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39-745: The Pengbo River is a tributary of the Lhasa River that runs through the western part of Lhünzhub County , Lhasa municipality, Tibet, China. The Pengbo River is one of the main tributaries of the Lhasa River, located in Lhünzhub County. The river valley holds the Hutoushan Reservoir , the largest reservoir in Tibet, with total storage of 12,000,000 cubic metres (420,000,000 cu ft). There are three natural forests in

78-696: A barren slope below a mountain, but the meeting room has electric light and heating. The temple operates a tea house and a grocery store. The monks have built a two-story dormitory. Yangpachen Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yangbajain , historically the seat of the Shamarpas of Karma Kagyu . It is the main monastery of the Red Hat school of the Karma Kagyu sect. It was built in 1490, and through extensive repairs and additions grew into

117-562: A major architectural complex that contained a large collection of cultural relics. The Red Hat school of Karma Kagyu died out in 1791. The monastery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution , but later was rebuilt. The Eight Towers of Northern Tibet (藏北八塔) in Wumatang (Uma) townland are said to be the guardians of the grasslands of northern Tibet. One story of their origin is that eight generals of King Gesar , who unified

156-461: Is at an elevation of 13,390 feet (4,080 m) above sea level. The project includes a reservoir and a power station with potential annual generating capacity of 599 million kilowatt hours. The project, also called the Pangduo hydro project, impounds 1,170,000,000 cubic metres (4.1 × 10  cu ft) of water. It is planned to irrigate 435.2 square kilometres (168.0 sq mi). Damming of

195-539: Is frozen from the start of November to the following March. Pasture has 90–120 days for growth. Average annual precipitation is 481 millimetres (18.9 in). Damxung County is divided into two towns and six townships. The seat of government is in Dangquka . As of 2013 the population was 40,000, up from 35,000 in 1997. In 2000 Damxung had a total population of 39,169, of which 19,429 were male and 18,740 were female. Almost all were ethnic Tibetans. The rural population

234-594: Is irrigated. There are 1,850,000 hectares (4,600,000 acres) of grasslands that may be used for pasturage, and 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) of forest. The Lhasa River is the longest of the Yarlung Tsangpo tributaries. It flows through the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, and is a left tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo. It is about 450 kilometres (280 mi) long. The river forms where three smaller rivers converge. These are

273-627: Is long and narrow, measuring 185 kilometres (115 mi) from the northeast to southwest extremes, and at most 65 km across (40 mi). The county is tectonically active and was the epicenter of a 7.5M w earthquake in the north in 1952 and a 6.4 M w earthquake in the south in 2008. In November 2010 a moderate quake in Damxung at 5.2 on the Richter scale shook office windows in Lhasa. There were no casualties, but houses were damaged. In

312-552: Is navigable from its mouth on the Yarlung Tsangpo up to the city of Lhasa and to altitudes of up to 2,650 metres (8,690 ft). Intensive melting of snow and glaciers starts in May, contributing 20–30% of the water. The bulk of the water is supplied by the summer monsoon rains, which fall from July to September. There are floods in the summer from July to September, with about 17% of the annual runoff flowing in September. In winter

351-555: Is semi-arid monsoon, with a low average temperature of 1.2 to 7.5 °C (34.2 to 45.5 °F). Average annual precipitation is 466.3 millimetres (18.36 in), with 85% falling in the June–September period. Annual runoff is 10,550,000,000 cubic metres (3.73 × 10  cu ft). Water quality is good, with little discharge of sewage and minimal chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The basin has about 35,258 hectares (87,120 acres) of farmland, of which 17,710 hectares (43,800 acres)

390-633: Is subject to flooding with the summer monsoon rains, and structures have been built to control the floods. In its lower reaches the river valley is an important agricultural area. The city of Lhasa lies on the river. There are two large hydroelectric power stations on the river, the Zhikong Hydro Power Station (100 MW) and the Pangduo Hydro Power Station (160 MW) The Lhasa River drains an area of 32,471 square kilometres (12,537 sq mi), and

429-502: Is the largest tributary of the middle section of the Yaluzangbu River . The average altitude of the basin is around 4,500 metres (14,800 ft). The basin has complex geology and is tectonically active. Earthquakes are common. The river basin is the center of Tibet politically, economically and culturally. As of 1990 the population was 329,700, of whom 208,700 were farmers. 88% of the people were ethnic Tibetans. The climate

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468-631: The Qing Dynasty Amban . Following the Qing's collapse, the area once again came under possession of Sera Monastery, which established Damxung Dzong under Domê Chikyab ( mdo smad spyi khyab , "Domê Governorate"), predecessor of the modern Chamdo Prefecture . In 1956, the county was transferred to Lhasa City. In 1959, Petsang and Yangbajain merged into Damxung to form the modern Damxung County. The county has an area of 10,036 square kilometres (3,875 sq mi), with rugged topography. Damxung

507-696: The Zhikong Hydro Power Station in Maizhokunggar County began in May 2003. The reservoir is at an elevation of 12,660 feet (3,860 m) above sea level. The project cost 1.37 billion yuan. The dam impounds 225,000,000 cubic metres (7.9 × 10  cu ft) of water. The 100 MW power station came into operation in September 2007. The Pondo Water-Control Project dammed the Lhasa River in Lhünzhub County . Work started in 2008, and progressed on schedule. It

546-426: The Lhasa River. The Liuwu Bridge was constructed across the Lhasa River to link central Lhasa to Lhasa railway station on the south bank. The 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) bridge was completed in 2007. In 2010 there was a small hydroelectric power station. Prior to 2011, waste water from Lhasa was discharged untreated into the river. A waste water treatment plant designed to process 50,000 tons of sewage per day

585-567: The Norbulingka from inundations by the Lhasa River, which was 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide after the monsoon. Harrer directed a work crew of 500 soldiers and 1,000 laborers paid by the government of Tibet. A fleet of 40 Yak skin boats were used to carry granite blocks extracted from a quarry upstream of the Norbulingka. Harrer mentions some difficulties. The Tibetans did not work as hard as westerners, and would stop to help worms when they found them. There were several hundred women working on

624-653: The Peng Po Northern Irrigation canal project would be started that year. Lhasa River The Lhasa River , also called Kyi Chu ( Tibetan : སྐྱིད་ཆུ་ , Wylie : sKyid chu , Chinese : 拉薩河 ; pinyin : Lāsà hé ), is a northern tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The Yarlung Tsangpo is the upper section of the Brahmaputra River . The Lhasa River

663-558: The Pengbo basin was very high, particularly during the growing season from March to May, and was expected to become worse. The report recommended building a canal from Zhikong, running along the right bank of the Lhasa River for 105 kilometres (65 mi) to transfer water to the Pengbo basin for irrigation of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres). In 2013 a spokesman for the Lhasa City Water Conservancy Bureau said

702-734: The Phak Chu, the Phongdolha Chu which flows from Damxung County and the Reting Tsangpo , which rises beyond the Reting Monastery . The highest tributary rises at around 5,290 metres (17,360 ft) on the southern slope of the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains . In its upper reaches the river flows southeast through a deep valley. Lower down the river valley is flatter and changes its direction to

741-467: The Tibetan language. The Damxung steppe was gifted by the 5th Dalai Lama to Güshi Khan during the latter's reign. A number of Mongol cavalry soldiers settled down in the area, who became known as Mongol Eight Banners of Dam. After Güshi Khan's death in 1679, the area was possessed by Ngakpa Tratsang of Sera Monastery . From 1715 to 1912, the former Mongol Eight Banners land was directly administered by

780-594: The black-necked cranes. In 1996 there were about 4,000 of the birds, most of whom spent their winters in the valleys of the Nyanga , Lhasa and Pengbo rivers and the middle reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo . The river basin contains 14,924 hectares (36,880 acres) of farmland, of which 9,333 hectares (23,060 acres) could be irrigated. The Pengbo Basin receives less than 400 millimetres (16 in) of precipitation annually. A 1995 report concluded that water deficiency in

819-786: The city of Lhasa to the south. The transmission line follows the Duilong River south through Doilungdêqên District . Yangbajain Geothermal Field is currently the largest proven geothermal field of its nature in China. There is a gypsum mine with reserves of 100 million tons in Uma township. Other mineral resources include aluminum, tin, lead, zinc and copper. Kangmar Monastery (康玛寺) is in Chonggar Village, Gungtang Township, Damxung County, 16 kilometres (10 mi) from

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858-400: The clear and cool water. The cool temperatures, with the upstream reaches above 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) freezing over at times, has the effect of delaying growth of fish such as Oxygymnocypris stewartii . The Tibetan plateau has thin air and clouds, which combined with the clear water gives strong illumination from a full moon. This may affect the fishes' circadian rhythm. In 2009 it

897-628: The coldest months of winter the temperature is above freezing on sunny days. A visitor described the valley around Lhasa in 1889 as follows, The plain over which we are riding is a wonderfully fruitful one. It is skirted on the south by the Kyi river, and is watered, moreover, by another smaller stream from the north, which flows into the Kyi ... some five miles west of Lhasa. All this land is carefully irrigated by means of dikes and cross-channels from both rivers. Fields of buckwheat, barley, pea, rape, and lindseed lie in orderly series everywhere. The meadows near

936-714: The county seat. The monastery belonged to the Gelug sect, and was administered by the Hardongkangcun of the Tantric School of Sera Monastery . As of 2003 it had 62 monks and was the largest monastery in Damxung. It was said to have been built by a monk from Kangma in Garze Prefecture . The meditation room has 1,213 carved stone reliefs of Buddha, mostly about 20 by 30 centimetres (8 by 12 in). They are about three hundred years old. The temple stands on

975-435: The extreme northeast of the county, Namtso lake has an area of 1,920 square kilometres (740 sq mi), of which 45% lies in Damxung county. Namtso is one of the great lakes of the Tibetan plateau. The Nyenchen Tanglha (or Nyainqentanglha) mountains extend along the northwest of the county. Mount Nyenchen Tanglha is the highest peak in the region, at 7,111 metres (23,330 ft). The Nyainqêntanglha mountains define

1014-458: The grasslands of northern Tibet, were killed at this place and the towers were built to commemorate them. Another says that the eight generals of the Mongol army were killed here. This may be more plausible, since the names seem to have Mongol origins. Namtso lake is the second-largest salt lake in China. It has vivid turquoise-blue waters and is set in spectacular scenery. The Tashi Dor Monastery

1053-448: The herds other than horses included 224,600 sheep (42.55%), 179,600 yak (34.02%), 116,900 goats (22.14%). The Qinghai-Tibet Highway ( China National Highway 109 ) runs from east to west across the county. Damxung railway station links the county to the city of Lhasa to the south. There is a large geothermal field at Yangbajain . This is harnessed by generating units that deliver 25,180 kW, or 100 million kilowatt hours annually, to

1092-613: The right tributary of the Lhasa River, the Ti, which enters the river a few miles below Lhasa, was crossed by a very large and imposing bridge over a hundred yards long, with masonry piers and substantial stone embankments. McGovern also described the Yutok-sampa, or Turquoise Bridge, a structure with walls and a roof that crossed what had been the main Lhasa River but was now a stagnant canal. As late as 1984 kowas , yak hide boats similar to coracles, were being used to ferry passengers across

1131-633: The river basin. A 2013 report said that although the Lhasa Municipal Forestry Bureau was undertaking an extensive afforestation program, half of the seedlings planted along the Peng Po river died in the dry season due to sandy soil and lack of water. The valley is home to black-necked cranes , who spend their nights on Hutoushan Reservoir during the winter, foraging in the farmland in the day. A protected area of 96.8 square kilometres (37.4 sq mi) has been established for

1170-418: The river has low water, and sometimes freezes. Total flow is about 4 cubic kilometres (0.96 cu mi), with average flow about 125 cubic metres per second (4,400 cu ft/s). The Lhasa River has mean monthly water temperatures that range from about 1 to 14 °C (34 to 57 °F). Average water temperatures are 7.5 °C (45.5 °F). There are abundant species of fish that are adapted to

1209-584: The river stream was completed in October 2011. The project was due to start operating its first generator in October 2013. The project involved a total investment of 4.569 billion yuan, or about 0.74 billion US dollars, and has been called the "Tibetan Three Gorges". It was built as part of the Western Development Strategy. The dam also supports flood prevention and water supply. Damxung County Damxung means "select pasture" in

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1248-434: The site. The soldiers did not fail to make jokes with them, to which they responded promptly. The site was often visited by members of the Tibetan government, who would give out silk scarves, and rewards were distributed to the workers. The total hydropower potential of the river basin is 2,560,000 kW. 83 medium and small hydroelectric plants had been built by 1989, delivering a total of 26,124 kW. Construction of

1287-584: The southwest, The river expands to a width of 150 to 200 metres (490 to 660 ft). Major tributaries in the lower reaches include the Pengbo River and the Duilong River . At its mouth the Lhasa Valley is about 3 miles (4.8 km) wide. It enters the Tsangpo at a point where that river makes a sharp turn to the south, and which therefore seems to be a continuation of the Lhasa River. The river

1326-522: The water display the richest emerald-green pasturage. Groves of poplar and willow, in shapely clumps, combine with the grassy stretches to give in places a parklike appearance to the scene. Several hamlets and villages, such as Cheri, Daru, and Shing Dongkhar, are dotted over these lands. A fertile plain truly for a besieging army! William Montgomery McGovern wrote in To Lhasa in Disguise (1924) that

1365-463: The watershed between northern and southern Tibet. A valley with elevation of about 4,200 metres (13,800 ft) runs parallel to the mountains to their southeast, sloping from northwest to southeast. 30% of the county's total area is in the prairie of this valley. Damxung is cold and dry in the winter, cool and wet in summer, with very variable weather. The average annual temperature is 1.3 °C (34.3 °F), with only 62 frost-free days. The land

1404-434: Was 36,607 and the urban population 2,562. As of 2009 there were 37 primary and secondary school buildings. There were seven hospitals, including a county hospital, with a total of 40 beds and 161 medical personnel. Natural grasslands cover 693,171 hectares (1,712,860 acres), of which 68% is considered excellent. Almost all the people are engaged in rearing livestock, including yaks , sheep , goats and horses . In 1999

1443-681: Was built on the left bank in 1409, about 35 miles (56 km) upstream from Lhasa. In 1416 the monastery of Chödra Chenpo Penden Drepung was built on the right bank near to the Neudzong fortress. The ruins of the Sne'u rdzong fortress are on the left bank of the river, opposite the Norbulingka summer palace of the Dalai Lamas in Lhasa. The climate in the central river valleys of Tibet is comparatively mild. They are warm in summer, and even in

1482-576: Was commissioned in July 2011. Before the Annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China , the agricultural engineer Peter Aufschnaiter designed a dam on the Lhasa River to protect the palace of Norbulingka in the city of Lhasa from flooding, with a water supply canal to the city. Heinrich Harrer monitored the work. In 1948 Heinrich Harrer had to intervene to reinforce a dyke that protected

1521-464: Was reported that fish caught in the lower reaches of the river had been decreasing slightly in size, probably due to increasing demand and construction of hydroelectric dams. The river valley is one of the main agricultural areas of Tibet. The city of Lhasa lies on its shore, and there are many Buddhist monasteries in the valley. Riwo Ganden Nampar Gyelpé Ling, the first fortress of the Gelukpa sect,

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