Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon

Known as "the roof of the world", the Yarlung Tsangpo River is the world highest-altitude river, over 5,300m above sea level. It originates from Mount Kailash, across the south of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from west to east, through India and Bengal, and finally flows into the Bay of Bengal.

Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the only water channel from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the Indian Ocean. It occupies an area of 64,300 square kilometers. It has 504.6km in length and 6,009m in depth. The average depth is about 2,268m.

Highlights

The Grand Canyon is rich in forest resources: areas lower than 1,100m above sea level with an annual temperature of 16? to 18?, is suitable for diversified tropical indigenous forest. Areas between 1,100m and 2,400m with an average temperature of 11? to 16?, is mountainous subtropical with abundant rainfall, where rare and endemic coniferous forests can be found. Between 2,400m and 3,800 with 2? to 11?, there are conifer forests, winter crops and timber production. More than 3,800m, the climate is cold and moist, and there are large meadows in the summer.

There are rare and unique plants, and wildlife animals, such as king cobras, leopards, red pandas, musk deer, monkeys, tigers and virgin forests. All kinds of wildlife exits here, so the Canyon is regarded as "the Gene Pool of Biological Resources", whilst enjoying fame as a "Geological Museum" because of the various geological phenomena.

You can also appreciate some humanistic landscapes: Qujiao Wu Temple, Buddha Palm Sand Dune, Ping Greeting Guests and South Jiabawa Peak.

How to get there?

Traditional Routes: Milin Country Pai District - Duoxiong La - Nage - Mani Weng - Beibeng.

By bus: take bus from Lhasa to Bayi Town of Nyingchi. Then take bus to Milin town, the entrance of Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon.

Travel Tips

1. The opening time: 09:00am to 18:00pm.
2. The best time: in spring or in summer from June to October.
3. Permits: When visiting Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Nyingchi Prefecture, foreign tourists must hold Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit, Aliens' Travel Permit, Military Permit which should be entrusted to a Tibet local travel agency for application.
4. Be sure to respect the local customs and religious beliefs.