Published : 2025-12-23
Where is the highest village in China? There are different claims online, but what is certain is that these villages are all over 5,000 metres above sea level, with oxygen levels less than half of normal, which most people find difficult to adapt to.
AI answer: Tuiwa Village, Xizang
When talking about the highest village in China, people would probably think of Xizang (previously known as "Tibet") on the "Roof of the World". If you search for related information online, the most common answer that comes up is Tuiwa Village in Dalong Township, Nagarzê County, Shannan City, Xizang.
This answer is given not only by traditional media and online media, but also by online encyclopaedias, and even the most popular AI models nowadays.
Tuiwa Village is more than 130 kilometres southwest of Lhasa, the capital of Xizang, and has an altitude of 5,070 metres. The village has only about 150 residents, all of whom make a living by herding.
Tuiwa Village is next to Puma Yumco (lake) and is also close to the Kula Kangri Peak, with breathtakingly beautiful scenery.
However, the local oxygen level is only half of that in the lowlands, and the average annual temperature is only minus 5 degrees Celsius, which poses a severe challenge to human health.
Improving life, oxygen supply for every household
Residents say that even though they were born and raised there, they often feel dizzy and short of breath.
According to reports, because the environment was so harsh, the average life expectancy of Tuiwa Village residents used to be less than 50 years old.
To improve the living environment, the authorities built 35 new-style houses for the residents in 2024. The new houses not only have heating, but each household is also equipped with an oxygen supply system, making Tuiwa Village the first place in Xizang to achieve village-wide heating and oxygen supply.
Media reports at that time used terms like "China's highest village".
With the reputation of being China's highest village, the number of tourists visiting Tuiwa Village has gradually increased.
It is reported that 26 local households have converted their homes into guesthouses to receive tourists. Of course, those who want to travel there still need to consider the problem of high-altitude sickness.
Anywhere higher than 5,070 metres?
After all that has been mentioned, is Tuiwa Village really the highest village in China? Quite possibly not. Some people have suggested that the villages in Pumaqangtang Township, Nagarzê County, may have a slightly higher altitude than Tuiwa Village.
What is the altitude of these villages? There are many different accounts.
A report by China Daily titled "Xizang's First Extremely High-Altitude Wellness Centre for Farmers and Herdsmen Opens", mentioned that those admitted to the centre "all come from the four villages of Qabu, Shakong, Sazang, and Cuoguo in Pumaqangtang Township, which are above 5,080 metres in altitude".
In addition, some official media have mentioned that Pumaqangtang Township is the highest township-level administrative region in China, with an average altitude of 5,373 metres.
Of course, this figure is an average altitude that includes snow mountains. Sazang Village, where the township government is located, may not reach such a high altitude.
Are there villages higher than 5,080 metres? Some netizens have suggested that Songxi Village in Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, Xizang, is actually the highest village in China and even the world. The village just has not been 'hyped up' by the media so is not well known.
Songxi Village on the Xinjiang-Xizang Highway: 5,200 metres
Songxi Village is located next to the G219 Xinjiang-Xizang Highway. Any tourist tackling this road, reputed as the highest highway in the world, is bound to pass by.
At the entrance to Songxi Village, there's a stone tablet erected by the Rutog County Tourism Bureau, indicating an altitude of 5,218 metres, a figure that is very close to measurements from map software and online maps.
Having talked about the highest-altitude villages, where is China's lowest-altitude village?
There is no official statement, and the media has barely mentioned it. However, some netizens believe that it is certainly not in the coastal areas with positive altitudes, but should be sought near the lowest point in China, Ayding Lake in Turpan, Xinjiang, which lies at -154 metres.
People's Daily Online has previously reported that Zhuangzi Village, near Ayding Lake, has an altitude of -140 metres.
