Tanggula Pass

{{Short description|Mountain pass between Qinghai and Tibet, China}}

{{Infobox mountain pass

| name = Tanggu La

| other_name = {{zh|唐古拉山口}}
Tánggǔlā Shānkǒu

| photo =Amdo, Nagqu, Tibet, China - panoramio.jpg

| photo_caption = Tanggu La marker on Qinghai–Tibet Highway

| photo_alt = 5231

| elevation = {{convert|5072|m|sp=us}} (railway)
{{convert|5,231|m|sp=us}} (road)

| elevation_ref =

| traversed = {{jct|country=CHN|G|109}}

| location = Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, China

| range = Tanggula Mountains

| map = Tibet#Qinghai#China

| label_position = top

| coords = {{coord|33.010958|91.663753|type:pass|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| topo =

}}

{{Chinese

| s = 唐古拉山口

| t = 唐古拉山口

| p = Tánggǔlā Shānkǒu

| tib = གདང་ལ

| wylie = gdang la

| zwpy = dang la

}}

The Tanggu La, Tangla Pass, or Tanggu Pass ({{zh|c=唐古拉山口}}; {{langx|bo|གདང་ལ}}{{Cite web

| title = Nagqu prefecture-level city (Tibet AR, China)

| author =

| publisher = Institute of the Estonian Language

| date = 2018-06-03

| access-date = 20 July 2020

| url = https://www.eki.ee/knab/valik/cn54na.htm

| language =

| quote = Dang La / གདང་ལ bo [bo1963s~; CN_54_1981k; CN_54_1995s:473,Tibt] o21 (54, 63 : Nagqu : Amdo) 32°52′08″N–91°54′55″E → Tanggula Shankou

}}) is a wide mountain pass in Southwest China over {{convert|5000|m|sp=us}} in elevation, used by both the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Qinghai–Tibet Railway to cross the Tanggula Mountains. These mountains on the Tibetan Plateau separate the Tibet Autonomous Region from the Qinghai province, and also form part of the watershed separating the Yangtze River to the north from a zone of endorheic basins with internal drainage to the south.

File:Pingo in Tibet near Tanggula pass.jpg in Tibet near Tanggula pass]]

The Qinghai–Tibet Highway reaches its highest elevation of {{convert|5231|m|sp=us}} in the Tanggu Pass at {{coord|32|52|24|N|91|55|03|E}}. On August 24, 2005, rail track for the Qinghai–Tibet Railway was completed {{convert|28|km|sp=us}} to the WNW of the highway, reaching {{convert|5072|m|sp=us}} at {{coord|33|00|38|N|91|39|51|E}}. The Tanggula railway station 1 km from this summit is the world's highest at {{convert|5068|m|sp=us}}, {{convert|255|m|sp=us}} higher than that of Ticlio, Peru.{{cite web|work=Xinhua News Agency |date=August 24, 2005|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/24/content_3397297.htm |title=New height of world's railway born in Tibet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050913000430/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/24/content_3397297.htm |archive-date=2005-09-13 }}

The Qinghai–Tibet railway connects the provincial capitals of Xining to Lhasa. The {{convert|1,080|km|mi|adj=on|sp=us}}-long section from Golmud to Lhasa was opened on July 1, 2006. The rail cars are equipped with personal oxygen supplies to prevent altitude sickness.