With its vast and enchanting landscape, Tibet has many natural and human wonders that top the country and the world.

Himalayas Running 2,400 km from west to east and 200-350 meters from north to south, they form the highest and youngest mountain ridge in the world. The main ridge has an average elevation of 6,200 meters. It is located on the border between the Tibet Autonomous Region and India and Nepal.

Mount Qomolangma. Qomolangma means "third goddess" in Tibetan. Lying on the border of Tibet and Nepal, it is 8,848.13 meters in above sea level, making it the tallest peak both for the Himalayas and the world.

Yarlung Zangbo River With a total length of 2,900 km, it flows across Tibet for 2,057 km. With an average riverbed elevation of 3,000 meters, it is the highest river on the globe.

Namco Lake Namco means "Heavenly Lake" in Tibetan. Covering an area of 1,940 square km 200 km northwest of Lhasa at an elevation of 4,178 meters, it is the highest large saltwater lake in China.

Mapam Yumco Lake Mapam Yumco means "eternal lake of emeralds" in Tibetan. Covering an area of 412 square km at an elevation of 4,588 meters, it is the highest freshwater lake in the world. It is often referred to as "the mother of rivers", "the lake of western heaven" and "the holy lake".

Dihang Canyon Dihang Canyon is located in the autonomous region's southeast where the Yarlung Zangbo River flows through the Himalayas. It is 5,000 meters deep from top to bottom and the narrowest section of the river is only 80 meters wide. It is one of the largest canyons in the world.

Lhasa With a history of more than 1,300 years, the autonomous region's capital city is also the center of Tibetan Buddhism. It has a history of more than 1,300 years. With an urban area of 32 square km, a population of 110,000 and an elevation of 3,650 meters, it is the highest city in the world.

Potala Palace Situated in Lhasa, it is the ancient structure with the highest elevation in the world- The building with the main commanding height stands 3,767.19 meters above sea level, First built in the mid-7th century, the complex rises for 13 storeys and 117.19 meters- It was formerly the seat of the Tibetan local government and home of the Dalai Lama.

Xinjiang-Tibet Highway.It extends 1,455 km from Yecheng in southwest XinJiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Burang in Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The road goes through five mountain passes over 5,000 meters above sea level, with one reaching 6,035 meters. Consequently it is the highest highway in the world.

Qingnai-Tibet Oil Pipeline Connecting Golmud in Qinghai Province and Lhasa in Tibet, it is 1,080 km long. With an average elevation of 4,500 meters, it is the highest oil pipeline in the world- Since it was completed in April 1977, it has shouldered 63.6 percent of the total oil transportation to Tibet.

Cosmic Radiation Observation Station Built on top of the 5,500-meter-high Kamba La Mountain near Lhasa, it is the highest such observatory in the world. It has recorded data on interplanetary particles with energy above 400 mev, providing important materials for world research on high-energy nuclear science-

Nagqn Satellite TV Ground Station Completed in 1985, it is 4,500 meters above sea level, making it the highest such post in the world-

Yamzhog Yumco Lake Pumping and Power Storage Station With an elevation of 4,400 meters, it is the highest pumping and power storage station in the world.Work has been completed on a 5,889-meter-long main tunnel to introduce water. Other projects are under construction. The power station is expected to be completed and produce electricity in 1995.

Geothermal Power Plant Tibet abounds in geoihermat resources. More than 600 geothermal points have been marked. The region's reserves of geothermal power lead the country. The Yangbajain Geoihermal Power Plant, located 90 km north of Lhasa, is the largest geothermal power station in China. With a potential to produce 150,000 kw of electricity annually, it currently has an installed capacity of 25,000 kw.

Hydro-Electric Power Resources Tibet is rich in hydropower resources. Theoretically speaking, it has a reserve of about 200 million kw, leading the country. Explorable hydropower resources reach 56.6 million kw, ranking third in China.

Chromium, Lithium and Borax Reserves Tibet ranks first in China in terms of reserves of chromium, lithium and borax. The Norbu Ca Chromium Mine under construction already has an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons. To be fully completed in 1995, it is China's largest chromium production base. The region's lithium reserves are among the front ranks in the world.

Solar Energy Tibet has the richest solar energy in China. Average annual sunshine surpasses 3,200 hours and in Gar and Tingri hits 3,370 hours, Lhasa, with annual sunshine of 3,031 hours, is known as the sunshine city.

Renovation of the Potala Palace Costing 35 million yuan, the five-year renovation project is the largest and most costly rebuilding scheme on an architectural heritage in terms of spending, time and scale.

The Great Stupa for the 10th Bainqen Erdeni Built in 1993 to hold the body of the 10th Bainqen Lama, it is the most expensive and splendid structure built by the Chinese government for a deceased Tibetan religious leader. The stupa is 35.25 meters high and covers an area of 1,933 square meters, aThe work, entailing an investment of 64 million yuan, consumed 614 kg of gold, 275 kg of silver and a large quantity of jewelry. This splendid piece of architecture is located in the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze.

Qamba Bronze Buddha The 26.2-meter-high seated Qamba enshrined in the Tashilhunpo Monastery is the world's largest gilded bronze Buddha statue.

King Gesar This great epic of the Tibetan people, recited in ballad form, contains more than 1 million lines, totalling 15 million characters. It is the world's longest epic. Now Chinese and Mongolian versions and abridged Russian, German, English and French editions have been published.

(This article appears on page 14, No. 21, 1994)