Get to know Bomê County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Nyingchi
- Chinese name
- 波密县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 16,072.00 km²
- Population · 2020
- 34,858
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The land is high in the north and lower in the south, with the valleys of the Parlung Tsangpo (帕龙藏布) and the Yigong Tsangpo (易贡藏布) running through the middle. The county government counts more than 80 moraine lakes; Yigong Lake (易贡湖), 22 square km and formed in 1900, heads the county's list of more than 50 freshwater lakes in eastern Tibet. Warm, moist air from the Indian Ocean reaches up the Parlung valley, so land below about 2,700 m has a subtropical climate, and the county records 977 mm of rain a year.
History
Bomê is the Tibetan for "ancestors", and the county government names it as the birthplace of Nyatri Tsenpo (聂赤赞普), the first Tibetan king. From the Tubo (吐蕃) period the region was largely semi-independent, and under the Qing it was in practice ruled by the kings of Powo (波密土王). In 1910 the last Qing Amban, Lian Yu (联豫), sent troops against them, and in 1928 the Kashag (噶厦) government drove out the king's son-in-law, bringing the area fully under the Tibetan government. The county was formed in 1960 from three dzongs (宗, Tibetan districts).
What to see
Midui Glacier (米堆冰川) lies in Yupu Township (玉普乡), about 100 km east of the county seat beside Highway 318. Two icefalls join to form it, with forest between them, and its tongue reaches down to Midui village at only about 2,400 m. The county government also lists the Gang spruce forest (岗云杉林), the Yigong National Geopark (易贡国家地质公园), the ruins of the Galang royal palace (嘎朗王宫遗址) and the Bodui peach-blossom valley (波堆桃花谷), which it says was named China's largest peach-blossom valley by the Shanghai Great World Guinness headquarters.
Food and local products
The county government names Bomê gastrodia (波密天麻), a medicinal tuber, and matsutake mushrooms (松茸) as products well known inside and outside Tibet. Yigong Tibetan knives (易贡藏刀) have a history of nearly 400 years; they are forged from a combination of three local irons, and other iron cannot be used for them.
Highlights
- Midui Glacier 米堆冰川: Formed by two icefalls, its tongue reaching Midui village at about 2,400 m, beside Highway 318.
- Yigong Lake 易贡湖: Lake of 22 square km, formed in 1900.
- Gang spruce forest 岗云杉林: Listed by the county government among its main scenic areas.
- Bodui peach-blossom valley 波堆桃花谷: Named China's largest peach-blossom valley by the Shanghai Great World Guinness headquarters, the county says.
- Yigong Tibetan knives 易贡藏刀: Forged from three local irons, with nearly 400 years of history.
Sources for this guide
波密县 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
米堆冰川 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
波密县简介 · Bomê County People's Government
波密县自然地理 · Bomê County People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Entry & permits for Tibet (Xizang)
Foreign tourists need Tibet entry approval, commonly called a Tibet Travel Permit, and an organised visit arranged through a specialist travel agency in China. Confirm your approved route before booking transport. Requirements differ for Taiwan residents and for travellers using mainland or Hong Kong/Macao Chinese resident documents; check the document guide before you book.
Check the travel-document requirements →Policy scope verified: 2026-09-06. UK FCDO: China regional travel advice ↗ State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Tibet entry approval ↗ Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism: Medog border permit notice ↗
Explore Bomê County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Bomê County
Gangxiang and Bomi Peach Blossom Valleys · 岗乡桃花与波密桃花沟Gangxiang and Bomi Peach Blossom Valleys岗乡桃花与波密桃花沟
The Bomi peach blossom gully (波密桃花沟) is a valley of wild peach blossom in Bomê County, Nyingchi, Tibet, which the county government places in 倾多镇 and describes as China's largest and longest peach blossom valley. The catalogue's other half, 岗乡桃花, points to the blossom around the 岗云杉林 spruce forest, which the same county government names 波密岗乡云杉林.
Read the place guide →
Midui Glacier descending toward the valley near Midui village, Bomi County · 西藏波密县米堆冰川，冰舌延伸至米堆村附近山谷 Source-recorded photograph date: 22 May 2010 (original upload date).Midui Glacier米堆冰川
Midui’s icefalls descend into a landscape of mixed forest, fields and village life in Bomi’s Yupu area. The contrast is its defining feature: high ice and steep rock sit above a green valley rather than an empty polar-looking…
Read the place guide →
Guxiang Lake · 古乡湖Guxiang Lake古乡湖
Guxiang Lake (古乡湖) is a freshwater barrier lake in 古乡, Bomê County, Nyingchi, Tibet, which the Economic Daily's China Economic Net places more than 30 kilometres west of the county seat and says was formed when a huge debris flow blocked the Parlung Tsangpo in 1953.
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Bomê County is about 140 km in a straight line from central Nyingchi. Search for 波密县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Gangxiang and Bomi Peach Blossom Valleys and Midui Glacier are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Nyingchi →More in Nyingchi
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 波密县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 米堆冰川 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Gangxiang and Bomi Peach Blossom Valleys · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Midui Glacier · 牛糞 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Guxiang Lake · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
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