National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Province | Tibet |
| Location | Border of Tibet and Nepal, Himalaya; Tingri |
| Latitude, longitude | 28.1, 86.8 Google Maps |
| Highlights | The highest mountain in the world; plateau glaciers |
| Top sights | Rongbuk Monastery, Everest base camp |
| Wildlife | Snow leopard, black leopard, leopard, Assam macaque, Tibetan antelope |
| Elevation | 5,200 m |
| Highest point | 8,844 m |
| Nearby cities | Tashilhunpo Monastery, Lhasa, Gyantse |
| Nearby sites | Shishapangma, Tashilhunpo Monastery, The Potala Palace, Lhasa, Namtso and the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains, Yarlung River |
| Themes | Mountains, Snow mountains, Famous mountains, Peaks, Glaciers, Plateaus, Buddhism, Stamps, Banknotes & coins, Mysteries |
About
Qomolangma (Everest), the highest mountain in the world at 8,844 m, stands on the border of Tibet and Nepal.
On 29 May 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent; on 25 May 1960 a Chinese team made the first ascent from the north face.
Travel information
Getting there: from Shigatse to Tingri, or from Nepal via the Zhangmu border to Tingri, then to base camp; roads are poor and need a good four-wheel drive.
Tickets (2005 prices): bought in the Tingri county town, 500 yuan per vehicle plus about 60 yuan per person; at the Rongbuk valley change to the local “eco-bus”, 80 yuan, to Rongbuk Monastery; from the monastery to base camp by donkey cart, 20 yuan, or on foot.
Qomolangma Nature Reserve
The reserve was founded in 1988, raised to national status in April 1994 and joined the world network of biosphere reserves in 2004. A wetland project worth over 14 million yuan planned to fence off over 5,900 hectares and restore 4,400 hectares of wetland in 2008, with ecological, weather, hydrological and bird monitoring stations. Preliminary counts give over 2,300 higher plants and over 270 animals, 33 under national protection, including the snow leopard, black leopard, leopard and Assam macaque.
Stamps and banknotes
The back of the 10-yuan note of the fourth series of renminbi (1988) shows Everest.
The 13th stamp of the 1981 definitive set R21 “Scenery of the Motherland” shows Everest.
The third stamp of the 1965 set S70 “Mountaineering in China” shows the ascent of Everest.
In 1975 a set of three stamps marked the Chinese team’s second ascent.
News
On 8 May 2008 the Olympic torch reached the summit of Everest.