Known to be a self-governing state with its own language, culture and customs distinct from its neighbors, the name "Tibet" evokes a vision of a Shangri-la kingdom isolated by massive mountains and impassable cold wastes. Tibet is blessed with lands which are covered with sharp ridges and deep valleys. And perhaps because of the remoteness of this country Tibetan regions still harbor an extraordinary number of interesting wildlife species. Tibet has various complex landforms such as high and steep mountains, deep valleys, glaciers, bare rocks and gobi deserts. All places in the region lie at an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters.

The Tibet Autonomous Region is located in the southwest part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It borders on Sichuan and Yunnan provinces to the east, Qinghai and Xinjiang to the north, and sharing borders with India, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan to the south, and bounded by Kashmir to the west. The region covers more than 1.2 million square kilometers, accounting for one eighth of China’s total land mass, and ranking second in China.
It is roughly divided into four areas: the north Tibet plateau, the south Tibet valley, east Tibet mountains and valleys, and Himalaya Mountains. It is bitterly cold in winter, with a marked difference in temperature between day time and night. It features scarce precipitation and a sharp contrast between the dry and wet seasons. It is dry in winter and spring, with frequent occurrence of strong winds, as well as low oxygen content. Tibet is so sunny as to have an annual sunshine of between 1,500 and 3,400 hours. It has a short frost-free period, usually ranging from 120 to 140 days a year.