Tanggula Pass

Tanggu La
Chinese: 唐古拉山口
Tánggǔlā Shānkǒu
5231
Tanggu La marker on Qinghai–Tibet Highway
Elevation5,072 meters (16,640 ft) (railway)
5,231 meters (17,162 ft) (road)
Traversed by G109
LocationTibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, China
RangeTanggula Mountains
Coordinates33°00′39″N 91°39′50″E / 33.010958°N 91.663753°E / 33.010958; 91.663753
Tanggu La is located in Tibet
Tanggu La
Tanggu La
Tanggu La is located in Qinghai
Tanggu La
Tanggu La
Tanggu La is located in China
Tanggu La
Tanggu La
Tanggula Pass
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese唐古拉山口
Simplified Chinese唐古拉山口
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTánggǔlā Shānkǒu
Tibetan name
Tibetanགདང་ལ
Transcriptions
Wyliegdang la
Tibetan Pinyindang la

The Tanggu La, Tangla Pass, or Tanggu Pass (Chinese: 唐古拉山口; Standard Tibetan: གདང་ལ[1]) is a wide mountain pass in Southwest China over 5,000 meters (16,000 ft) in elevation, used by both the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Qinghai–Tibet Railway to cross the Tanggula Mountains. These mountains on the Tibetan Plateau separate the Tibet Autonomous Region from the Qinghai province, and also form part of the watershed separating the Yangtze River to the north from a zone of endorheic basins with internal drainage to the south.

Pingo in Tibet near Tanggula pass

The Qinghai–Tibet Highway reaches its highest elevation of 5,231 meters (17,162 ft) in the Tanggu Pass at 32°52′24″N 91°55′03″E / 32.87333°N 91.91750°E / 32.87333; 91.91750. On August 24, 2005, rail track for the Qinghai–Tibet Railway was completed 28 kilometers (17 mi) to the WNW of the highway, reaching 5,072 meters (16,640 ft) at 33°00′38″N 91°39′51″E / 33.01056°N 91.66417°E / 33.01056; 91.66417. The Tanggula railway station 1 km from this summit is the world's highest at 5,068 meters (16,627 ft), 255 meters (837 ft) higher than that of Ticlio, Peru.[2]

The Qinghai–Tibet railway connects the provincial capitals of Xining to Lhasa. The 1,080-kilometer (670 mi)-long section from Golmud to Lhasa was opened on July 1, 2006. The rail cars are equipped with personal oxygen supplies to prevent altitude sickness.

Climate

Climate data for Zhidamsumo, 33 57N 092 37E, Elevation: 5048m
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 0
(32) 		0
(32) 		7
(45) 		12
(54) 		16
(61) 		17
(63) 		17
(63) 		17
(63) 		17
(63) 		15
(59) 		3
(37) 		2
(36) 		17
(63)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −7
(19) 		−5
(23) 		−1
(30) 		5
(41) 		8
(46) 		11
(52) 		13
(55) 		13
(55) 		11
(52) 		3
(37) 		−2
(28) 		−6
(21) 		3
(37)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −24
(−11) 		−24
(−11) 		−18
(0) 		−12
(10) 		−6
(21) 		0
(32) 		2
(36) 		1
(34) 		−1
(30) 		−10
(14) 		−19
(−2) 		−24
(−11) 		−11
(12)
Record low °C (°F) −37
(−35) 		−31
(−24) 		−27
(−17) 		−22
(−8) 		−13
(9) 		−3
(27) 		−2
(28) 		−3
(27) 		−7
(19) 		−20
(−4) 		−26
(−15) 		−32
(−26) 		−37
(−35)
Source: Weatherbase[3]

References

  1. ^ "Nagqu prefecture-level city (Tibet AR, China)". Institute of the Estonian Language. 2018-06-03. Retrieved 20 July 2020. Dang La / གདང་ལ bo [bo1963s~; CN_54_1981k; CN_54_1995s:473,Tibt] o21 (54, 63 : Nagqu : Amdo) 32°52′08″N–91°54′55″E → Tanggula Shankou
  2. ^ "New height of world's railway born in Tibet". Xinhua News Agency. August 24, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-09-13.
  3. ^ "Mean Temp Data". Weatherbase. Retrieved 7 Nov 2011.
  • NI-46, "Am-To" (Map) (4th ed.). International Map of the World 1:1,000,000. U.S. Defense Mapping Agency. 1975. Retrieved 2011-06-11. (Published before construction of railway.)
  • i46-3 (Map). 1:500,000. Topographic Series (in Russian). USSR. Topographic Service of the Armed Forces. 1978. Retrieved 2011-06-12.[permanent dead link] (Published before construction of railway. Highway pass elevation given as 5,149 m.)