Tibet

Known as the “Roof of the World”, Tibet Autonomous Region is situated on China’s southwestern border in the southwest of Qinghai-Tibet plateau. It is the highest region on earth, with an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters. Covering an area of over 1.22 million square kilometers, Tibet takes up one-eighth of the total area of China, next only to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Tibet seems like a mystery for millions of people because it seems so holy and unapproachable. Countless people from home and abroad have dreamt to visit Tibet. Tibet has long been well-known for its unique geological features, splendid natural scenery, magnificent ethnic culture and characteristic local customs. That’s why it has become the “Holy Land” for many tourists, mountain explorers, and scientific researchers home and abroad.

Tibet boasts the highest mountains, most river sources, gorgeous prairie and canyons.
Mount Qomolangma (or Mount Everest) stands at Tibet and the border of Nepal, with a height of 8,844 meters. It is the highest mountain on Earth. Several major rivers in China and other neighboring countries have their sources in the Tibetan Plateau, including the Yangtze and Yellow River, Indus River, Mekong, and the Yarlung Zangbo River, and so on. Speaking about rivers, there are intensive rivers and lakes in Tibet. Other famous rivers include the Jinsha, Nujiang, and Lancang rivers. The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is regarded as the deepest and largest canyon in the world.

Two sayings can be used to describe the characteristics of the weather of Tibet. One is “The weather varies every 5 kilometers”. The other is “There are 4 seasons in a day” in Tibet. This is brought about by its high altitude and diversified topography. There are a wide range of regional climates and tangible vertical climate belt, the main features of which are thin and dry air, scant oxygen, strong sunlight, and low temperature with little annual difference but huge daily difference.

This kind of weather may not be perfect for human beings; however, Tibet has fairly complete types of lands: farm land, forest land, and pastoral land, all of which are close to the numerous water resources of Tibet. Tibet also maintains a virgin forest with a total area of more than 126,000 square kilometers.

The Tibetans are mostly engaged in farming and livestock husbandry. Due to limited arable land, the main occupation of the Tibetans is raising livestock, such as sheep, cattle, goats, camels, and horses, etc. The primary crops they grow are barley, wheat, potatoes, and various kinds of fruits and vegetables.

In recent years, tourism has become an increasingly important sector of the Tibetan industry. Tibet tourist resources are unique and unmatched. Among the famous historic buildings and cultural attractions, the Potala palace in Lhasa (capital of Tibet), with a history of more than 1,300 years, is the most famous building and historical site. There are also many significant temples and monasteries. The tourist spots, with gentle breeze, warm sunlight, blue sky, white clouds, green grasslands, snowy mountain tops, and so on, have attracted thousands of tourists home and abroad. The sale of handicrafts, such as Tibetan hats, jewelry, clothed, quilts, rugs, and carpets and so on is important in the tourist industry of Tibet.

With a population of 2.8 million, Tibet embraces people of various ethnic minorities. Tibetans take up 96.5% of total population. Besides the Tibetan group, there are Hui, Menba, Luoba, Nu, Naxi, Deng, Xiaerba ethnic groups and Han people. Known as the “City of Daylight” and “Holy Land”, Lhasa is the capital city and Tibet’s political, economic and cultural center.

With majestic mountains, gorgeous rivers, abundant resources, and unique historic sites, rich ethnic customs, and so on, Tibet is surely a dazzling pearl in the southwest of China.