Shuanghu county, located 5,000 meters above sea level in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, suffers from strong winds 200 days a year. With a year-round temperature averaging -5 C, Shuanghu is home to the world's third largest glacier, the Purog Kangri. Occasionally, the temperature here drops to -40 C.
The county, about 120,000 square kilometers in area, lies in the middle of the Qiangtang National Nature Reserve. The name "Shuanghu" means "two lakes." But the county has many lakes within its boundary.
When visiting Shuanghu in winter, you can treat yourself to one of nature's most attractive scenes: the sun casting its rays upon frozen lakes and wild animals such as kiangs, Tibetan antelopes and yaks wandering on meadows at the foot of snow mountains, unfazed by the odd vehicle passing by.
