The Yarlung Tsangpo river rises in the glaciers of western Tibet and runs eastward across the plateau for well over a thousand kilometres before turning sharply north and east again, cutting through the eastern Himalaya in a series of enormous gorges. The largest of these, in the Nyingchi region, is generally accepted as the deepest canyon on earth, reaching in places to more than five kilometres from rim to river.
The gorge and the peak
The river makes a great horseshoe bend around Namcha Barwa, a peak of 7,782 metres which is the highest point in the eastern Himalaya and one of the last major mountains in the world to be climbed. The combination of the deeply incised gorge and the steep, ice-covered peak immediately above it produces a landscape of extraordinary relief. The river, dropping fast, is among the most powerful in Asia, and the gorge walls hold some of the last unexplored forest in the Himalaya.
The Nyingchi region
Nyingchi itself is often called the Switzerland of Tibet, and the comparison is not unreasonable. At around 3,000 metres it is well below Lhasa, wetter, warmer and heavily forested, with cypress, fir, pine and rhododendron covering the hillsides. Villages of timber houses with stone roofs sit among the trees, and the region produces fruit, tea and medicinal plants. Because the area is lower, many visitors use it to acclimatise or to recover after the high plateau.
Seeing the canyon
Most visitors view the gorge from established lookout points on the rim, reached by road from Nyingchi, where platforms and walkways look out over the bend towards Namcha Barwa on clear days. Cloud is common, and the peak is often hidden, so patience and a stay of more than one day improve the odds. Trekking routes of several days exist along the rim and down towards the river, but they are serious undertakings requiring permits, guides and proper equipment, and they should not be attempted casually.
Practical notes
Nyingchi is reached by road from Lhasa, a long drive of around eight hours, or by air to Nyingchi airport, which is the more practical option for a short trip. Travel is under the standard Tibet permit arrangements for foreign visitors. Bring rain gear, insect repellent in summer and sturdy shoes; leeches are present on some forest trails in the wet season. Because the region is lower and wetter, altitude is less of an issue here than in Lhasa.
