Introduction to the Maychu (Maiqu) River The Maychu River སྨད་ཆུ (Maiqu, 麦曲河, 美曲), also known as Mingjiu River (明纠河), is a significant waterway in Tibet’s Chamdo region, particularly flowing through Bianba County (边坝县). In Tibetan, its name translates to “Impure River.” As an important tributary of the Nujiang River (怒江, also known as the Salween...Read More

Overview of the Lancang River The Lancang River (澜沧江), known in Tibetan as Zachu (རྫ་ཆུ་,), meaning “Moon River,” is one of Tibet’s most significant waterways. It forms the upper course of the Mekong River, one of Southeast Asia’s most vital rivers, which flows through multiple countries before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Originating in the...Read More

Overview of Sharchu River (Xiaqu) Sharchu (夏曲), meaning “Eastern River,” is a crucial waterway flowing through Bianba County, Tibet. The river gets its name due to its geographical position relative to Nubchu (努曲), the “Western River,” which runs parallel to it. As an essential part of the region’s ecosystem, Sharchu supports local agriculture, biodiversity, and...Read More

The Drichu River, also known as the Jinsha River, is one of the most significant watercourses in Tibet and China. Serving as the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, it is deeply intertwined with the geography, culture, and history of the Tibetan Plateau. In Tibetan, the Drichu (འབྲི་ཆུ་, ‘Bri Chu’) means “Water of the Female...Read More

The Aichu River (埃曲), also known as “Ngêxi / རྔེ་གཤིས (额哎曲), meaning “River of Desire,” flows through Karuo District in Chamdo, Tibet. Situated east of the district center, this tributary of the Lancang River (Mekong River) plays a crucial role in sustaining the region’s agriculture, biodiversity, and local communities. A River of Fertile Lands and...Read More

The Tsochu River: A Lifeline of Chamdo’s Nomadic Culture and Ecology The Tsochu River (错曲)མཚོ་ཆུ་, meaning “Lake River,” flows through Karuo District in Chamdo, Tibet. Situated northeast of the district center, this pristine river plays a crucial role in sustaining Tibetan nomadic life, supporting local biodiversity, and enhancing the region’s natural beauty. A Vital River...Read More

Introduction to Ngom Chu (Angqu) Ngom Chu (formerly known as 昂曲 Angqu) translates to “Great Mighty River” or “Majestic River.” Flowing through Karuo District in Chamdo, Tibet, this pristine waterway originates in the northeastern highlands at an elevation of over 5,000 meters. It follows a north-south course before curving westward, eventually merging with the Requ...Read More

Exploring the Lhodrak Sharchu River and Its Significance The Lhodrak Sharchu River (ལྷོ་བྲག་ཤར་ཆུ་ 洛扎下曲), meaning “the river east of Lhodrak,” is a vital waterway in Lhodrak County (Tibetan: ལྷོ་བྲག་རྫོང་།; Chinese: 洛扎县), Lhoka. Originating in the southwest of the county town, this pristine river follows a west-east-southward course before merging with the Lhodrak Nubchu River. From there, the combined...Read More

Lhodrak Nubchu River: A Hidden Gem in Southern Tibet The Lhodrak Nubchu River (ལྷོ་བྲག་ནུབ་ཆུ་; 洛扎怒曲), meaning “the river west of Lhodrak,” is a pristine waterway flowing through Lhodrak County (Tibetan: ལྷོ་བྲག་རྫོང་།; Chinese: 洛扎县) in Shannan Prefecture, Tibet. Following a south-north-south course, it eventually merges with the Lhodrak Sharchu River before crossing into Bhutan. This river is not only a...Read More

The Gardong Gyachu River (卡洞加曲) meanders through Nakartse County in Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, playing a crucial role in the region’s hydrology and ecology. As an endorheic river, it ultimately drains into the stunning Yamdrok Lake (Yamdrok Yumtso)—one of Tibet’s most sacred and breathtaking freshwater lakes. Geographical and Hydrological Features Total Length: 73 km Basin Area:...Read More