Tanggula, in Tibetan, means "the mountains on the plateau." It stands at the heart of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, forming the natural border between northwest China's Qinghai Province and southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. With an average altitude exceeding 5,000 meters, its peaks are covered in year-round snow and ice. Since ancient times, it has been one of the most formidable natural barriers on the route into Xizang.
