activate 30 minutes of life support. At 4,014 metres, I was sleeping in one of the highest towns in the world.

And now, dear reader, you have the opportunity to learn from my mistakes, to triumph from my successes and to plot your own truly incredible road trip through this very special and mystical part of the world.  This is, however, a journey which requires some meticulous planning and my goal today is to arm you with all of the information you need to head out into this very special part of the world.

So let’s dive in and see how you can delve into your own adventure through the Western Sichuan, a true (and independent) taste of the Tibetan Plateau.

A photo of snow-capped mountains and traditional Tibetan houses

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Why You Should Travel to Western Sichuan

Western sichuan road trip itinerary, what to pack for remote road trip, things to know before travelling to china, final thoughts on road tripping western sichuan.

Situated on the eastern fringes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture , along with various regions in Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces, shares geographical, cultural, and ethnic connections with Tibet. Even as backpacking China has become more popular, these areas have remained relatively untouched, giving them an air of isolation from the fast-paced urban life.

Why Travelling in Western Sichuan Will Give You More Freedom Than Travelling in Tibet 

Unfortunately, under the watchful eye of Beijing, Tibet has become a tricky place to travel without a special permit. So, it’s a little challenging to access Tibet over land unless you’re a Chinese national.

In Tibet, access requires not only a Chinese visa and passport but also a specific entry permit with limitations on movement. Visitors to Tibet are also typically required to be accompanied by an official guide, which significantly adds to the overall cost of the trip and inevitably limits your freedom to explore.

Giant statue of Mao ZeDong in Chengdu

We decided not to make Tibet our final destination to avoid these issues. Western Sichuan offers a less touristy, alternative experience that allows you to go off the beaten track but is still home to many Tibetan communities.

Travelling to Western Sichuan is more straightforward compared to the Tibet Autonomous Region, as all that is required is a standard Chinese visa for entry and your normal passport. This makes Western Sichuan an excellent destination for those seeking awe-inspiring Himalayan peaks, exceptional hiking opportunities, and an intriguing glimpse into Tibetan culture, all without the restrictions of travelling in Tibet Proper.

Here’s exactly how we journeyed from massive Beijing to one of the most beautiful regions in China…

Stop #1 Beijing, 44m Above Sea Level

Let’s start in Beijing , where we start our expedition on a train track rather than a road. We contemplated driving to Chengdu, and whilst you could do it that way, it would add another two days.

Coming from the UK, unfortunately, my standards for train travel are somewhat low (think overpriced, understaffed, never on time and packed carriages), but this does mean I am easily pleased when my train isn’t delayed for seven hours because a cow has strolled onto the tracks for a quick snack.  Despite my low standards, please believe me when I say the Chinese high-speed rail network is phenomenal.

a view of beijing on a sunny day from a historical site

The trains are comfortable, clean, affordable and efficient. And they’re always on time, which is slightly mind-blowing. You also have more affordable options as traditional slow trains are readily available that offer standing (no seat), hard seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper tickets.

If you’re not on a tight budget , I recommend the hard sleeper option. I once booked a hard seat for an 11-hour slow train to Inner Mongolia and sat next to a goat- safe to say it wasn’t the most comfortable experience (the goat was lovely, though), but you can read more about that some other time.

We took one of the more direct high-speed trains to Chengdu, which left from Beijing West train station and took about 7.5 hours. Depending on your route, the slow train option can take anywhere between 18-30 hours. 

Most train ticket booking is done online via various apps, and only available in Mandarin – so unless your language skills are top-notch, I suggest using trip.com for all your train booking needs.

Stop #2 Chengdu, 500m Above Sea Level

Chengdu is one of my favourite cities in China. Although most visitors are drawn there to visit the famous Giant Panda Research Base, the city has loads more to offer, from sweaty, spicy Sichuan deliciousness to unique hip-hop culture. 

The city has adopted the laid-back attitude of the Giant Pandas and applied it to their everyday life. Food is the focal point of all daily activities, and in the summer, it’s so hot there’s not much point in moving.

A panda eating some bamboo

Compared to other cities in China, such as Beijing and Shanghai , Chengdu has a reputation for offering a lifestyle away from the grind. Something that, in my opinion, can be confirmed by the opening hours of their coffee shops; we struggled to find a coffee shop that wasn’t Starbucks open before midday.

What’s great about this is that you don’t need to actively search for a taste of what authentic life is like in Chengdu. Head to one of the parks, and you’re sure to see a bunch of locals playing chess, dancing, singing or doing Taiji (Taichi).

A bowl of spicy pork knuckle noodles and some steamed bao buns

One of the most important things to do in Chengdu is eat. Sichuan is renowned for its unique spice flavours – coming from the Sichuan peppercorn, which I describe as having a sort of tingly popping-candy effect combined with chilli spice.

To celebrate the release of Disney’s ‘Mulan’, McDonald’s made a Szechuan (Sichuan) Sauce in the 90s with a completely mad one-day-only revival in 2017 thanks to a Rick and Morty Episode that caused actual riots. Packets of the sauce ended up being sold for around $200 on eBay- so take this as your friendly PSA to keep an eye out for Sichuan sauce if you’re short on travel funds.

rick and morty clip discussing szechuan sauce

Chengdu is one of the best locations for food travellers looking for a taste of authentic China. Most restaurants won’t cater to tourists who can’t handle their spice – they’ll serve you food the way it should be.

If you haven’t travelled to China before – Chinese food is so diverse and scrumptious that it doesn’t even compare to the American/ British-ized version that you’ll find at your local takeaway restaurant. Forget everything you think you know and prepare to have your head explode with sensational spiciness. I’ve included a list of dishes you simply must try here:

  • Hot Pot  
  • Kung Pao Chicken 
  • Sichuan Dumplings 
  • Dan Dan noodles (spicy dry noodles)
  • For the more adventurous… pig brain

Once we ate ourselves to discomfort and bliss, we were ready to hire our car and begin our trip on route 318. Route 318 is China’s longest national highway (5,476km) that runs from Shanghai to Zhangmu on the China- Nepal border. Most people start their Tibetan Plateau journey in Chengdu, Sichuan and end their trip in Lhasa. 

It’s also known to be one of the most dangerous highways in the country. The winding roads, unpredictable weather and altitude make it a pretty challenging route to take. If you’re not into driving – there’s another over-land train route to Lhasa from the neighbouring Qinghai province.

A windy mountain road surrounded by trees

And so, packs upon our backs and valiant vehicle secured, we hit the road searching for a more authentic experience within Western Sichuan. 

Top Chengdu Tips:

  • Meet the Giants: Pandas spend about 12 hours a day eating. Make the most of your time and go see one munching away at some bamboo at the Giant Panda Sanctuary .
  • Tingle your Tastebuds : Eat everything you can in Sichuan (within reason). But dedicate an afternoon to a sweaty, spicy, sensational hot-pot lunch. 
  • Balance: Chinese people believe that too much “dampness” in the body is caused by the interaction between the humidity or wetness from the external environment and the “dampness” inside the body. To counteract this imbalance, a lot of Southern Chinese food is very spicy so that when you eat, you can literally restore balance by sweating out the excess water in your body. 
  • One Night of C-Rap – Chinese hip hop has increased in popularity over the last decade, and Chengdu is the centre of it all. Experience the rise of this genre at a local hip-hop night. 
  • Explore a park with literary connections: This park was home to a thatched cottage of a Chinese poet called Du-Fu, who moved there in 749 AD. Take refuge from the hustle and heat of the city and sip some green tea in this tranquil park.

Stop #3: Moxi Town, Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park, 1600m above sea level

One of the challenges and pleasures of travelling is the unknown and unexpected events that nature throws at you. Serendipity, keep an eye out for her, she’s always lurking in the shadows when you’re on the road. My vision of leaving the steamy, spicy, hot-wok Chengdu for cooler breezes and mountain air was squashed by heavy rains and a landslide blocking our original route to Moxi Town.

Rolling into Moxi town after a five-hour detour through treacherous mountain roads and a whole load of rain, we were greeted with wooden buildings and narrow cobbled streets, a calming atmosphere we were relieved to see after our hair-raising drive. 

A girl takes a photo in the wing mirror of a car while driving along a road

The town is overlooked by Mount Gongga, or “Minya Konka” in Khams Tibetan. Known colloquially as “the King of Sichuan Mountains”, Minya Konka is the highest mountain in Sichuan province. At an elevation of 7,556m – it’s not the most accessible mountain to climb (only 50 mountaineers are known to have scaled it), but when the clouds clear, there is an impressive view from Moxi Town. 

Hailuogou Glacier Park was enchanting to us; following our time in the bustling heat of Chengdu, Moxi exuded an undeniable atmosphere of tranquillity. The morning after we arrived, we were greeted by the melody of heavy raindrops tapping on the roof of our rustic cabin, the faint chime of distant yak bells, and the gradual crescendo of a local women’s choir, harmonising beneath the protective canopy of the church’s square. 

A landscape of the red rock shoal covered in mist in HaiLuoGou national park

We visited Hailuogou Glacier and Forest Park, home to low-altitude glaciers, ancient forests and hot springs. Sadly, the weather wasn’t entirely on our side, so we couldn’t get a cable car to see the stunning glacier. Instead, we hiked around the primitive forest areas and saw the Red Rock Shoal. These rocks have been wrapped by a kind of orange algae that consequently turned them.. well.. red. It was pretty impressive to have such a bold colour slapped in the middle of the scenery.

Note: There was a 6.6. magnitude earthquake that struck Moxi town in September 2022, which led to the death of 66 people. As of the time of writing this article, the town is still recovering and is closed to tourists.

Top Moxi Town Tips: 

  • Breakfast is the most important meal- Wake up early and wander the streets of Moxi town for a freshly steamed, mouth-wateringly delicious baozi. Enjoy the early-morning sounds of people getting ready for the day, make your way to the Catholic Church and listen to the community choir practicing their singing. Marvel at the giant Mao Zedong statue while sitting next to the statue of Jesus. Ponder how weird things can be. Beat the crowds and enjoy the quiet of it all. 
  • Or perhaps lunch is more important  –  If you’re not into all that early-morning stuff – there are many other food options for breakfast. Moxi is where we began to see more yak produce, I suggest sampling some yak yogurt and butter. 
  • Walk, walk, walk – Explore the sights of Hailuogou Glacier Park. Visit the Red Rock Shoal.
  • Don’t forget your ID – An annoying reality – but most national parks in China will require you to show your passport and valid visa. Sometimes, you’ll get away with showing a photo of your ID, but it’s best to just carry it with you.

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Stop #4: Yajiang, 2569m above sea level 

As we made our way towards Yajiang, the vast expanse of the grasslands unfolded before us. We started to climb higher onto the plateau – the air was thinning, and we were starting to feel mild effects from the altitude.

We were driving up a twisty road up the side of a mountain, and when we got to the top, we took a moment to rest, not realising we’d reached a self-proclaimed “highest service station in the world” at 4600m. I say service station; it was more like a car park with a shack serving out-of-date snacks and oxygen cylinders. So, of course, we bought some stale crisps and some oxygen and began our journey down the other side of the mountain. 

A man lies on a couch in a room decorated with wooden Tibetan furniture

Our homestay for the night was a room in a traditional Tibetan building called Miya Hotel . Wooden beams panelled the inside of the house, and around the home were ornately decorated cabinets. Tibetan flags lined the spacious living area, presenting intense splashes of colour around the room.

The owner of the hotel, wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt, was wonderfully friendly and explained to us he’d only learned Mandarin through watching the TV. Instead, he spoke a language known as Zhaba, spoken mainly by the Shaba people, who are recognised as ethnic Tibetans. His wife, dressed in a simple yet colourfully embroidered Tibetan robe, gave us food and a salty Tibetan tea meant to help with the altitude sickness. 

A picture of three dishes found in traditional Tibetan breakfast

The following day, they cooked us breakfast, consisting of salted potatoes, pickled vegetables and another round of salted milk tea – a different taste experience compared to the intense flavours of Chengdu. We were supposed to drive off toward Litang, but he encouraged us to stay and visit a temple at the top of a nearby mountain.

While he suggested this, he backtracked and said we might not manage to get up the treacherous mountain path in our little car and offered us his sturdy four-by-four. Too polite to accept his kind offer, we set off in our car as he anxiously waved us goodbye. 

A photo of a traditional Tibetan house

 As we made our way up the impossibly steep hill on a road that can only be described as a dirt track with every pothole you can imagine along it – we were beginning to question our inhibition to be awkwardly polite and reject kind offers from people.

The road was rough and crumbled away as we shuddered up in first gear, the car crunching and squealing over sizable rocks but ultimately crawling forward like a wounded beetle, determined to make it to the top. Despite a near collision and careful maneuvering to get past a truck of gigantic proportions, we made it to the 4300m high temple.

High on the plateau, Tibetan families piled into the temple’s courtyard, waiting for a ceremony to begin. Rosy-cheeked children ran around whilst their mothers, clad in velvet fabrics with ornate jewellery, coloured strings and multi-layered strings woven into their braids, were casually chatting with one another. Dozens of red-robed monks sat on the stone floor, their Buddhist chants echoing off the ancient temple walls. 

Three people wearing colourful Tibetan masks and doing a traditional dance

The event began with a loud cymbal crash, drawing cheers from the audience while dancers adorned in masks burst into the square. We were witnessing a Cham Ceremony, an annual festival dedicated to transforming evil into good, through ancient dance movements performed in harmony with the monks’ mantras. 

We later learned that the masks represent the face of evil, symbolising that malevolence originates within, born from human vices such as ignorance, anger, desire, jealousy, and ego. The ceremony’s purpose is to remove this evil, ultimately offering a clearer path to transformation.

A person pushing their bike up a hill on their way to Tibet

Top Yajiang Tips: 

  • Listen to your new friends – Despite language barriers, our host taught us some valuable lessons. One of which is listening to local advice… 
  • Keep calm and carry on – Near-death experiences might lead you to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world. But you gotta keep calm and breathe. 
  • Acclimatise –  Drink salted milk tea (SuYouCha) to relieve altitude sickness.
  • Follow the path unknown –  unplanned adventures seem to bring the most reward. Let this be your friendly reminder not to plan every moment of your journey, see where the unmapped road takes you and remain open to pastures anew. 

Stop #5: Sky Country (Litang), 4014m

Shortly before we left on our road trip, Litang became renowned for a bizarre reason. A viral video spread on DouYin (China’s domestic version of TikTok) of Ding Zhen, a 20-year-old Tibetan, on his way to buy instant noodles. As per the mysteries of the internet, the video took the internet by storm. He quickly captured the hearts of millions as people became enraptured with his “innocent smile” and “cute demeanour”.

A picture of a poster featuring a boy from China

Ding Zhen’s fame increased the number of searches for Litang through China’s biggest travel agency by 620% in 10 days – and it was evident Litang’s tourist department had taken advantage of this fame. As we emerged through a tunnel, we were greeted by a 15-metre-high poster of the famous boy’s face with the slogan “Welcome to Litang, the home of Ding Zhen”. 

We discussed the rise of the new local celebrity with our homestay owner in Yajiang, who told us “This region is more than Litang, and Litang is more than Ding Zhen” – he was concerned that the rest of China would develop a singular view of the region shaped by the popularisation.

Landscape of yaks on the Tibetan Plateau

Honestly, Litang wasn’t quite the authentic experience I’d been expecting. I was drawn to this town from reading about the incredible horse racing festival, the Tibetan monasteries and the challenges of living in a town so high above sea level. 

Litang, one of the highest inhabited towns in the world, is 400m higher than Lhasa. The town lies on the higher eastern edges of the great Tibetan Plateau, and it is claimed that Litang County is the highest continuously inhabited district in the world. 

Traditional Tibetan yak herder

The town, situated amongst snow-capped mountains, expansive open grasslands, beautiful monasteries and an abundance of yaks, is well worth a visit. However, potentially due to the town’s newfound fame, it seemed like it was going through an industrial shift, enhancing its infrastructure (shiny new roads with street lights) but also taking away some of its atmosphere.

During the first week of August, crowds flock to Litang to see the famous Horse Racing Festival. Horses are essential figures for Tibetan nomads, serving practical and spiritual purposes. Despite modern modes of transport like motorbikes, trains, and cars, horses are relied upon for traversing rugged terrains, facilitating trade, and undertaking laborious tasks. There is also pride in horsemanship, where young men race bareback or stand atop their steed while it gallops.  

Tibetans’ spiritual symbolism is equally fascinating, as horses are a symbol of luck, an embodiment of the wind horse—a representation of the human soul—and act as a harmonising force among the elements of wood, water, earth, and fire. The festival is held annually over seven days (or three days, depending on the year), so it’s an awesome time to pass through.

A baby yak crosses a road

Even though we weren’t in Litang for the actual festival, we were fortunate to witness some of the preparations. We had the chance to observe local Tibetans erecting their ornate embroidered tents in preparation.

We even saw two horse riders practising for a race, or perhaps they were riding out for some fast-paced fun. Seeing these two equestrians wearing woollen chubas (an ankle-length robe) and distinctive fedoras, galloping gracefully across the vast plain, left a lasting impression—a profound glimpse into the essence of Tibetan culture .

Top Litang Tips: 

  • Sleeping – Accommodation that officially allows tourists to stay is scarce. Try to find a homestay if you can, but don’t try your luck with camping here – even in summer, the temperatures at night plummet, and the conditions are pretty harsh. 
  • Acclimatise –  Altitude sickness can be a real risk here. Staying for the night was a challenging experience, but I wouldn’t risk staying here without first acclimatising at a lower altitude and taking herbal remedies or other medication. Come prepared with (Western) medicine and oxygen. 
  • Plan: Plan your trip to Litang during the first week of August so you don’t miss the Horse Racing Festival.
  • Expectations – The town has lost some of its traditional charm as infrastructure has been the city’s key aim over the last few years. You can visit Litang Monastery, built in 1580 by the 3rd Dalai Lama, to see some traditional architecture and lifestyle. 
  • Prophetic Poetry – The 6th Dalai Lama penned a poem about Litang, saying, “ Oh, you white crane, grant me your wings, I won’t venture too far, just a brief flight to Litang and back .” Following his mysterious disappearance in 1707, his devotees interpreted this poem as a premonition of his reincarnation in Litang. Consequently, the 7th Dalai Lama (1708-1757) was discovered in the residence of Ren-khang, who would subsequently govern Tibet for five decades. Theoretically, you can visit the residence from 9:30 am to 5 pm, but it might not be that accessible to tourists.

tibetan plateau travel

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Stop #6: Yading Nature Reserve, Daocheng County, 4000m

We left route 318 to go North towards Yading Nature Reserve in Daocheng County . One of the most beautiful and well-preserved reserves in China, Yading Nature Reserve centres around three snow-capped mountains. Surrounded by ancient forests, vast grasslands, crystal-clear lakes and glaciers, you’ll surely experience some of the most beautiful places in China , and the world, here.

In Tibetan Buddhism, mountains and mountain ranges are often assigned spiritual significance, and the most important among them are sometimes considered physical manifestations of Buddhist deities, as is the case with the three main peaks of the Yading Nature Reserve. Yading also claims to be the real “Shangri-La”, meaning a lost paradise.

There are many hiking options in Yading, ranging from one-day hikes to overnight and 5-night hikes. There is said to be good karma in completely circumnavigating a mountain, so originally, we planned an overnight hike around the highest peak at 6032m – Mount Xiannairi , the embodiment of the Boddhisatva of Compassion. Again, the forces of nature seemed to be against us (this time altitude), so we had to scrap these plans.

Milk Lake in Yading Nature Reserve, China

All hikes in Yading are mostly 4,000m above sea level, so taking the steps to acclimatise properly is essential. I was lucky enough to get used to the elevation relatively quickly – mainly thanks to our stop in Litang , but my travel buddy wasn’t so fortunate. Experiencing severe altitude sickness (fever, headache, dizziness), he had to travel back to Daocheng town to recover at a lower altitude. 

Not wanting to miss out on the beautiful scenery, I remained in Yading Village and solo-hiked from the Luorong grasslands to two stunning lakes. Reaching my first destination, I caught a glimpse of the turquoise-coloured Milk Lake beautifully reflecting two holy mountains in its waters before the clouds covered the reflection.

A landscape image of five colour lake in Yading Nature Reserve, China

A 5km hike from there is the Five-Colour Lake , another glacial lake with crystal-clear waters. As I crossed the ridge and saw the lake, I saw a snow-capped mountain mirrored in the iridescent blue waters. The silence was immense – I could hear the wind casting ripples on the water and the distant sounds of mountain goats knocking rocks with their hooves. The real Shangri-La or not – the scenery alone was enough to make anyone feel the spiritual significance of the place. 

I walked back down to the grasslands at around 2 p.m., and the crowds had settled in. The empty paths I walked up were jam-packed with humans, some seriously struggling to hike to the lake due to altitude sickness.

A traditional copper pot with yak meat hotpot inside

As I returned to the grasslands, rain clouds descended and formed a mist, covering the mountains I had just walked amongst. A naturally formed curtain of mist symbolised the end of my time in Daocheng Nature Reserve – and I was just about ready to say goodbye after warming up with a steaming bowl of yak broth noodles.

Top Yading Tips: 

  • Sleeping – Stay in Yading Village so you’ll wake up inside the national park. You’ll beat the crowds by getting one of the first shuttle buses to Longtong Ba, the start of the hiking trail. 
  • Oxygen – Breathing canned oxygen can temporarily help with altitude sickness while you’re breathing it. You can stock up on these in Daocheng Town, which might improve severe cases of altitude sickness. Some people were using oxygen bags – which I heard could be more medically effective but weren’t readily available. I just stuck to the natural salty milk tea remedy.
  • Acclimatise –  Try and gradually increase the altitudes you’re staying at. Some people fly into the closest airport and suffer as a result. Travel slowly, take your time, and enjoy the journey. 
  • Expectations – The overnight hiking conditions are harsh, and there’s little help regarding navigation or resources. You’d be very much on your own, and if you’re not confident in your camping/hiking abilities, it’s probably best to hire a guide.

Stop #7: Shangri-La, Yunnan, 3610 m

No matter how much you want to keep exploring, recovery and rest are necessary for long-term travel. As my buddy’s altitude sickness was in full swing, we had to reroute to neighbouring province Yunnan for an oxygen fix. And what better place to go for some R and R than a second Shangri-La?

Shangri-la is a Tibetan word meaning ‘a land of sacredness and peace’, something we were seeking after our adventures on the plateau. The city itself is home to a mix of ethnic minorities, such as the Naxi and Khampas people.

An illustration of Songzanlin Monastery, Yunnan

Dukezong ancient town is about 1,300 years old and features traditional Tibetan houses, temples, and pagodas. You can stroll around the winding, cobblestoned alleyways, get lost in the smells of Yak-products (and see decorated yaks paraded in the streets) and stumble across the main square where locals dance every evening. 

Shangri-La holds an interesting mixture of young people with a passion for coffee, beer, and fashion, yet still want to maintain traditional customs and values. It felt like the city was advancing more than other places we’d travelled on the plateau. 

A landscape view of Dafo temple in Yunnan, featuring the world's largest prayer wheel.

For views of the old town, you can visit Dafo Temple (Chaoyanglou), located in Guishan Hill Park. Here, you can try spinning the world’s largest prayer wheel, Zhuangjin Tong, which needs six people to make it turn. 

Outside the town, there’s plenty to explore, from grasslands to hikes, from snub-nosed monkeys to horse rides. We visited Ganden Sumsteling Monastery, about 5km away from Shangri-La town, an incredible monastery built in 1679 and the largest and most important Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan province. 

Top Shangri La Tips: 

  • Sleeping – Stay in the midst of it all and sleep at a homestay in the old town. There are some traditional Tibetan options. 
  • Eating – Shangri-La can get pretty cold and rainy, so there’s no better way to warm those cockles than with a steamy yak hot pot. If you’re not into that, you can eat at the Flying Tiger’s Cafe for your yak-burger fix.
  • Drinking – Sample some deliciously brewed beer at China’s largest independent brewery, Shangri-La Beer . These beers are available in bars/restaurants around Shangri-La, so look out for their colourful logos. And if nightlife is your thing, you can get your fix – there are bars which sometimes host incredible live music events from local artists. 
  • Dip into some painting – Go to a local art studio (many in the old town’s centre) and paint a Thangka- a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting.

Your packing list might look a bit different depending on what exactly you’re planning to do, but here are a few things no Western Sichuan wanderer should leave home without…

Osprey Aether AG 70

Osprey Aether 70L Backpack

Ya can’t go backpacking anywhere without a blasted backpack! Words cannot describe what a friend the Osprey Aether has been to The Broke Backpacker on the road. It’s had a long and illustrious career; Ospreys don’t go down easily.

feathered friend backpacking sleeping bag

Feathered Friends Swift 20 YF

My philosophy is that with an EPIC sleeping bag, you can sleep anywhere. A tent is a nice bonus, but a real sleek sleeping bag means you can roll out anywhere in a and stay warm in a pinch. And the Feathered Friends Swift bag is about as premium as it gets.

Grayls Geopress Water Bottle

Grayl Geopress Filtered Bottle

Always travel with a water bottle! They save you money and reduce your plastic footprint on our planet. The Grayl Geopress acts as a purifier AND temperature regulator – so you can enjoy a cold red bull, or a hot coffee, no matter where you are.

tibetan plateau travel

Petzl Actik Core Headlamp

Every traveller should have a head torch! A decent head torch could save your life. When you’re camping, hiking, or even if the power just went out, a top-quality headlamp is a MUST. The Petzl Actik Core is an awesome piece of kit because it’s USB chargeable—batteries begone!

packable travel medical kit

First Aid Kit

Never go off the beaten track (or even on it) without your first aid kit! Cuts, bruises, scrapes, third-degree sunburn: a first aid kit will be able to handle most of these minor situations.

Two old ladies walking down a traditional street lined with Chinese flags

  • You need to travel to China with a tourist visa to apply for before your travels. Most visas allow you to have 90 days of entry. 
  • The great firewall of China is hard to break. Luckily, you can get yourself a VPN so you can still access all your favourite sites. Some VPN’s work better than others – I’d recommend: > Express VPN
  • Some hotels/hostels don’t have a permit to accept international citizens. They are legally required to register you with a police station/hold.
  • Your passport / visa needs to be scanned 
  • Not all places follow this rule. Especially if you’re only staying for one night. 
  • Unfortunately, some places advertise / make themselves available for you to book online as a foreigner, but then when you turn up, you might get turned away as they realise they aren’t allowed to accept you (or they can’t be bothered to register you with the police station) 
  • There are some reports about just registering yourself in these situations- but that could be a bit too much mafan (too much effort). 
  • Usually, in rural areas people are nice enough to help you out in these situations and will let you sleep in their homes, arguably a nicer way to travel and see the place you’re in.
  • You can hire a car relatively easily with an international driving permit.

Getting Insured BEFORE Hitting the Plateau

It’s always a good idea to grab some good travel insurance before heading out on a road trip, especially one that goes this high!

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

tibetan plateau travel

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Well, we are reaching the end of this epic adventure, and I hope this has inspired you to get out there. There’s no better way to spend your time than exploring parts of the world that aren’t frequently visited – get off the beaten track and meet people so far removed from your social bubble that your world gets turned upside down.

Being so high above sea level gave me a different perspective on our world – I felt so small and insignificant compared to the wall of holy mountains lining the plateau.

I recommend bringing clothes that cover a range of weather – within one month of travelling, I went from wearing a dress to a down jacket and thermals, back to a dress again. Prepare for rain. Bring a camera. Take your time on the road and explore roads less travelled on the map  – Western Sichuan offers so much more than the popular route 318 – you just need to see where it might take you.

Tibetan plateau vista view

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Hannah Nash

Hannah Nash

A photo of snow-capped mountains and traditional Tibetan houses

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tibetan plateau travel

The World Through a Lens

Scattered Among the Himalaya, Glimpses of a Changing Tibet

An array of forces, including political suppression and the ubiquity of the internet, have made elements of traditional Tibetan lifestyles increasingly challenging.

A Tibetan man walks past prayer wheels at the Derge Parkhang in eastern Tibet. The printing house, founded in 1729, is one of the most important repositories of Tibetan Buddhist scriptures in the world. Credit...

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Photographs and Text by Stuart Butler

  • July 12, 2021

I was sitting inside the dark, yak-hair tent of a nomad family in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalaya. Outside, some scruffy sheep searched for greenery among the cold and barren moonscape, and large raptors circled in the thermals. As we huddled around the hearth, the old man handed me a small glass of salty, yak-butter tea.

“There were wolves here two nights ago,” he told me through a translator. “This time I chased them away, but they will come back again and try and get at my sheep. It’s happening more and more.”

“Everything about being a herder is getting more difficult,” he added. “Maybe my sons won’t want to continue this life. My wife and I might be among the last of the nomads here.”

tibetan plateau travel

It was a story I’d heard time and again across the Himalaya and the Tibetan plateau. Whether because of climatic changes, the call of a more comfortable life in the cities, political repression or the demands of education, life is changing fast for the people of Tibet and the surrounding Himalayan regions.

I have been traveling to and walking around the Himalaya and Tibet for some 25 years. During that time, I’ve written a number of guidebooks on the region — for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Bradt. I always travel with a local guide who acts as a translator, and I like to spend as much time as I can walking, because doing so increases contact with local people. There’s nothing I enjoy more than sitting down in a remote tea shop or nomad tent and talking to people about their lives.

Defining the borders of Tibet can be difficult. This is because, in some ways, there are several Tibets.

The area we commonly think of as Tibet today — and the area marked on most maps as Tibet — is the Tibet Autonomous Region. This is the second largest region or province of modern China, and its regional capital is Lhasa.

Before Communist forces seized control of Tibet in 1950, it was a functionally independent nation, and its borders were larger than they are today. (China refers to its takeover of Tibet as a “peaceful liberation.” At the time, China says, the new Communist government was reasserting sovereignty over a territory that was lost after the fall of the Qing dynasty.)

Much of what is today the mountainous western part of China’s Sichuan Province was, before the 1950 takeover, politically and culturally a part of Tibet, known as Kham. Likewise, to the north of the Tibet Autonomous Region is the Chinese province of Qinghai; this was also historically a part of Tibet, known as Amdo, though it fell under Chinese control in the 18th century.

And then there are the parts of the Himalaya that are culturally Tibetan even if they have never — or not for a long time, anyway — been politically a part of Tibet. These include the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, parts of Nepal (most notably Upper Mustang and Dolpo, as well as some valleys to the north of the main mountain peaks) and parts of India, especially Ladakh, the setting of a longstanding border dispute .

Tibetans are mostly adherents of their own tradition of Buddhism, and monasteries and nunneries have long been a central part of their culture and life.

The spiritual leader of Tibet is the Dalai Lama, who was based in Lhasa until 1959, when he and many of his supporters fled in the wake of a failed uprising. He’s now based in Dharamsala, in northern India, where an entire Tibetan government in exile has been set up.

There are also large Tibetan exile communities in Nepal, other parts of India and a smaller community in Bhutan.

Chinese domination of Tibet has undoubtedly brought much-needed development and a higher standard of living to the plateau. (In 1959 Tibet was one of the least developed places in Asia.) But it has also brought with it massive suppression of Tibetan rights and the crushing of Tibetan culture and religious practices. Mining and damming have also resulted in significant environmental damage.

Many Tibetans living under Chinese rule have little in the way of freedoms. Positions of power are dominated by Han officials, often from other parts of China. There are widespread reports of human rights abuses , infringement on religious freedoms, allegations of arbitrary arrest and the torture of political prisoners. Tibetans that I know who live in Chinese-run parts of Tibet have told me in private that they feel like they are living in a giant prison and are under constant surveillance .

The Chinese government disputes these claims and says that it has done much to change Tibet for the better — efforts that have put an end to feudal serfdom, profoundly reduced poverty and doubled the life expectancy. Literacy rates have also risen under Chinese rule — to 85 percent today, up from 5 percent in the 1950s.

Because of the suppression of traditional Tibetan life and culture within the Chinese-run parts of Tibet, it’s often easier to find a more traditional classical Tibetan culture in the culturally Tibetan parts of India, Nepal and Bhutan.

But, even in areas where Tibetan culture is allowed to flourish, there have been significant changes in recent years.

In the past, many Tibetans lived a seminomadic lifestyle as they moved with their livestock — often yaks — to and from summer and winter pastures. Today, though, the desire to ensure that children receive the best education possible is making such a lifestyle increasingly challenging. The push to earn a reliable wage in the towns and cities has also meant that many formerly nomadic families have left the mountains behind. Other changes are coming from the increasing construction of roads, widespread ownership of motorbikes, and the ubiquity of telephones and internet.

All of these developments are bringing new ideas, new opportunities and — for better or worse — great changes to traditional Tibetan and Himalayan lifestyles.

Tourism has also played a part in the changes being wrought on the region. In certain areas, a massive trekking and adventure travel industry has developed. While the arrival of thousands of international tourists brings environmental and social changes, it has also allowed families to remain in the mountains and to profit off the nature around them and Tibetan culture.

A case in point would be the nomadic Tibetan family I met on the grasslands of the Kham region, who, working side by side with a local guesthouse, were offering tourists the chance to stay with them in their traditional yak-wool tent and learn something of traditional Tibetan nomadic life.

In addition to generating much-needed income for their family, they were also retaining pride in their traditional way of life — and finding the means to carry it on for another generation.

Stuart Butler is a writer and photographer based in France. You can follow his work on Instagram .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

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30 Plateau of Tibet Facts: Landscapes, Nature, Life, Travel

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The plateau of Tibet has many interesting facts. Tibet is a land of breathtaking mountains, panoramic views, valleys, ancient Buddhist temples, monasteries, yaks, and many more. The allure of Tibet’s temples and monasteries lies not merely in their architectural grandeur but in the profound stories etched within their walls, stories that unfold with each footstep and resonate in the stillness of the plateau air.  Nestled amidst the vast expanse of the Himalayas, Tibet emerges as a geographical marvel, earning the illustrious moniker “Roof of the World” owing to its lofty average elevation that gracefully exceeds the formidable altitude of 4000 meters above sea level. his elevated sanctuary, a testament to nature’s architectural prowess, beckons intrepid souls to explore its mesmerizing heights. In this article, I am going to talk about the plateau of Tibet facts.

Plateau of Tibet Facts: Landscapes, Nature, Life, Travel

The undulating terrain, draped in mystic allure, crafts an awe-inspiring tableau where towering peaks play hide-and-seek with the clouds, orchestrating a symphony of grandeur. The journey becomes more than a physical exploration; it transforms into a pilgrimage of the soul, where the sacred and the secular converge in a harmonious dance, leaving indelible imprints on the hearts of those fortunate enough to tread upon this sacred land. Here are the plateau of Tibet facts:

1. Plateau of Tibet at a glance

2. precipitation patterns on the tibetan plateau.

The meteorological conditions on the Tibetan Plateau exhibit a marked irregularity throughout the calendar year. The commencement of the wet season, a period characterized by increased precipitation, typically initiates its atmospheric dance in the juncture of June and July, persisting steadfastly until the inaugural days of September. This climatic symphony plays out in a rhythm that, instead of adhering to the conventional norms of steady rainfall, undulates with a capricious temperament.

3. Buddhism in Tibet

Nestled within the folds of the 7th and 8th centuries, the profound tendrils of Buddhism gradually wove into the cultural fabric of Tibet, its influence transcending mere rituals to assume the mantle of the primary faith in this mystical land. The rich tapestry of Tibetan spirituality, painted with the hues of Buddhist philosophy, has woven itself into the very essence of the region. Despite the pervasive presence of Buddhism, like whispers in the wind, remnants of the ancient Bon tradition persist, echoing through the valleys and resonating within the hearts of those who choose to tread the path less traveled. Monastic life, an embodiment of spiritual dedication, thrives amid the towering peaks, sustaining the delicate equilibrium between tradition and the winds of change.

4. Diversity in Belief

In the shadow of Buddhism’s omnipresence, a subtle dance of diversity plays out on the spiritual stage of Tibet. While the majority bow to the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, there remains a steadfast contingent that continues to tread the path of Bon. These adherents, like stalwart guardians of an ancient flame, practice their age-old rituals, casting a nuanced silhouette against the dominant Buddhist backdrop. The coexistence of these two traditions paints a tableau of spiritual plurality, a testament to the resilience of belief systems in the face of time’s inexorable march.

5. Monastic Magnificence

Dotting the vast expanse of Tibet, monasteries emerge as architectural marvels and bastions of spiritual pursuit. Amidst the craggy peaks and serene plateaus, these monastic sanctuaries stand as a testament to the enduring relationship between the people and their faith. Each monastery, a tapestry of prayer flags fluttering in the mountain breeze, serves as a beacon for the devoted pilgrims who traverse challenging terrains seeking solace and enlightenment. The energetic pulse of monastic life resonates through the halls, a symphony of chants and rituals that echo the timeless rhythm of Tibetan spirituality.

6. The Enigmatic Landscape

Stretching across a staggering 1.22 million square kilometers, the land of Tibet unfurls beneath the sky like a vast, ancient manuscript waiting to be deciphered. This expanse, the second-largest province in China, dwarfs the imagination with its sheer magnitude. From the sublime beauty of the Tibetan Plateau to the rugged allure of the Himalayan peaks, the landscape is a canvas on which nature has painted with a diverse palette. Every valley, every mountain pass, becomes a chapter in the story of Tibet, inviting exploration and contemplation in equal measure.

7. Dimensions of Tibet

Within the geopolitical confines, Tibet sprawls as a colossal entity, boasting an area that transcends the ordinary. This geographical behemoth, the second-largest province in the expansive tapestry of China, weaves together diverse terrains and climates. From the arid stretches of the Changtang Plateau to the verdant embrace of river valleys, Tibet unfolds as a multidimensional tableau. Its dimensions, both physical and metaphorical, render it not just a region on the map but a repository of cultural, spiritual, and natural wonders awaiting discovery by those drawn to its enigmatic allure.

8. Microclimates: Valleys of Weather Respite

Amid this meteorological complexity, the valleys on the Tibetan Plateau emerge as enigmatic sanctuaries offering respite from the unpredictable precipitation. A paradigmatic example is the city of Lhasa, where the summer months unveil a climatic tapestry woven with warmth. The sun, unrelenting in its intensity, casts its brilliance upon the landscape, orchestrating scorching days.

Yet, as the sun yields its dominion to the nocturnal realms, a cool serenity envelops the valleys. During the monsoon dalliance in July and August, precipitation manifests itself, but with an intriguing twist – the rains, like clandestine performers, prefer the cloak of night. In daylight hours, the weather assumes an idyllic disposition, bestowing upon visitors an experience of unparalleled pleasantness. This climatic choreography renders the summer months as a zenith, an apex of allure for those who traverse the terrain.

9. Lhasa’s Meteorological Symphony

Lhasa, the cultural heart of Tibet, encapsulates the essence of this climatic ballet. Amidst the peaks and valleys, the summer months, donned in a robe of warmth, beckon visitors with a magnetic charm. The sun, an unwavering protagonist, presides over the diurnal proceedings, casting a benevolent glow upon the cityscape. The days unfold in a crescendo of heat, prompting denizens and tourists alike to seek shelter in the shade of architectural marvels that echo tales of centuries past.

Yet, as twilight descends, the climate undergoes a metamorphosis. While the monsoon may release its aqueous opulence during the nocturnal hours, the daylight hours remain untarnished, fostering an environment of sublime comfort. It is this nuanced interplay of weather elements that renders Lhasa’s summer months a coveted interlude for those who traverse its storied streets.

10. The Tibetan Plateau’s Geographic Tapestry

Nestled between the imposing majesty of the Himalayan range to the south and the arid expanse of the Taklamakan Desert to the north, the Tibetan Plateau stands as a testament to geographical grandeur. This lofty expanse, elevated and aloof, is not merely a canvas for meteorological theatrics but also a stage for diverse landscapes. The juxtaposition of mountainous splendor and desert austerity paints a tableau of extremes. This juxtaposition, perhaps one of the quintessential plateau of Tibet facts, manifests in a geographic chiaroscuro, where verdant peaks meet the starkness of a desert embrace. This unique positioning bequeaths upon the plateau an identity that transcends mere meteorological vagaries, forming a tapestry woven with the threads of climatic complexity and geographic splendor.

11. Linguistic Diversity in Tibet

Tibet, a region known for its awe-inspiring landscapes and rich cultural heritage, boasts the Tibetan language as its linguistic cornerstone. This linguistic tapestry, however, is woven with intricate threads of variation. The predominant dialect, Standard Tibetan, resonates in the bustling streets of Lhasa and echoes throughout the expansive Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). Alongside Chinese, it holds the esteemed status of being the official language within TAR, shaping the linguistic landscape of this unique and mystical realm.

12. The Enigmatic Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve

Nestled within the heart of Tibet lies the Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve, a colossal expanse spanning nearly 500,000 square kilometers. This vast and untamed Tibetan wilderness stands as the second-largest protected area on the globe, preserving the delicate balance of its ecosystem. Within its borders, a diverse array of endangered species finds refuge, adding to the reserve’s mystique. From elusive snow leopards to the iconic Tibetan antelope, this sanctuary epitomizes the harmonious coexistence of nature and wildlife in the high plateaus of Tibet.

13. Shoton Festival: A Tapestry of Tradition

Against the backdrop of Tibet’s majestic peaks and serene landscapes, the Shoton Festival unfolds as a cultural kaleidoscope on the 30th day of the sixth month, typically gracing the month of August. Originating in the 17th century, this vibrant celebration has its roots in the offering of yogurt to monks, marking the end of their protracted retreats. Shoton transcends a mere festival; it is a manifestation of tradition and spirituality. Massive monasteries come to life, adorned with colossal Thangka paintings, creating a spectacle that resonates with the essence of Tibetan heritage.

14. A Calendar of Cultural Festivities

Tibetan cultural vibrancy extends beyond Shoton, permeating the annual calendar with a diverse array of festivals. The Butter Lamp Festival illuminates the night skies, symbolizing the dispelling of darkness through the glow of countless butter lamps. The Pandan Lhamo Festival pays homage to the protective deity of Lhasa, infusing the air with religious fervor. The Bathing Festival marks a ritualistic cleansing of the body and soul in sacred waters, while the Wongkor Festival weaves together music, dance, and theatrical performances, creating a symphony of cultural expression that resonates through the very fabric of Tibetan identity.

15. Sera Monastery Debates: A Tranquil Spectacle

Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of Lhasa, Sera Monastery stands as a beacon of spiritual contemplation and intellectual exchange. Among its many enchanting facets, the daily debates that unfold within its hallowed walls have earned it a reputation as one of the most well-liked locations for such intellectual sparring. As the amber hues of the Tibetan sun begin to wane each afternoon, a hushed anticipation envelops the air. Monks, clad in traditional burgundy robes, assemble in a sacred ritual of discourse, a practice observed with unwavering devotion on every day of the week except for Sundays. It is a mesmerizing spectacle, where the echoes of wisdom bounce off the ancient stones, creating a harmonious symphony of dialectics that has captivated visitors for centuries.

16. Tibet’s Spiritual Tapestry: A Multitude of Monasteries

Tibet, often revered as the “Roof of the World,” boasts an extraordinary distinction—the highest concentration of Buddhist monasteries on the globe. A staggering count of over 7,000 monastic sanctuaries dot the majestic Tibetan landscape, each carrying a unique spiritual legacy. These sacred institutions serve as both architectural wonders and repositories of profound Buddhist teachings, contributing to the rich spiritual tapestry that defines Tibet. To delve into the facts of Tibet is to unravel a narrative woven with the threads of devotion, resilience, and a profound connection to the spiritual realm.

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17. Tashi Lhunpo Monastery: A Gilded Marvel in Shigatse

In the heart of Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet, stands the awe-inspiring Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. This venerable institution is home to a marvel that transcends mere artistic expression—the Maitreya or Future Buddha statue. Rising to an impressive height of 26 meters, this sacred effigy is adorned with a regal opulence that befits its spiritual significance.

A breathtaking spectacle, the statue is embellished with approximately 300 kilograms of meticulously applied gold gilding, a testament to the craftsmanship and devotion that have defined the monastery since its founding in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery stands as a testament to the enduring spiritual legacy that permeates the very fabric of Tibet’s cultural landscape.

18. Tibetan Topography: A Mosaic of Diversity

Nestled within the heart of the Asian continent, the Tibetan landscapes unfurl like a mesmerizing canvas, showcasing an awe-inspiring spectrum of terrains. From lush, verdant forests that cloak the earth in emerald hues to the stark, almost otherworldly moonscapes and deserts that paint a picture of sublime desolation. Meandering through this geographical tapestry are deep river canyons that carve their way through the ancient land, coexisting harmoniously with some of the loftiest mountain ranges the world has ever known.

A captivating panorama unfolds, revealing vast grasslands that seem to stretch into eternity, alpine lakes shimmering like sapphires, and glaciers that stand as frozen sentinels guarding the secrets of this extraordinary realm. In this kaleidoscope of topography, Tibet shelters an astonishing array of wildlife, with endemic species of animals and birds thriving in the diverse climates that define the region.

19. The Hydrological Heartbeat: Tibet’s Rivers

A staggering 46% of the global population hinges its survival on the lifeblood that flows from the Tibetan plateau. At the heart of this hydrological significance are Tibet’s major rivers, each carving its liquid path through the rugged terrain. The Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, Ganges, Yellow River, and the Yangtze stand as majestic conduits, weaving through the high-altitude expanse.

These waterways, born in the sacred folds of Tibet, traverse vast distances, nourishing lands and civilizations far beyond its borders. From the fertile plains of India to the bustling cities of China, the rivers emanating from Tibet thread their way through Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, and various Southeast Asian nations. Beyond the sustenance they offer, these rivers play a pivotal role as conduits of power, harnessing electricity that illuminates homes and fuels industries across the region.

20. Tibet’s Transcendent Role in Global Water Dynamics

In the intricate dance of global water dynamics, Tibet emerges as a central protagonist, wielding unparalleled influence on the ebb and flow of rivers that sustain life across vast swathes of the continent. The intricate interplay between the Tibetan plateau and the myriad rivers that cascade from its lofty heights serves as a hydrological ballet, choreographed by the forces of nature.

The significance of this region transcends geographical boundaries, as the water resources originating in Tibet become the lifeblood of nations, fostering ecosystems, supporting agriculture, and propelling the turbines of hydroelectric power stations. The delicate balance of this aquatic symphony underscores the interconnectedness of the planet’s water systems, with Tibet assuming a role of profound responsibility in safeguarding this delicate equilibrium.

21. Genetic Adaptations to High Altitudes

Tibetans, inhabitants of the world’s highest plateau, have evolved unique genetic variations that enable them to thrive in the challenging conditions of excessive altitude. These genetic adaptations play a pivotal role in their ability to utilize oxygen more efficiently, setting them apart from populations at lower altitudes. Among these genetic distinctions are specific traits that contribute to larger lung capacity, allowing Tibetans to breathe in thinner air with enhanced effectiveness. The intricate interplay of these genetic factors manifests in physiological advantages, providing them with a distinct edge in navigating the demanding high-altitude environment.

22. Physiological Prowess: Efficient Oxygen Utilization

In the rarefied air of Tibet, the indigenous population showcases remarkable physiological prowess, a consequence of their genetic adaptations. These adaptations empower Tibetans with an unparalleled ability to extract oxygen from the thin atmosphere, ensuring their bodies are adept at oxygen utilization. The efficiency with which their respiratory systems function not only exemplifies the marvels of human evolution but also serves as a testament to the intricate mechanisms that enable Tibetans to endure and flourish in conditions where others might struggle.

23. Endurance in Action: Swift Movements and Steadfast Stamina

Travelers in Tibet are immediately struck by the impressive physical capabilities of the locals. Tibetans exhibit a distinctive vigor, walking briskly and engaging in strenuous labor with apparent ease, defying the norms of fatigue encountered by those unaccustomed to the altitude. Their endurance becomes particularly evident in activities such as the sacred trek around Mount Kailash, a spiritually significant journey. While others may require 2-3 days to complete the trek, Tibetans accomplish it in a single day, underscoring their unparalleled stamina and fortitude in the face of challenging geographical and climatic conditions.

24. Cultural Significance: Spiritual Trekking and Mount Kailash

One of the most culturally significant and spiritually revered trekking routes in Tibet is the circuit around Mount Kailash. This sacred journey holds immense importance in Tibetan religious traditions, attracting pilgrims from far and wide. What sets Tibetans apart is their ability to complete this demanding trek in a fraction of the time it takes others. The intricate intertwining of culture, spirituality, and physical prowess becomes vividly apparent as they traverse the sacred path, embodying a profound connection between their cultural heritage and the challenging landscape they call home.

25. The Allure of Mount Everest

Mount Everest, the majestic behemoth that pierces the sky, exerts an irresistible allure, drawing in a multitude of adventurers year after year. The recent addition of a modern highway weaving through the rugged terrains, seamlessly connecting the ancient city of Lhasa, the heartbeat of Tibet, to the Everest Base Camp, has transformed the arduous pilgrimage into a mere two-day odyssey. This newfound accessibility beckons thrill-seekers and nature enthusiasts alike to embark on a journey to conquer the pinnacle of the world.

26. Unveiling the Tapestry of Tibetan Beliefs

Delving into the tapestry of Tibetan history, we unearth the spiritual roots entrenched in the Bon faith. A sacred tradition predating the seventh century, the Bon faith was the spiritual cornerstone for Tibetans, fostering a unique worldview and guiding their cultural evolution. This ancient belief system, often overshadowed by the prominence of Buddhism in the region, provides a captivating glimpse into the spiritual mosaic that has shaped the cultural identity of Tibetans for centuries.

27. The Enigmatic Chiru Antelope and its Precious Wool

In the vast wilderness of Tibet roams the enigmatic chiru antelope, an endangered species that holds the key to the world’s most coveted wool. Reverently referred to as “Tibetan gold,” the wool derived from chiru antelopes finds its way into exquisite shawls, fetching astronomical prices, sometimes soaring to an astonishing $15,000. The rarity of these creatures, coupled with the relentless threat posed by poachers, paints a poignant picture of the challenges faced by this species. Often falling victim to mass slaughter, the chiru antelope stands as a symbol of both nature’s magnificence and the perilous consequences of human greed.

28. Guge Kingdom’s Encounter with Christianity

In a bygone era, the sovereigns reigning over the illustrious Guge Kingdom extended a gracious welcome to foreign visitors, even permitting the construction of the inaugural Christian church within their hallowed grounds. A harmonious intersection of cultures transpired as the spiritual tapestry of the kingdom broadened. However, as the temporal currents of time surged forward, a stark transformation manifested by the year 1745. A decree, shrouded in mystery, unfurled its edict—travelers, once embraced, were now banished. The narrative echoes the enigmatic whispers of the Guge Kingdom’s evanescent dalliance with Christianity, an ephemeral chapter veiled in historical intrigue.

29. Linguistic Labyrinth of Tibet

Venture into the ethereal realms of Kham and Amdo, where the mellifluous cadence of the Tibetan language weaves an intricate tapestry of communication. A paradox unfolds as denizens of Lhasa find themselves confounded by the linguistic nuances flourishing in these distant territories. Dialects burgeon, proliferating within the crevices of linguistic diversity. Each dialect begets progeny, forming a lineage of linguistic intricacy. The quintessence of this linguistic ballet lies in the myriad offshoots that embellish both Kham and Amdo Tibetan, where the former boasts five distinct dialects, and the latter, a staggering seven. The conversation is an orchestra of tongues, an eloquent symphony that orchestrates harmony within diversity. Fitness – Meditation – Diet – Weight Loss – Healthy Living – Yoga

30. Varied Tongues of the Himalayan Expanse

Beyond the sacred realms of Tibet, the Himalayan expanse resonates with a cacophony of dialects, each imbued with its unique resonance. Traverse the mountainous terrains of Ladakh, India, and the enchanting valleys of Bhutan, and you’ll encounter linguistic tapestries woven with threads of distinctiveness. Ladakh, nestled in the Indian subcontinent, echoes with linguistic melodies that diverge from the Tibetan cadence, creating a mosaic of expression. Meanwhile, Bhutan, ensconced in the pristine beauty of the Eastern Himalayas, articulates its linguistic narrative—a lexicon that mirrors the cultural richness flourishing within its mystical valleys. The linguistic diaspora of the Himalayan frontier unveils a polyphony of voices, each narrating the tales of its cultural genesis.

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Tibet tour operator

Tibet Plateau

Definition of “tibetan area”.

There are many ways to interpret definition of “Tibetan area”. If the “radiation area of Tibetan culture” is taken as base point, then the entire Tibetan area can be said to be vast.

Because, in addition to Tibetan Areas in China, such as: Tibet Autonomous Region, Yunnan Tibetan Region, Sichuan Tibetan Region, Gansu Tibetan Region, and Qinghai Tibetan Region, there are also Ladakh and Southern Tibet

Furthermore than above listed Tibetan regions, Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, and a part of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (Jammu-Baltistan), as a region deeply radiated by Tibetan culture, should theoretically be considered as a part of Tibetan cultural region.

However, “Tibetan area” described in this article refers to the area within territory of the People’s Republic of China, that is, Tibetan living area in Tibet Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province, Qinghai Province, Gansu Province.

If to follow traditional Tibetan culture, then there are three major Tibetan areas that are “U-tsang”, “Kham”, and “Amdo”.

also known as  Dbus-Gtsang , refers to regions including currently  Lhasa City  and  Shigatse City  of Tibet, with Ali Area included in the later period

also known as, Do Kham , refers to  Chamdo City  in Tibet,  Garze Prefecture  in Sichuan, Yushu Prefecture in Qinghai, and  Diqing Prefecture  in Yunnan

also known as  Do Me , refers to Tibetan areas in Qinghai province expect Yushu City ,  Gannan Prefecture  in Gansu, and parts of  Aba Prefecture  in Sichaun

Tibet Plateau

Administrative divisions in Tibetan areas

Qinghai province.

Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Haixi Tibetan Mongolian Prefecture Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Tibet Autonomous Region

Chamdo City Lhasa City Nagqu City Ngari Prefecture Nyingchi City Shannan City Shigatse City

Sichuan province

Aba Tibetan Qiang Prefecture Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Muli Tibetan Autonomous County

Gansu province

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County

Yunnan province

Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Tibet Plateau Brief Biography

The appearance of term “U-tsang” can be traced back to when  Yuan Dynasty  (1271 AD -1368 AD) unified Tibetan areas and supported  Sakya Pa  of  Tibetan Buddhism  to establish local power. Yuan Dynasty established a series of military and political institutions on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. By the mid-Yuan Dynasty, the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was divided into “Do me” (i.e. Amdo area), “Do kham” (i.e. Kham area), “U-tsang &  Ngari region ” (generally the entire territory of present-day Tibet, including three administrative regions of the “U” & “Tsang”, Ngari(Ali) and Ladakh.)

The emergence of this kind of division is result of the game between Tang Dynasty and Tubo kingdom. After perishing of Tubo kingdom, its territory was divided by and fall into hands of four kings mainly, whom were: Lhasa king, Ali king, Yaze king and Yarlungjua king, until the establishment of Sakya regime when Yuan dynasty unified whole China.

It was at this time that in order to distinguish each tribe from each other, officials introduced people to pass on, and slowly agreed to conventions that there were three Tibetan areas (i.e. U-tsang, Khampa, Amdo).

After entering  Ming Dynasty  (1368 AD – 1644 AD), Tibetan area was divided into two administrative regions: one is U-tsang (which roughly includes the entire territory of present-day Tibet), and  “Do Kham”  (including Tibetan areas in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces).

“Dbus-Gtsang Itinerant High Commandery” & “E-Li-Si Army-Civilian Marshal Office” were set separately in Ming dynasty to manage jurisdiction of three Pacification Marshall’s Office, such as “Dbus”, “Tsang” and “Mnga’ris skor gsum – The present Ngari Region” in Yuan dynasty

By the time of Emperor Kangxi of  Qing Dynasty  (1644 AD – 1911 AD), the relationship between Qing government and Tibetan areas further deepened. Qing Dynasty gradually learned that there were many differences in politics, society, and ethnicity in various areas of Tibetan people. The names of this areas were different as well.

In Qing Dynasty, the places where Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama lived were called “U-tsang” or “Dbus-tsang ” according to Tibetan custom. Later, the term “U-tsang” evolved into “Tibet”.

“Three major Tibetan areas”, this actually distinguishes the three Tibetan areas in terms of race and geography. This is what the Tibetan historical materials used to say: “Dharma U-tsang”, “Horse-land Amdo” and “Human of Khampa”. Due to the differences in geographical, environment and main production and life, the cultural customs of the different Tibetan areas are very different.

Dharma U-tsang

“U-tsang” is a combination of two geographical area on Tibet plateau with names of “U” & “Tsang”, using local U-tsang dialect

The U-tsang area is centered on Yarlung Tsangbo River Basin, Kailash Mountain and Great Fault Zone at southern foot of Nyainqentanglha Mountain are used as the boundary between northern and southern Tibet.

The river valley and basin alternate with an average elevation of about 4000 meters. The land resources are concentrated and rainfall is abundant, which is suitable for growth of crops.

The first Tibetan king “Nyatri Tsenpo (360 BC-329 BC)”, the first palace Yongbulakang, the first farmland, the first monastery of Samye, and the majestic Potala Palace… all were born in Yarlung Tsangbo River Basin. Therefore, this region can be regarded as the cradle of Tibetan culture, and the prosperity of three treasures of Buddhism (Jokhang Temple, Tashilhunpo monastery, Tradruk Temple) made this area called “Dharma region”.

“U-tsang” is political, economic, religious and cultural center of Tibetan cultural area, it is also birthplace of Buddhist teachings of all Tibetan areas. It has the most religious sacred sites and the most prosperous.

“U” – meaning “center” , generally ranges from Lhasa, Nagqu, Shannan and western part of Nyingchi City ( Gongbo Gyamda , Mainling , and Nang County ); it is reagrded as “Front Tibet”, and the people in this area call themselves “ Wei-ba “.

“Tsang” – meaning “river” , in strict sense, it should specifically refer to the “ Rear Tibet ” that does not include Ngari region . It ranges from the west of Gangbala Mountain to border of Nepal, which is roughly equivalent to current Shigatse City ( Except for the small northern part). However, when it comes to “Dharma U-tsang”, “Rear Tibet” and Ali region are usually treated as one large area; people in region of “Rear Tibet” call themselves “Tsang-ba”.

Note: The “Front Tibet” and “Rear Tibet” are used often in Qing Dynasty, and Tibetan do not call it that way.

Human of Khampa

Kham traditionally mainly includes Chamdo region in Tibet Autonomous Region, the eastern Nagqu region , the eastern Nyingchi region , Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, and Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan.

“Kham” means frontier, in other words, “Kham” was regarded as a remote place by ancestors of Tibetan; “Pa” means people, “Khampa” means people from Kham, using Kham dialect.

The harsh natural environment allowed Tibetans here not only to retain more national wildness, but also to shape a strong and bold character, and also cultivated their traditions and customs of going out of mountains to do business.

Khampa culture is unique, with distinctive characteristics, and is an important part of Tibetan culture. One of which is singing and dancing in Khampa area that are elegant, unrestrained and vigorous. Especially Yushu’s dance, which is vigorous and smooth. It is said that when Songtsen Gambo married Princess Wencheng, Yushu’s song and dance team was to welcomed Princess Wencheng when she arrived in Yushu;

The men of Khampa have three-dimensional facial features, burly stature, and brave anomaly; The women of Khampa have bright eyes and are very charming. Because of being brave and good at fighting, Khampa had been rich in knights and “japa” (robbers) since ancient times. And because Khampa is located in junction of Chinese Han and Tibetan regions, it is convenient for business operation, therefore, among those greater merchants in Tibetan areas, Khampas are the most.

It is precisely because of very characteristic Khampa people that Khampa gains name of “ Human of Khampa “.

Horse-land Amdo

“Amdo” is composed of initials of Amnye Marchen Mountain and Dora Rangmo Mountain (Jishi Mountain).In Tubo kingdom’s literature, it is generally called “Do me” (translated as “Tuosima” in Yuan Dynasty, meaning “lower part of Do kham”)

It mainly includes Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture , Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture , Haidong City and Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu province, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (part) in Sichuan province, with center in the area from Amnye Marchen Mountain to Qinghai Lake . People, here call themselves “ Amdowa “. Using Amdo dialect.

Amdo is a place where many ethnic groups live together. It is closely related to Chinese Han culture in east and Altai culture in north. The ancestors of Tubo, Xiongnu, Tuyuhun, Mongolian, Tu, Hui, Salar, etc. have merged and communicated with each other, and gradually formed unique Amdo culture. It is not only hometown of “ Zongri Culture ” and “ Kayue Culture “, but also the center of all “ Qiang ” cultures in Chinese historical records.

Amdo has history of “ Gusiluo culture”, the origin of “ Lower Road Diffusion ” in the later period of Tibetan Buddhism, the birthplace of Master Tsongkhapa, known as “Second Buddha”. There are also Labrang Monastery, one of cultural centers of Amdo, and Repkong Art – the most popular art in this region.

Most people have a wrong understanding of Tibet, thinking that Tibet is dominated by nomadic life, but in fact U-tsang is a mixed economic model of farming and nomadism. The area of grassland that can be nomadic is not large at all; The topography of Kham is generally high mountains and valleys, the area of grassland is even smaller.

Unlike landforms of U-tsang and Kham, there are large areas of grassland pastures in Amdo, which is wonderful for growing horses; It is precisely because Amdo is rich in good horses. That’s why it is called “ Horse-land Amdo “.

Tibet plateau has a long history and exotic landscape. Its beautiful ancient monasteries and unique tribe customs have attracted visitors worldwide.

A few keywords

To help understanding this article

It is the culture of Neolithic Age in upper reaches of Yellow River. Named after Zongri site in  Tongde County , Qinghai Province; It is mainly distributed in  Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture  of Qinghai Province, in the valleys of plateau basins in counties such as  Xinghai ,  Tongde ,  Gonghe ,  Guinan  and  Guide , and it may also reach other areas in upper reaches of Yellow River.

It is Bronze Age culture of Northwest China. It was named after it was discovered in Kayue Village, Huangzhong, Qinghai. The date is about 900 to 600 BC. It mainly distributed in Huangshui river Basin along Yellow River and its tributaries in Gansu Province

Also known as Qiang Fang, Qiang Rong, Di Qiang, was an ancient tribe that lived in northwest China (in the area of Qinghai and Gansu today) during “Shang” and “Zhou” Dynasties.

Here we refer to “Qiang” as “The Ancient Qiang”, this is to distinguish it from modern Qiang people; Scholars still argue that ancient Qiang people originated from primitive Chinese Han, Tibetan or primitive Indo-Europeans. They are ancestors of Chinese Han, Tibetan, Qiang and Xiqiang in Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD).

Ancient Qiang people are not same as “Qiang people”. In addition to modern Qiang, ancient Qiang is also one of the origins of Yi, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu nationalities

He was a Tibetan king of  Tsongkha regime , which was established in Qingtang (now  Xining City , Qinghai Province). Some scholars think that it is neither a regime nor a dynasty, but a tribal alliance. In its prime, its territory reached Sandu Valley in southeast (now Gangu County of Gansu province), Qi mountain in north,  Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture  in south, and  Qinghai Lake  in west. This regime lasted for about 72 years, and it was destroyed by Northern Song Dynasty in AD 1104.

In AD 1042, Venerable Atisha, a Buddhist master of Bangladesh, entered Tibet, and he promoted Dharma, rebuilt Sangha, and spread “Prasangika”. At same time, Monks went to Amdo to learn and then diffusing to U-tsang region, which is known as “Lower Road Diffusion”;

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Tibetan Plateau

Plateaus are defined as extensive flat uplands that rise sharply above the surrounding region on one side. Plateaus are found on every continent and occupy about one-third of the Earth’s land surface. Along with mountains, hills, and plains, plateaus are one of the four major landforms on Earth.

Where Is The Tibetan Plateau?

Flora and fauna.

Tibetan Plateau map

Covering an area of about 2,500,000 sq. km and with an average elevation of more than 4,500m, the Tibetan Plateau (also referred to as the Himalayan Plateau/Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) is considered as the world’s highest and largest plateau. This vast elevated plateau covers a major portion of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, the western part of Sichuan, the southern part of Gansu, the northwestern part of Yunnan, and the Ali area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The plateau also covers parts of the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh, the Lahaul and Spiti district of the Indian State of Himachal Pradesh as well as the Kingdom of Bhutan .

Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau has a length of about 2,500km (from east to west) and a maximum width of about 1,000km (from north to south). The plateau is surrounded by several high mountain ranges and is therefore sometimes referred to as the “Roof of the World” . The Tibetan Plateau is bordered by the Kunlun Mountain s and its associated mountain ranges in the north; the Himalayan and the Karakoram Mountain ranges in the south and southwest; and the Qilian Mountains in the northeast.

The Kunlun Mountains separate the Tibetan Plateau from the Tarim Basin; while the eastern part of the Tarim Basin is separated from the Tibetan Plateau by the Altyn-Tagh Mountain range. The Qilian Mountains separate the Tibetan Plateau from the Gobi Desert and the Hexi/ Gansu Corridor. The Himalayan Mountains form a barrier between the Tibetan Plateau and the alluvial plains of the Indian subcontinent. The Hengduan Mountains connect the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with the southeastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau.

Lake Mansarovar in the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is also referred to as the world’s “third pole” as it holds the largest storage of freshwater outside the Arctic (North) and the Antarctic (South) polar regions. The Plateau serves as the source of several major rivers of Asia including the Mekong, Salween, Yangtze, Huang He, Tarim, Brahmaputra, and the Indus Rivers. Besides this, there are several glaciers and brackish lakes in the Tibetan Plateau.

Lake Mansarovar in the Tibetan Plateau

The formation of the Tibetan Plateau is quite similar to that of the Himalayas. The uplifting of the metamorphic and sedimentary rocks that created these mountain ranges also brought about the creation of the Tibetan Plateau. It is believed that this formation dates back to about 70 million years ago, as a result of the continental collision between the Indo-Australian Plate and Eurasian Plate. About 50 million years ago, this fast north-moving Indo-Australian Plate had gradually compressed and narrowed the Tethys Sea. Due to the increased compressive forces, masses of granites and basaltic rocks from the earth’s mantle were pushed upwards into the weakened sedimentary crust. In the next few years, the Tethys Sea completely narrowed and its sea bottom was gradually pushed upwards by the Indo-Australian Plate, resulting in the formation of the Tibetan Plateau. According to Geologists, the Indo-Australian Plate is still being pushed horizontally beneath the Tibetan Plateau, which is leading to the continuous rising of the plateau at a rate of 5mm per year.

The Tibetan Plateau experiences a typical high-altitude arid climate. The annual average temperature ranges between 5.6°C to 8.8°C. The Himalayas acts as a formidable barrier to the rain-bearing winds from the south and therefore the plateau receives low annual precipitation of 100 to 300mm, which mostly falls as hail. Extensive parts of the plateau are covered by permafrost. Occupying the northwestern part of the plateau, the Changtang region is the highest and the coldest part of the plateau, which experiences an annual average temperature of -5.6°C and during winters the temperatures here fall below -40°C.

Tibetan fox in the Tibetan Plateau.

The montane grasslands is the major ecosystem that is found in the Tibetan Plateau. Some portions of the plateau are covered by alpine-tundra vegetation, while other parts that are influenced by monsoons are covered by forests and shrublands. Some notable faunal species that are found here include the Tibetan wolf, wild yak, wild donkey, snow leopard, water buffalo, etc. Birds like geese, cranes, hawks, and vultures are found. Some snakes are also found in the plateau region. The Himalayan jumping spider ( Euophrys omnisuperstes ) is a significant arachnid that is found in the Tibetan Plateau region. As per WWF, about 17 ecoregions are found on the Tibetan Plateau.

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Wild Animals on the Tibetan Plateau

While Tibet may be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, it has one of the most unique wild animals in the world. Many of the indigenous Tibetan species are now facing extinction due to hunting over the last century, which has prompted an extensive protection regime in order to preserve the remaining wild animals on the Tibetan plateau.

The plains, forests, and mountains of Tibet are home to a huge variety of indigenous animal life, with more than 150 species of mammals, around 500 species of birds, 49 reptilian species, 44 different varieties of amphibians, and over 60 species of freshwater and saltwater fish.

Table of Contents

Tibetan Antelopes

The Chiru, or Tibetan antelope

Once roaming wild across the plains of Tibet in vast herds, the Tibetan antelope, or Chiru, is one of the now rare species of Tibetan animals that have come close to extinction. A species that is native to northern Tibet and Qinghai Province, there are now less than 150,000 mature antelope on the plateau, and it is now under a protection order that restricts it from being hunted at all. The chiru was once hunted extensively for its soft warm wool, which has been used in traditional Tibetan weaving to make shawls and coats. A small creature that stands less than three feet tall, the majority of the remaining animals are now only found in the Changtang Nature Reserve in Nagqu Prefecture of Northern Tibet.

Tibetan Wolf

The shy Tibetan wolf caught on camera

A sub-species of the gray wolf that is a native to most of northern China, the Tibetan wolf is now only found in the more remote parts of Tibet and Qinghai Province, as well as in the Ladakh region of Kashmir and parts of Himal Pradesh. In recent years, this rare and beautiful animal has been seen in parts of Upper Mustang in Nepal. Somewhat different from the wolves of China, the Tibetan wolf is believed to have separated from the Chinese genus hundreds of thousands of years ago and is more likened to a fox in shape. With shorter legs and a fuller brush, the Tibetan wolf is a rear sight on the plains of Tibet, preferring to stay in the remote forests and woodlands of the north.

Tibetan Blue Bear

The rare Tibetan Blue Bear

Also known as the Himalayan Blue Bear, this spectacular sub-species of the brown bears found across northern Europe is known locally as Dom Gyamuk. One of the rarest species of bears in the world, it is very rare to sight one in the wild. Mainly known in the west because of furs and skeletons brought back over a hundred years ago, there is very little information about the habitats and ranges of the blue bear and its conservation status is unknown, as it is not known how many remain in Tibet. Only during times of reduced natural food supply are they rarely seen in the high mountain peaks of the Himalayas. The bear has even been cited as the reality behind legends of the “yeti” in the Himalayas, and samples of fur given to Sir Edmund Hillary in his 1960 search for the legendary yeti were later identified as belonging to the Tibetan Blue Bear.

Snow Leopard

A snow leopard looks back at the hidden camera

Snow leopards are a rare sight anywhere in the world, shying away from people and civilization and remaining in the forests and long grasses of the Tibetan plains. Native to the mountain regions of Central and South Asia, this rare species is now on the protected list in Tibet and can only rarely be seen in the higher mountain areas of the Tibetan plateau. With less than 5,000 remaining snow leopards left in the world, this beautiful and dangerous creature is more populous in Tibet than anywhere else on the planet.

The Tibetan wild ass or “kiang”

The largest of all the world’s wild asses, the Kiang is a native to the Tibetan plateau and can be seen roaming in large herds across the plains and prairies of the region. Standing around 13.3 hands tall, or around 140 centimeters, the Tibetan ass has a larger head with a very blunt muzzle and a convex nose. They are easily recognizable by their upright mane, the hair down the back of the neck, which never grows more than 4-5 inches in length. With a dark brown coat and a lighter underbelly, this wild ass may not be rare, but it is a beautiful example of Tibetan wildlife at its most stunning.

Thorold’s Deer

Thorold’s deer, or white-lipped deer, in Tibet

Found only in the high altitudes of the eastern area of Tibet, in grasslands and forests, this beautiful creature is also known as the white-lipped deer because of the unique white fur around the muzzle and lips and is one of the rarest species of deer on the planet. In Chinese, it is known as the Baichunlu, which translates to “white lips”, which is where the name originates. One of the largest species of deer in Southeast Asia, Thorold’s Deer was extensively hunted for its wide antlers, which can measure up to 110 centimeters across each individual antler. The antlers are also unique in that all the tines are on the same plane, making them rare around the world. It is believed that there are only around 7,000 adult deer remaining in the world, in scattered populations in Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Gansu, with a few in northwest Yunnan.

The cute plateau pika

A small mammal native to the Tibetan plateau, the pika is possibly one of the cutest of all the wild animals that live on the roof of the world. With short limbs and a rounded body, this cute creature has big round ears and no tail. Closely related to the common rabbit found across the world, the pika lives in the mountain areas of the plateau, on the rocky slopes, and are one of the highest living mammals on the planet, often found at altitudes between 6,000 and 7,000 meters. While it is not rare and endangered, it is rare to see one out in the open, as they have excellent hearing and run to their burrows at the slightest hint of danger.

Wild yaks roaming the plains of Tibet

Wild yaks are the large bovids that are native to the Himalayas and are the ancestor of Tibet and Nepal’s domestic yaks, which are an important part of the economy and ecology of Tibet. Wild yaks and domestic yaks are believed to have separated as a species more than 1.5 million years ago and are now considered to be differing species. The largest native animal in Tibet, wild yaks are the second largest bovids in the world, after the Gaur or Indian Bison. Standing around two meters tall at the shoulder, these huge mammals are now considered an endangered species in Asia, with a massively reduced population of only around ten thousand remaining on the plateau.

Many wildlife photographers visit Tibet to take photos of Tibetan wildlife animals and it is one the most difficult task for the photographers as these wild animals are not easy to see in wild. These are the most endangered species on Tibetan plateau.

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February 22, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

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Understanding uncertainties in projected summer precipitation changes over the Tibetan Plateau

by Zhang Nannan, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Understanding uncertainties in projected summer precipitation changes over the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau (TP), a complex high-altitude region with an average elevation of 4,000 meters, is widely recognized as the "Asian Water Tower" and "the third pole." Changes in precipitation over the TP significantly affect the water cycle in the surrounding areas, directly and indirectly affecting the lives of millions of people and ecosystems.

Despite extensive efforts to project future precipitation changes over the TP due to global warming , there remains a considerable range in the magnitude of existing projections. The underlying physics causing this inter-model spread in precipitation projections over the TP remains unclear. Therefore, gaining insight into the precipitation response to global warming and identifying sources of uncertainty are critical to improving the reliability of these projections.

In a study published in Geophysical Research Letters researchers highlighted the persistent increase in precipitation throughout the 21st century, with the most significant changes occurring along the southern edge of the TP. However, they found substantial inter-model variability in precipitation projections, emphasizing that model uncertainty dominates the overall uncertainty in the medium and long term.

Led by Prof. Zhou Tianjun from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the researchers used an inter-model empirical orthogonal function analysis of projected precipitation changes under a very high greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenario, referred to as "SSP5-8.5" in climate modeling .

The analysis showed that the leading principal component explains over 40%, and even 80%, of the total variance at regional scales. Moisture budget analysis indicated that the increase in precipitation is primarily driven by enhanced vertical thermodynamic (TH) responses to the increased water-holding capacity of the atmosphere, with a weak effect from the vertical dynamical (DY) term. However, both vertical DY and TH components contribute to the leading mode of inter-model spread in precipitation projections.

"The vertical TH component is significantly related to the climate sensitivity among the models involved in the phase-6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, suggesting that models projecting a warmer climate also tend to project a stronger TH term," said Qiu Hui, first author of the study and a Ph.D. student from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The researchers further revealed that the inter-model spread of the dynamic component is influenced by the equatorial Pacific warming pattern through the Walker Circulation change, which controls diabatic heating over the Marine continent and leads to atmospheric circulation changes that affect northward moisture transport to the southern TPs.

"Both the model weighting technique and the selection of high skill models with better performance of historical climate simulation have been traditionally used to increase the robustness of climate projection in previous studies," said Prof. Zhou Tianjun, corresponding author of the study.

"Our results enrich the research by highlighting that the diversity in CMIP6 models projecting precipitation changes over the TP is not only related to local model performance, but is influenced by the overall performance of climate models in the context of climate sensitivity and the response of equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature to global warming."

The researchers also examined the relationship between the thermodynamic term and climate sensitivity under scenarios with low (termed as "SSP1-2.6") and intermediate (termed as "SSP2-4.5") GHG emissions, and found similar results to scenarios with very high GHG emissions.

They call for further research into the inter-model variability of the response of equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperature to global warming.

Provided by Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Tibet Vista Travel

Tibetan Antelopes: The Holy Unicorn of Tibetan Plateau

Tibetan Antelope or chiru is one of the well-kept secrets of Tibetan Plateau. This mid-sized antelope lives in semi-desert like mountain ranges of Tibetan Plateau, well over 4,000 meters. They are holy unicorns of the roof of the planet Earth and virtually exclusive to the Tibetan Plateau. Like other 20 species which are under Chinese state protection (including the wild yak, wild donkey, white-lip deer, brown bear) they are jewels of this magical land. These animals produce the finest fur in the animal kingdom which is more expensive then gold. They are endangered due to the heavy poaching for their very expensive fur but thanks to conservation efforts, they are now quite numerous in the highlands of Tibet.

Tibetan Antelope are holy unicorns of the roof of the planet Earth and virtually exclusive to the Tibetan Plateau.

Origin of Tibetan antelopes

According to the DNA analysis, Tibetan Antelope is most closely related to the wild goats and sheep of the subfamily Caprinae. Although members of this family are sometimes called goat-antelope, they are not true antelopes (which belong to family Bovidae). The members of this family, like Tibetan antelope, diversified greatly in ice age and adapted to marginal, often extreme, environments: mountains, deserts, and the subarctic region.

Sheep specialized in foothills and nearby plains.

Ancestors of Tibetan antelopes, like many mountain goats, moved into mountainous regions: sheep specialized in foothills and nearby plains and relying on flight and flocking for defence against predators whereas goats adapting to very steep terrain where predators are at a disadvantage.

Goats adapting to very steep terrain.

Physical features and animal habits of Tibetan antelopes

Tibetan antelope is a medium sized antelope with a shoulder height of about 83 cm (33 in) in males, and 74 cm (29 in) in females. Their fur is pale fawn to reddish-brown, with a whitish belly, and is particularly thick and woolly. The face of a chiru is black in colour.

One of the most distinctive feature of Tibetan antelopes is their long, slender, ridged black horns that that curve slightly backwards and typically measures 54 to 60 cm in length. Male Tibetan antelopes use them to defend their harems against rivals during the rut. A male antelope can have 15 females in his harem although one to four is more common.

Tibetan antelope fur is pale fawn to reddish-brown, with a whitish belly, and is particularly thick and woolly.

They feed on forbs, grasses, and sedges. Wolves, lynx, and snow leopards prey on them as well as humans. From November to December, they mate and the social structure is built on single male and multiple female harems. Unlike other antelopes, Tibetan antelopes courting and mating is brief. Their lifespan is not very well known but is estimated to be around 10 years.

Natural habitats and annual migration route of Tibetan antelopes

Tibetan antelopes favour alpine steppes and similar semi-arid habitats. They prefer flat, open terrain, with sparse vegetation cover. They can thrive in the harshest of conditions where temperatures can plummet to -40°C! The natural habitat of these creatures is Tibetan plateau’s open alpine and cold steppe environments between 3,250 and 5,500 m (10,660 and 18,040 ft) elevation. Today, the majority are found within the Chang Tang Nature Reserve of northern Tibet, the second largest nature reserve in the world.

Chang Tang Nature Reserve

Like many alpine antelopes, Tibetan antelopes also migrate between summer and winter pastures. Most young (10 – 11 months old) male antelopes separate from their mothers in late April and May to join their juvenile male peers or adult males. Most males travel towards north from their winter grounds to a summer range. Some male Tibetan antelope travel far in the summer. Males return to their traditional winter grounds in autumn, for the mating.

Male Tibetan antelopes return to their traditional winter grounds in autumn, for the mating.

Female antelopes migrate 300 km yearly to calving grounds in the summer. They usually give birth to a single calf between the second half of June and early July. In late autumn, they return to wintering grounds to join the males.

Best places and seasons to witness Tibetan antelopes

The best season to witness Tibetan antelopes is winter , when the large migratory populations come to southern areas for mating. They usually mate in months of November and December. In summer, females tend to migrate to north and you can see them and their young calves best between July and late November in these areas.

There are several places where you can observe Tibetan antelope. Hoh Xil Natural Reserve is one of them. Tourists coming to Tibet with Tibet train can witness the running Tibetan antelopes when the train leading to Lhasa across the Hoh Xil Natural Reserve. Despite the harsh climate, Hoh Xil is home to more than 230 species of wild animals, 20 of which are under Chinese state protection, including the wild yak, wild donkey, white-lip deer, brown bear and the endangered Tibetan antelope or chiru.

Hoh Xil Natural Reserve

Ngari Prefecture is another area where tourists can see Tibetan antelopes. This area is towards the west of Nagqu Prefecture where Chang Tang Nature Reserve is.

>> Join-in our classic Tibet Winter Tour to explore the holy unicorn of Tibetan plateau

Camera gears needed to enjoy Tibetan antelopes

If you want to take good photos of Tibetan antelopes and wild life in general, you should know that you will usually need to wear gloves during your visit. So you will need a camera which can be operated easily with gloves on. A Digital-SLR with interchangeable lenses are both easy to operate with gloves and have large sensors. Image quality is paramount so these cameras are good because they can capture RAW files for maximum quality output. You will also be shooting photos of a usually moving creature or from a moving platform (like Tibet train ) so bring a camera with stabilizer.

The Tibetan Antelope in the Photographer's Lens

You are going to a very cold, remote environment so you need to carefully think about how many camera batteries to bring with. Most high-end cameras cannot run on standard AA batteries so you will need to take their batteries with you . All batteries have an optimum operating temperature. A typical camera battery operates and charges best at approximately 21 Celsius. In winter and nights, the temperature in mountainous Tibetan steps will be easily below freezing degrees. Recharging Li-ion batteries (used by most high-end cameras) at below freezing temperatures may even damage the battery. On the contrary, these batteries are optimally stored in cold environment.

Protection vs poaching of the endangered Tibetan antelopes in Tibet

Tibetan antelope live in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. The frigid alpine environment of the semi-desert Tibetan Plateau’s high mountain steppes forced this species to evolve one of the finest and most expensive wool in the world, shahtoosh (which is Persian for “the king of wool”). The poachers call this soft underfur “soft gold”. The fur is used to make luxurious shawls also known as shahtoosh with a price tag of $4,000 to $40,000. To make one of this luxury shawls, 3 to 4 Tibetan antelopes die.

Tibetan antelope remains legally protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Early Western travellers reported large herds of 15,000 antelopes but today the most common large size herds are maximum 1000 individuals. The demand for this luxury cloth has forced the population of Tibetan antelope from almost one million at the beginning of 20th century to just 70,000 one hundred years later. Since 2000, Chinese government runs serious protection programmes that makes all Tibetan antelope fur trade illegal. The species remains legally protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Although it is not an easy task to protect the Tibetan antelopes (the primary habitat of the species named Changtang Nature Reserve is 334,000 square kilometers), the protection measures recovered the population to 200,000 in Tibetan Plateau today. Today, poaching is rare but still occurs.Tibetan antelopes outside China are not as lucky though. The poaching is quite rampant in India and Pakistan.

 Tibetan antelope is one of the most special animal in this wildlife.

Tibet plateau offers one of the harshest but most beautiful environment on the planet. Dotted with snow caped mountains, incredibly beautiful lakes and steps; the wildlife of the plateau is equally breath taking. Uniquely Tibetan, Tibetan antelope is one of the most special animal in this wildlife. This holy unicorn of the plateau is a must witness in your Tibet tour . Watch out for them running in herds from your Tibet train or during your tours in rural Tibet. Keep your camera ready to take a breath-taking photo of this creatures on the open wilderness of Tibet.

Chloe Xin

About the Author - Chloe Xin

My Name is Chloe, Senior Trip Advisor for Tibet trip with 5 years working experince in Tibet tourism. Loving Tibet, loving all beautiful thing around.A great funs of nature, with piercing eyes to find beauty in both Nature and People. Patient, Warm Hearted , Considerate, Easy- going , Knowledgeable and always ready to offer help to some one in need.

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Invasiveness and impact of invasive species on the Tibetan Plateau are inconsistent

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Shuping Guan, Pengdong Chen, Xingle Qu, Xiaolan Wang, Shuopeng Wang, Haiying Li, Jiangping Fang, Yi Wang, Jiarui Chen, Wei Huang, Evan Siemann, Invasiveness and impact of invasive species on the Tibetan Plateau are inconsistent, Journal of Plant Ecology , Volume 16, Issue 6, December 2023, rtad039, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtad039

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Managing invasions in the context of globalization is a challenge in part because of the difficulty of inferring invader impacts from their invasiveness (i.e. ability to invade ecosystems). Specifically, the relationship between invasiveness and impact may be context-dependent and it has not been explored in such a unique ecosystem as the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we investigated 32 invasive plant species on the Tibetan Plateau in terms of their distribution, abundance, per capita effects on natives and traits across a large geographic transect to test the relationship between invasiveness and impacts on native communities. We decomposed the components (range, R ; local abundance, A ; per capita effect, E ) that drive the impacts, and investigated the relative contributions of plant traits to these components. The results showed that there was no correlation between invasiveness ( R  ×  A ) and impacts ( R  ×  A  ×  E ) of invasive species on the Tibetan Plateau. Specifically, plant invasiveness per se did not indicate a serious threat of harmful impact. In this ecosystem, R and A together drove invasiveness, while R alone drove impacts. Fruit type significantly influenced E , and species bearing berry fruits had the most negative per capita effects. However, plant traits did not drive invasiveness or impact through R , A or E . Our results suggest that the mismatch between components driving invasiveness vs . impact prevent the prediction of impacts of invasive species from their invasiveness. Therefore, management actions directed against invasive plants should prioritize broadly distributed species or those with demonstrated high impacts on native species.

在全球变化背景下,管控入侵物种是一项 具有挑战性 的工作。这主要由于从入侵物种的入侵性推断它们的生态危害存在很大的不确定性。更确切地说,入侵性和生态危害的关系可能依赖于所研究的生态系统,同时这种关系还没有在像青藏高原这样独特的高寒生态系统中被研究过。在这项研究中,我们在青藏高原东南部的一个样带上调查了32种入侵植物。我们将这些入侵物种的生态危害分解为分布范围( R )、局部丰度( A )和个体对本地植物群落的影响( E ) 3个组分,并研究了植物性状对这些组分的相对贡献。研究结果表明,入侵植物的入侵性( R × A )和其所产生的危害( R × A × E )没有相关性。这表明这些入侵植物的入侵性不能反映它们对本地群落生态危害的严重性。在青藏高原, R 和 A 共同驱动了入侵性,而 R 单独驱动了生态危害。植物性状并没有通过这3个组分驱动入侵性和生态危害,只有果实类型(主要是浆果)影响了 E 。我们的结果表明,驱动入侵性和生态危害的组分的不匹配导致了入侵植物的入侵性不能反映它们的生态危害。因此,关于入侵物种的管控应该优先考虑那些分布广泛的物种或者已经被证实会对本地物种产生负面影响的物种。

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  17. 30 Plateau of Tibet Facts: Landscapes, Nature, Life, Travel

    Plateau of Tibet Facts: Landscapes, Nature, Life, Travel The undulating terrain, draped in mystic allure, crafts an awe-inspiring tableau where towering peaks play hide-and-seek with the clouds, orchestrating a symphony of grandeur.

  18. Tibetan Nomads: The Unique Nomadic Tribe on Tibetan Plateau

    Tibetan Nomads: Guide to The Unique Nomadic Tribe Living on the Tibetan Plateau. On the vast Tibetan Plateau, Tibetan nomads lead an extraordinary way of life. For generations, they have roamed this high-altitude landscape, deeply connected to nature and their herds. In this guide, we delve into their unique world.

  19. Tibet Plateau is an introduction to Tibetan Cultural Area

    The appearance of term "U-tsang" can be traced back to when Yuan Dynasty (1271 AD -1368 AD) unified Tibetan areas and supported Sakya Pa of Tibetan Buddhism to establish local power. Yuan Dynasty established a series of military and political institutions on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. By the mid-Yuan Dynasty, the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ...

  20. Tibetan Plateau

    The high altitude Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. The lake is held sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists and is visited by many pilgrims. The Tibetan Plateau is also referred to as the world's "third pole" as it holds the largest storage of freshwater outside the Arctic (North) and the Antarctic (South) polar regions.

  21. Wild Animals on the Tibetan Plateau

    The Tibetan wild ass or "kiang". The largest of all the world's wild asses, the Kiang is a native to the Tibetan plateau and can be seen roaming in large herds across the plains and prairies of the region. Standing around 13.3 hands tall, or around 140 centimeters, the Tibetan ass has a larger head with a very blunt muzzle and a convex nose.

  22. Tibetan Plateau: Definition, Location, Formation and Interesting facts

    This eventually resulted in the modern structure of the Tibetan plateau observed today after a lot of other geologic modifications and underground plate movements.Presently, the Eastern Tibetan landscape is currently undergoing rapid changes, as the major rivers that drain the plateau are incising the plateau at approximately 0.3 to 0.4 mm per year, thereby making gorges (which are about 3 km ...

  23. Understanding uncertainties in projected summer precipitation changes

    The Tibetan Plateau (TP), a complex high-altitude region with an average elevation of 4,000 meters, is widely recognized as the "Asian Water Tower" and "the third pole." Changes in precipitation ...

  24. Tibetan Antelopes: The Holy Unicorn of Tibetan Plateau

    Physical features and animal habits of Tibetan antelopes. Tibetan antelope is a medium sized antelope with a shoulder height of about 83 cm (33 in) in males, and 74 cm (29 in) in females. Their fur is pale fawn to reddish-brown, with a whitish belly, and is particularly thick and woolly. The face of a chiru is black in colour.

  25. Invasiveness and impact of invasive species on the Tibetan Plateau are

    The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau in the world, with an average altitude of more than 4000 m, known as the 'Third Pole'. The climate on the Plateau is generally cold and dry with an annual mean temperature that decreases from 6.9°C in the southeast to −4.9°C in the northwest and an annual precipitation that decreases from 593 ...