90 kilometers west of Lhasa in Damxung County is the location of the Yangbajain thermal vents, spanning a total surface area of 7000 sq.m. Amidst the snow-covered mountains, sits this steaming basin that works day and night. Put eggs in the splashing boiling water, they will be ready in just a few minutes.

In the past, Tibet was dependent on hydropower. However, when the dry season comes, power outages became a frequent problem. Because thermal power generation costs too high, in 1974, the government decided to develop and utilize the geothermal resources in Yangbajain, with a total of 200 million yuan funded all together.

In 1975, Tibet’s Third Geological Taskforce drilled the country’s first hot water steam well in Yangbajain. In the following year, the country’s first megawatt geothermal powered electricity generator successfully began operating in Yangbajain’s geothermal power plant.

Currently, Tibet’s Yangbajain geothermal power plant is not only the largest and longest running geothermal plant in the country, but also the highest around the world.