Tanggula Pass
Encyclopedia
The Tanggu La or Tanggu Pass is a wide mountain pass
over 5000 meters elevation
in the People's Republic of China
used by the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Railway
to cross the Tanggula Mountains
. These mountains form part of the watershed separating the Yangtze River
to the north and a zone of endorheic basins with internal drainage to the south. They also separate Tibet Autonomous Region
and Qinghai Province.
The Qinghai–Tibet Highway reaches its highest elevation, 5,231 meters (17,162 feet) in Tanggu Pass at 32°52′24"N 91°55′03"E. On August 24, 2005, rail track for the for the Qingzang railway
(also known as the Qinghai
–Tibet
railway) was completed 28 kilometers to the WNW of the highway, reaching 5072 meters (16,640 feet) at 33°00′38"N 91°39′51"E. Tanggula Railway Station
1 km from this summit is -- at 5,068 meters -- the world's highest, 255 meters higher than Cóndor station
, Peru
.
The Qinghai-Tibet railway connects Xining
, Qinghai Province
to Lhasa
. The 1080 kilometres (671.1 mi) section from Golmud
to Lhasa
was opened on July 1, 2006. The rail cars have personal oxygen supplies to prevent altitude sickness
.
For a satellite image showing the separate highway and railroad routes over the pass, click here:http://wikimapia.org/#lat=33.0109577&lon=91.6637528&z=10&l=0&m=b&v=8. The rail route is highlighted in grey, with the 5,072 meter summit at the + crosshairs. The highway route is highlighted in yellow, with the 5,231 meter highway summit inside the largest box symbol.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
over 5000 meters elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
used by the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Railway
Qingzang railway
The Qinghai–Xizang railway, Qingzang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway , is a high-elevation railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China....
to cross the Tanggula Mountains
Tanggula Mountains
Tanggula Mountains Shanmai) are a mountain range in the central part of the Tibetan Plateau. Administratvely, the western part of the range is in Nagqu Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region; the highest, central part, in the border area of Nagqu Prefecture and Tanggula Town of the Qinghai...
. These mountains form part of the watershed separating the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to the north and a zone of endorheic basins with internal drainage to the south. They also separate Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
and Qinghai Province.
The Qinghai–Tibet Highway reaches its highest elevation, 5,231 meters (17,162 feet) in Tanggu Pass at 32°52′24"N 91°55′03"E. On August 24, 2005, rail track for the for the Qingzang railway
Qingzang railway
The Qinghai–Xizang railway, Qingzang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway , is a high-elevation railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China....
(also known as the Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
–Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
railway) was completed 28 kilometers to the WNW of the highway, reaching 5072 meters (16,640 feet) at 33°00′38"N 91°39′51"E. Tanggula Railway Station
Tanggula railway station
The Tanggula railway station is a railway station located in Amdo County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, near the border with the Tanggula Town, Qinghai...
1 km from this summit is -- at 5,068 meters -- the world's highest, 255 meters higher than Cóndor station
Cóndor station
Cóndor railway station on the Rio Mulatos-Potosí line, Bolivia, is the highest station in the western hemisphere, at an altitude of 4,786 m above sea level....
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
The Qinghai-Tibet railway connects Xining
Xining
Xining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...
, Qinghai Province
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
to Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
. The 1080 kilometres (671.1 mi) section from Golmud
Golmud
Golmud , sometimes transliterated as Ge'ermu or Geermu, is a county-level city in Qinghai Province, Western China. Administrated by Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, it is the second largest city in Qinghai and the third largest in the Tibetan Plateau . The population is now about...
to Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
was opened on July 1, 2006. The rail cars have personal oxygen supplies to prevent altitude sickness
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness , altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude...
.
For a satellite image showing the separate highway and railroad routes over the pass, click here:http://wikimapia.org/#lat=33.0109577&lon=91.6637528&z=10&l=0&m=b&v=8. The rail route is highlighted in grey, with the 5,072 meter summit at the + crosshairs. The highway route is highlighted in yellow, with the 5,231 meter highway summit inside the largest box symbol.
Climate
External links
- Tangula Railtours (Published before construction of railway.) (Published before construction of railway. Highway pass elevation given as 5,149 m.)
- Travelogue of cyclists crossing Tanngu La in year 2000: http://www.altunshan.com/tibet/archives/000054.html