Tanggula Mountains

Tanggula is the source of the Ulan Moron and Dangqu Rivers, the geographic headwaters of the Yangtze River. It functions as a dividing range between the basin of the Yangtze in the north and the endorheic basin of northeastern Tibet in the south.

Overview

The elevations of the main ridge average over 5,000 m (16,404 ft). The Yangtze River originates in this mountain range; Geladandong, 6,621 metres or 21,722 feet high, located in Tanggula Town, is the tallest peak in the range.

The Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway cross the Tanggula Mountains at Tanggula Mountain Pass. This is the highest point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and the highest point of any railway in the world, at 5,072 metres (16,640 feet) above sea level. On account of snow and occasional road accidents, highway closures and concomitant traffic delays are not uncommon.

The mountains lie within the Tibetan Plateau alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion.