Laigu Glacier
The Laigu Glacier lies beside Ranwu Lake and consists of the Meixi, Yalong, Ruojiao, Donggang, Xiongjia and Niuma glaciers, of which the Yalong Glacier is the most spectacular.…
Laigu Glacier, Qamdo · CC · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Admission
- Free
- Opening hours
- 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 08:30-18:00
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Getting there
- Take a bus running along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway from Chengdu, Lhasa, Qamdo or Nyingchi and get off at Ranwu Town, then rent a car to Laigu Village. Alternatively, take a bus to Chayu from Qamdo or Nyingchi, get off at Zongba Village and walk.
- Guidebook rating
- 3 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 618. Open in Google Maps
About Laigu Glacier
The Laigu Glacier lies beside Ranwu Lake and consists of the Meixi, Yalong, Ruojiao, Donggang, Xiongjia and Niuma glaciers, of which the Yalong Glacier is the most spectacular. From Laigu Village you can see all six of these maritime glaciers, making it one of the best places in China to view glaciers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Laigu Glacier cost?
Admission to Laigu Glacier is Free, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
What are the opening hours of Laigu Glacier?
Laigu Glacier is open 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 08:30-18:00.
How do I get to Laigu Glacier?
Take a bus running along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway from Chengdu, Lhasa, Qamdo or Nyingchi and get off at Ranwu Town, then rent a car to Laigu Village. Alternatively, take a bus to Chayu from Qamdo or Nyingchi, get off at Zongba Village and walk.
How long should I spend at Laigu Glacier?
Plan on 1 hour for Laigu Glacier.
Where is Laigu Glacier?
Laigu Glacier is in Qamdo, Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Southwest of China. Ranwu Town, Baxoi County, Qamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region
More places in Qamdo
Ranwu Lake Scenic Area
Ranwu Lake is about 25 km long and 12 km wide. The lake forms a long, narrow valley shaped like a river gorge, made up of three interconnected lakes, with a total area of 18.4 square kilometres. The lake surface sits at an altitude of over 3,800 metres. To the north of Ranwu Lake lies the famous Laigu Glacier, which extends down to the lakeshore. When the snow and ice melt, the meltwater flows into the lake, keeping its water supply abundant. Green grassland and lush crops surround the lake. Forests cover the hillsides, with belts of rhododendron and shrubs higher up in a riot of colours, and the mountaintops hold permanent snow in layered ridges. Ranwu Lake itself is a huge ancient glacial valley, shaped by glacial action over various periods. More than 200 years ago, a massive collapse sent boulders blocking the Parlung Tsangpo River, forming today's Ranwu Lake. Huge rock masses still block the lake's outlet valley.
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Bujia Snow Mountain
This is a place of breathtaking beauty. Located at the junction of Suo, Baqing and Dingqing counties, it has what is currently the densest concentration of hanging glaciers in the world. You can drive to the foot of the glaciers, making it a place where you can get up close to them.
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Zizhu Temple
Zizhu Temple is one of the oldest Bon monasteries. Bon scriptures record that the Bon founder Tonpa Shenrab came to Zizhu Mountain through miraculous transformation, blessing the mountain and making a vow there. As a result of this blessing and vow, highly accomplished masters have continually appeared on the mountain. Over 3,500 years, Zizhu Mountain produced 82 Zizhu masters (living Buddhas). Every year at the end of June, Zizhu Temple holds its annual Dharma assembly and sacred masked dances.
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Yanjing
A remarkable place that was once a key route between Tubo and Nanzhao, and is the only surviving site of traditional, hand-made sun-dried salt production along the ancient Tea Horse Road. Yanjing is also the only place in Tibet with a Catholic church and congregation. Many cultures and religions coexist harmoniously in this secluded old town.
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Qamba Ling Monastery
Qamba Ling Monastery was founded in 1444 by Xirao Songbu, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, and is the largest monastery in the Kham region. The monastery still preserves a bronze seal issued by the Qing court in 1719 to the Pabala Living Buddha. Qamba Ling has five lineages of living Buddhas and 12 dratsang (colleges). At its peak it housed more than 5,000 monks and administered 70 smaller temples in the surrounding area. The main buildings are well preserved. The assembly halls contain hundreds of Buddha and eminent monk statues, thousands of square metres of murals and many thangkas. The Guqing (古庆) sacred dance of Qamba Ling is famed across the snowy plateau for its fearsome, lifelike masks, orderly and graceful movements and grand spectacle. Qamdo Tibetan opera, which takes this monastery's religious dance as its form, has developed a distinct style that sets it apart across all of Tibet.
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Mount Dola
What makes Mount Dola mysterious is that the limestone covering the mountain is carved with Buddha images and six-syllable mantras. The sacred mountain is not very large and is traditionally divided into outer, middle and inner circuits. Climbing the main peak gives a bird's-eye view of the whole of Mount Dola. Walking the inner circuit takes no more than two hours. This is the core of the mountain and its main point of interest, where along the way you can pay respects to and admire Padmasambhava-centred Buddha images, stupas, six-syllable mantras and Tibetan prayer texts.
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