Autonomous region · Southwest China
Tibet
西藏
The high plateau of the Himalaya and the Yarlung Tsangpo
The Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang) is a provincial-level region of China on the Tibetan Plateau, with an average altitude above 4,000 metres, bordered by India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar along the Himalaya. Established in 1965, it covers central and western Tibet; its capital is Lhasa, the historic seat of the Dalai Lamas, and the Potala Palace ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Key facts
- Capital
- Lhasa
- Abbreviation
- 藏 (Zàng)
- Area
- about 1.2 million km² (official Chinese figure)[1]
- Resident population
- 3.74 million(as of end of 2025)[2]
- Gross regional product
- CNY 303.2 billion(as of 2025)[2]
- Census population
- 3.65 million(as of 2020 census)[3]
- Divisions
- 6 prefecture-level cities, 1 prefecture[1]
- Borders
- India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar
- Autonomous region since
- 1965
- UNESCO World Heritage sites
- 1 (1994, extended 2000 and 2001)[4]
Profile
- Chinese name
- 西藏
- Abbreviation (简称)
- 藏
- Type
- Autonomous region
- Region
- Southwest China
- Capital
- Lhasa
- Area
- about 1,228,400 km²
- Divisions
- 6 prefecture-level cities (Lhasa, Shigatse, Chamdo, Nyingchi, Shannan, Nagqu) and 1 prefecture (Ngari)
- Ethnic groups
- Tibetan, Han, Monpa, Lhoba, Hui, Naxi
- Languages
- Tibetan, Standard Chinese, Monpa, Lhoba languages
- Borders
- India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar
Languages
Tibetan
藏语
The Ü-Tsang dialects, with Lhasa Tibetan as the standard, are spoken in central and western Tibet; Kham dialects in Chamdo and the east. All use the Tibetan script, derived from an Indian Brahmi model in the seventh century.
Standard Chinese
普通话
Language of administration and, with Tibetan, of education; widely spoken in towns.
Monpa
门巴语
Spoken by the Monpa in Cona and Medog counties near the Indian border.
Lhoba languages
珞巴语
Languages of the Lhoba in Mainling and Medog, traditionally unwritten.
Name and abbreviation
Tibetans call their country Bod (བོད་). The Chinese name 西藏 (Xīzàng), “western Zang”, dates from the early Qing and refers to the Ü-Tsang region of central Tibet, whose name Chinese sources rendered as 乌斯藏 (Wūsīzàng) under the Yuan and Ming. The English “Tibet” comes, via Arabic and Persian, from a word for the upper country. The abbreviation 藏 is taken from the Chinese name; official Chinese English-language publications also use the romanised name “Xizang”. The autonomous region covers the Ü-Tsang heartland, Ngari in the west and western Kham; the historic Tibetan regions of Amdo and eastern Kham lie in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan.
Historic names
吐蕃
Chinese name of the Tibetan empire of the seventh to ninth centuries (Tibetan: Bod), which at its height controlled large parts of Central Asia.
乌斯藏
Yuan and Ming rendering of Ü-Tsang, central Tibet; the Ming name for the region's administration.
卫藏
Ü (centred on Lhasa) and Tsang (centred on Shigatse), the two provinces of central Tibet.
世界屋脊
“roof of the world”
Common epithet for the Tibetan Plateau.
Land and climate
Tibet occupies the south-western part of the Tibetan Plateau, the highest and largest plateau on Earth. The Himalaya forms its southern rim along the borders with India, Nepal and Bhutan and includes Mount Everest (Qomolangma) on the Nepal border. North of it, the valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo and its tributaries holds most of the population, farmland and towns, including Lhasa and Shigatse. The vast Changtang to the north is a cold, high steppe of salt lakes and nomadic pasture. In the south-east, around Nyingchi, the Yarlung Tsangpo breaks through the Himalaya in a great canyon and the monsoon brings dense forest. Parts of the boundary with India are disputed: China claims much of the area administered by India as Arunachal Pradesh, and India claims Aksai Chin, which is administered by China.
Landforms
Himalaya
喜马拉雅山脉
The range along the southern border, with Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma among its eight-thousanders.
Mount Everest (Qomolangma)
珠穆朗玛峰
The highest mountain on Earth, 8,848.86 m according to the joint China–Nepal measurement announced in 2020; its northern side lies in Tingri county.
Gangdise (Transhimalaya)
冈底斯山脉
Range north of the Yarlung Tsangpo, including Mount Kailash (冈仁波齐), sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and followers of Bon.
Changtang
羌塘高原
The northern high plateau, much of it a nature reserve for Tibetan antelope, wild yak and kiang.
Nyenchen Tanglha
念青唐古拉山
Range north of Lhasa overlooking Lake Namtso.
Rivers and lakes
Yarlung Tsangpo
雅鲁藏布江
Flows east across southern Tibet and turns south through the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon to become the Brahmaputra in India.
Lhasa River (Kyi Chu)
拉萨河
Tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo on which Lhasa stands.
Nu River (Salween)
怒江
Rises in Nagqu and flows south-east into Yunnan.
Mekong and upper Yangtze
澜沧江·金沙江
Both cross Chamdo in the east; the Jinsha forms the border with Sichuan.
Namtso and Yamdrok lakes
纳木错·羊卓雍错
Two of the three sacred lakes of Tibet, with Lake Manasarovar (玛旁雍错) near Kailash.
Climate
The climate is shaped by altitude. Lhasa, at about 3,650 metres, has strong sunshine, dry, cold winters and mild summers, with most rain falling at night in July and August. The Changtang and Ngari are cold, arid and windy for most of the year, while the south-eastern valleys around Nyingchi are wet and relatively warm. Low oxygen levels affect every visitor; acclimatisation and a gradual ascent matter more than the season. Late spring to early autumn is the most accessible period; winter brings closed passes but clear skies.
History
In the seventh century Songtsen Gampo united the plateau into the Tibetan empire, which adopted Buddhism and a script based on Indian models and rivalled Tang China in Central Asia before it fragmented in the ninth century. From the thirteenth century, Tibetan religious leaders entered into relations with the Mongol Yuan court, which placed Tibet under the oversight of a central office; Chinese historiography regards this as the incorporation of Tibet into China, while many Tibetan and Western historians describe a patron–priest relationship with the Mongol rulers rather than with China as such. In 1642 the Fifth Dalai Lama became ruler of Tibet with Mongol support. The Qing dynasty stationed imperial representatives (ambans) in Lhasa from 1727 and intervened repeatedly in Tibetan affairs. After the fall of the Qing, the government of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama administered central Tibet without Chinese control until 1950, although the Republic of China maintained its claim and no major state recognised Tibetan independence. In 1950–51 the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet and a Seventeen Point Agreement was signed; Beijing calls this the peaceful liberation of Tibet, while the Tibetan government in exile states that the agreement was signed under duress. After the 1959 uprising the Fourteenth Dalai Lama went into exile in India, and in 1965 the Tibet Autonomous Region was established. The region's status, and conditions for religion and culture there, remain the subject of differing accounts by the Chinese government, the Tibetan exile administration and international observers.
c. 630s–649
Songtsen Gampo unites the Tibetan empire
The king moved his capital to Lhasa and married princesses from Nepal and from the Tang court (Princess Wencheng, 641); the Tibetan script was created in his reign.
c. 779
Samye Monastery founded
Under King Trisong Detsen, with the Indian masters Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet was consecrated.
821–823
Tang–Tibetan treaty
A peace treaty between equals, recorded in Chinese and Tibetan on a pillar that still stands before the Jokhang in Lhasa.
842
Fragmentation of the empire
After the death of King Langdarma, the empire broke into rival principalities.
1247–1260s
Sakya lamas and the Mongol court
Sakya Pandita's meeting with the Mongol prince Köden and Kublai's appointment of Phagpa as imperial preceptor began a period in which Sakya rulers governed Tibet under Mongol Yuan oversight.
1409
Tsongkhapa founds Ganden and the Great Prayer Festival
The beginning of the Gelug school, to which the Dalai and Panchen Lamas belong.
1642
Ganden Phodrang government
With the help of the Khoshut Mongol ruler Gushri Khan, the Fifth Dalai Lama became head of a Tibetan government seated in Lhasa; rebuilding of the Potala began in 1645.
1727
Qing ambans in Lhasa
The Qing stationed resident imperial commissioners in Lhasa after intervening in Tibetan conflicts in 1720; a regulation of 1793 extended their role, including the Golden Urn procedure for recognising reincarnations.
1903–1904
British expedition to Lhasa
A British Indian force under Francis Younghusband fought its way to Lhasa and imposed a treaty; the Thirteenth Dalai Lama fled to Mongolia.
1913–1950
Government of the Dalai Lama without Chinese control
After the fall of the Qing, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama expelled Qing troops and his government administered central Tibet; the Republic of China continued to claim the region.
1950–1951
People's Liberation Army enters Tibet
After the battle of Chamdo in October 1950, Tibetan delegates signed the Seventeen Point Agreement in Beijing on 23 May 1951; its circumstances are described differently by the Chinese government and the Tibetan government in exile.
March 1959
Lhasa uprising and exile of the Dalai Lama
Fighting in Lhasa followed an uprising against Chinese rule; the Fourteenth Dalai Lama fled to India, where a government in exile was established at Dharamsala.
1 September 1965
Tibet Autonomous Region established
The region was given its present status as a provincial-level autonomous region.
1966–1976
Cultural Revolution
A large number of monasteries and religious buildings were damaged or destroyed; many were rebuilt from the 1980s.
2006
Qinghai–Tibet Railway reaches Lhasa
The line from Golmud, crossing the Tanggula Pass above 5,000 metres, gave Tibet its first rail link.
2021
Lhasa–Nyingchi railway
The first electrified railway in Tibet, part of the planned line to Sichuan.
World heritage
World Heritage sites
Cultural · inscribed 1994
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
布达拉宫历史建筑群
The Potala Palace, winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, inscribed in 1994; the Jokhang Temple Monastery was added in 2000 and the Norbulingka summer palace in 2001.
Intangible cultural heritage (UNESCO lists)
Inscribed 2009
Tibetan opera
藏戏
Ache Lhamo, masked sung drama traditionally attributed to the fifteenth-century bridge-builder Thangtong Gyalpo, performed in the open air at festivals.
Inscribed 2009
Gesar epic tradition
格萨尔史诗
The sung epic of King Gesar, performed by bards across the Tibetan plateau (shared with Qinghai, Sichuan and other regions).
Inscribed 2018
Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa
藏医药浴法
Therapeutic bathing in herbal waters, part of the Tibetan medical tradition Sowa Rigpa.
Culture
Tibetan culture is inseparable from Tibetan Buddhism, with its four major schools (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug), and from the older Bon tradition. Monasteries, pilgrimage circuits (kora), prayer flags, mani stones and prayer wheels mark the landscape, and the religious calendar sets the rhythm of festivals. Pastoral nomadism on the high grasslands and barley farming in the valleys remain the traditional bases of life, and the region preserves arts from thangka painting to incense-making.
Opera, music and dance
Tibetan opera (Ache Lhamo)
藏戏
Performed at the Shoton festival in Lhasa and at village festivals, with masks, drums and cymbals.
Nangma
囊玛
Refined court and urban song-and-dance music of Lhasa.
Guozhuang circle dance
锅庄
Dance performed in a circle at festivals and in town squares.
Gesar recitation
格萨尔说唱
Bards chant episodes of the Gesar epic, some claiming to have received it in dreams.
Crafts
Thangka
唐卡
Painted or appliquéd scroll images of deities and mandalas, made to strict iconometric rules by schools such as Menri and Karma Gadri.
Tibetan incense
藏香
Incense of juniper and herbs, traditionally made in Nyemo county by water-driven mills.
Gyantse carpets
江孜地毯
Hand-knotted wool carpets from Gyantse, woven with the Tibetan knot.
Pulu woollen cloth
氆氇
Hand-woven wool used for traditional robes and the striped aprons of married women.
Festivals and customs
Losar
藏历新年
The Tibetan New Year, reckoned by the Tibetan calendar and often close to the Chinese Spring Festival.
Shoton festival
雪顿节
The “yoghurt festival” in Lhasa in summer, opening with the unveiling of a giant thangka at Drepung Monastery and followed by Tibetan opera.
Saga Dawa
萨嘎达瓦节
The fourth Tibetan month, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha, when pilgrims walk the kora routes.
Ongkor
望果节
Harvest festival of the farming villages, with processions around the fields.
Khata
哈达
White ceremonial scarf offered at greetings, farewells and in temples.
Cuisine
Tibetan food is shaped by altitude: highland barley, yak and sheep products and a few vegetables are the traditional staples. Tsampa and butter tea form the core of the diet; meat is often air-dried; and dumplings and noodles show links with Nepal and China. Sweet milk tea, introduced from South Asia, is drunk in the teahouses of Lhasa.
Signature dishes
Tsampa
糌粑
Roasted barley flour, kneaded with butter tea into small balls.
Butter tea
酥油茶
Brick tea churned with yak butter and salt.
Momo
藏式包子
Steamed or fried dumplings with yak meat or vegetables.
Tibetan noodles (thukpa)
藏面
Noodles in yak or beef broth with minced meat.
Air-dried yak meat
风干牦牛肉
Strips of yak meat dried in the cold, dry winter air.
Sweet tea
甜茶
Black tea with milk and sugar, the drink of Lhasa's teahouses.
Specialities
Chang
青稞酒
Mildly alcoholic barley beer served at festivals and to guests.
Caterpillar fungus
冬虫夏草
Fungus-infected larvae collected on high pastures in spring, a major source of income for herders.
Tibetan incense
藏香
From Nyemo and other workshops.
Tibetan medicine
藏药
Herbal and mineral remedies of the Sowa Rigpa tradition, produced by the Mentsikhang in Lhasa and other makers.
Nyingchi matsutake
林芝松茸
Wild mushrooms from the forests of the south-east.
Notable people
Songtsen Gampo (c. 617–649)
松赞干布
Founder of the Tibetan empire, traditionally credited with introducing Buddhism and writing.
Thonmi Sambhota (7th century)
吞弥·桑布扎
Minister traditionally credited with devising the Tibetan script after studying in India.
Milarepa (c. 1052–1135)
米拉日巴
Yogi and poet of the Kagyu school, whose songs are among the best-loved works of Tibetan literature.
Thangtong Gyalpo (15th century)
汤东杰布
Engineer and saint who built iron-chain bridges across Tibetan rivers and is regarded as the founder of Tibetan opera.
Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682)
阿旺罗桑嘉措
Established the Ganden Phodrang government and rebuilt the Potala Palace.
Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (1683–1706)
仓央嘉措
Born in the Mön region on the southern slopes of the Himalaya and known for his love songs, which remain widely read in Tibetan and in translation.
Gendün Chöphel (1903–1951)
更敦群培
Scholar, traveller and poet whose critical writings on Tibetan history made him an early modern Tibetan intellectual.
Economy
Tibet's economy has been transformed since the 1990s by large central-government transfers and infrastructure investment, which fund roads, railways, housing and public services. Tourism, construction, services and public administration are the largest sectors. Traditional agriculture — highland barley, yaks, sheep and goats — still employs a large share of the population. Mining of copper and other minerals, bottled water, Tibetan medicine and hydropower and solar power are growing industries. Construction of a large hydropower project on the lower Yarlung Tsangpo began in 2025.
Main industries
- Tourism
- Construction and building materials
- Agriculture and animal husbandry: highland barley, yak, sheep
- Mining: copper, chromium, lithium
- Hydropower, solar and other clean energy
- Tibetan medicine
- Bottled mineral water
Zones, ports and hubs
Lhasa Economic and Technological Development Zone
拉萨经济技术开发区
National-level development zone south-west of Lhasa.
Lhasa Comprehensive Bonded Zone
拉萨综合保税区
Customs-bonded zone approved in 2020.
Gyirong Port
吉隆口岸
The main land crossing for trade with Nepal; Zhangmu and the Nathu La with India are other border trade points.
Cities
- Lhasa拉萨Capital · Historic city · Cultural centreThe Potala, the Jokhang and the pilgrim circuits of the Barkhor
- Shigatse日喀则Historic city · Cultural centre · Border citySeat of the Panchen Lamas and gateway to Everest
- Shannan (Lhoka)山南Historic city · Cultural centreThe Yarlung valley, cradle of the Tibetan kings
- Nyingchi林芝Scenic area · Border cityForests, glaciers and the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon
Mountains and nature
- Mountain · 8,848.86 mMount Everest (Qomolangma)珠穆朗玛峰The highest mountain on Earth, seen from its northern side
- Sacred mountainMount Kailash (Kang Rinpoche)冈仁波齐The sacred mountain of four religions in western Tibet
- Lake · 4,718 mNamtso纳木错The “heavenly lake” below the Nyenchen Tanglha range
- Lake · 4,441 mYamdrok Lake羊卓雍错The turquoise, scorpion-shaped holy lake south of Lhasa
- Gorge · 7,782 mYarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon雅鲁藏布大峡谷The great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo around Namcha Barwa
- Sacred mountain · 6,740 mMeili Snow Mountains (Kawagebo)梅里雪山Kawagebo, Yunnan's highest and unclimbed sacred peak
Getting there
- Lhasa Gonggar International Airport, south-west of Lhasa in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley, has flights from many Chinese cities and from Kathmandu; Nyingchi, Shigatse, Chamdo, Ngari and Nagqu have airports of their own.
- The Qinghai–Tibet Railway links Lhasa with Xining and the national network; branch lines run from Lhasa to Shigatse and to Nyingchi, and a railway from Sichuan is under construction.
- Highways enter Tibet from Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai and Xinjiang, and from Nepal at Gyirong.
- Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit in addition to a Chinese visa; it is issued through registered travel agencies, which arrange a guided itinerary, and further permits apply to many areas outside Lhasa. See the visa section for general entry rules.
Entry rules for foreign visitors are on the visa and entry pages.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region — People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- 2025年西藏自治区国民经济和社会发展统计公报 (Statistical Communiqué of the Tibet Autonomous Region on the 2025 National Economic and Social Development) — Tibet Autonomous Region Bureau of Statistics (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: China — UNESCO (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Tibet — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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