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Ngari (It has different ways of transliteration, such as mNgac-ris and
Ali, etc) a miraculous district in the west of the Tibet Autonomous
Region in China, is called "the ridge on the roof of the world". The
Himalaya Mountain, the Kunlun Mountain and Kailas (Gangsri-ti-se)
Mountain surround it. Ngari, with a meaning of "an area under one's
jurisdiction" in Tibetan language, is also called "the third extreme of
life" because of its average altitude of 4,500 metres above sea level
(Some places are above the snowline.) The Elephant River (gLang-chen
kha-vbaba, a river from the mouth of the elephant-shaped rock), the
Horse River (rTa-mchog kha vbabs, a river from the mouth of horse-shaped
rock), the Peacock River (rMa-bya kha-vbaba, a river from the mouth of
the peacock-shaped rock) and Lion River (Seng-ge khs-vbabes a river from
the mouth of the lion-shaped rock) flow the Kailas Mountain. They form
respectively four rivers at the maximum altitude above sea level in the
world. The Horse River, the upper reaches of the Yar-klung-gtsang-po
River, is named "the Heavenly River" and the other three rivers, which
are regarded as "Holy Waters" flow through Nepal, Kashmir Region, India
and Bangladesh and then pour into the Indian Ocean.
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Ngari Region is 600 kilometres long from the east to west and 550
kilometres wide.
From the south to the north, seven counties are under its jurisdiction,
such as dGe-rgyas.
County, spu hreng County, Re-thog County and others, Ngari Region
occupies an area of 312,796 square kilometres and has a population of
only 62,500 people, which is an administrative region with the largest
geographical area in China now and the lowest population density in the
world. Ngari is more than 1,600 kilometres apart from Lhasa, capital of
Tibet. It lies in the remote area, but in Tibet and among other
Tibetan-inhabited area, such as Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and Sichuan, it
is one of the most influential and popular tourist sites at home and
aborad.
The scene in Ngari is both miraculous and charming. Blue ripples are on
sPang-gong-mtsho Bird Island, which is rarely seen in plateau
topography. Ten thousands of gulls are perching there. The northwest of
Ngari is the world well-known Depopulated Zone of the Northern Tibet. It
lies between 5,000 and 6,000 metres above sea level. Its area is vast
and its air is very thin. The depopulated zone is wild and uninhabited,
but it is a natural paradise for numerous wild animals, such as Tibetan
wild asses, Tibetan yaks, Tibetan antelopes, black-necked cranes and
snow leopards. Ngari Plateau is one of the best regions where national
ecology and wild animals are well preserved due to its maximum altitude
above sea level and its inconvenient transportation.
On China's territory, Ngari is an area with the maximum altitude above
sea level, the bluest sky, the most mysterious historical sites, the
lowest population density and well-preserved wild animals. If you go to
Tibet, but not to visit Ngari, you will have lifelong regret. Ngari
reveals a grand historic sconce, which is n a land of reality where the
spirits and beliefs root and also a holy land on Tibetan Plateau for
people to purify their souls.
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