Many people, when the word "Tibet" is mentioned, often conjure up the image of ice and snow, a barren wilderness, a high mountainous region short of oxygen, so on and so forth. In fact, the Tibetan plateau presents a rich appearance of gorgeous colors.

Lofty mountains there are, imposing and magnificent. Tibet's southern border adjoining India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim is the Himalayas Range, the highest mountain range in the world, stretching 2.400 kilo-meters in length. The famous Mt. Qomolangma and Shisha Pangma are the highest peaks of this mountain range. The Himalayas and the Gangdise Range, which both have an average altitude of 6.000 metres above sea level, run parallel to one another across the south-western part of Tibet. To the north lies the Nyanchen Tanglha range which joins Qinghai and Tibet. Though it has an average altitude of "only"4,500 meters above sea level, owing to its northerly aspect and everlasting winter, it possesses a number of majestic glaciers. To the east lie unique mountain ranges which are the only ones in the world to run north and south. Green open grassland lies to the north of the plateau. Tended by fierce-looking mounted herdsmen, millions of yaks and sheep graze on these vast pasturelands of northern Tibet, which is one of the five major pastoral areas in China.

Metok, Zayul, Lekpo and Dam, known as the "rongyul" of Tibet, offer another kind of beautiful scenery. The climate in these regions is mild with clearly defined seasons, and exotic flowers and rare grasses grow everywhere.

The plateau also has the highest rivers in the world. The famous Tsangpo River, 1,787 kilometers long, winds like a giant silvery dragon from its source on the north side of the Himalayas where the altitude reaches 5,300 meters above sea level, until it empties into the Bay of Bengal. In its lower reaches, as it passes through the Metok region, it makes a famous ninety degree bend, creating a most magnificent and breathtaking scene. In the east, the Zachu River, 4,500 kilometers in total length, toars along its narrow, rocky course through high mountains and deep valleys. In addition, the rivers Gyamo Ngulchu, Yangtze, Lhasa kyichu Gyantse Nyangchu and Kongpo Nyangchu, are dispersed over the whole of Tibet. Their waterpower resources are the foremost in the country.

Tibet possesses lakes in plenty. Byang Namtso, Yamdoktso, Silingtso and Mapham Tso are the four largest lakes of the plateau. These lakes contain fish in plenty and lap up against fine pasturelands. Even those airy mountain regions covered with snow and ice all the year round possess attractions in the form of marvelous crystal palaces, ice-pillar forests and ice-mushrooms.

The grasslands of northern Tibet, deep valleys of southern Tibet, mountain ranges of the Himalayas, highlands of western Tibet and three river valleys of eastern Tibet, are Tibet's natural divisions. According to the traditional division in the past the whole of Tibet once was divided into three regions; the Upper Three Regions of Ngari, the Central Four Regions of U and Tsang and the Lower Six Plateaus of Amdo and Kham. These divisions still hold today.