Highest Major Cities in China

Cities in China with more than 15,000 inhabitants, ranked by elevation above sea level (GeoNames digital elevation model).

📅 2026📏 metres50 entries🇨🇳 See all of this country’s rankings →

All entries · 50

2,500 metres3,000 metres3,500 metres4,000 metres4,500 metres

Every dot is one entry, placed by its value (metres); the vertical bar marks each row’s median.

Nagqu30,000 people · Tibet

4,512 m

Gengqing88,542 people · Sichuan

4,507 m

Damxung47,900 people · Tibet

4,286 m

Gar24,910 people · Tibet

4,278 m

Dêqên62,400 people · Tibet

3,974 m

Luobuqiongzi42,551 people · Tibet

3,970 m

Rikaze80,000 people · Tibet

3,847 m

Nyêmo29,989 people · Tibet

3,837 m

Maizhokunggar49,511 people · Tibet

3,818 m

Lhünzhub50,596 people · Tibet

3,775 m

Daocheng31,113 people · Jiangsu

3,756 m

Maqin County59,900 people · Qinghai

3,727 m

Dagzê32,318 people · Tibet

3,693 m

Yushu141,308 people · Qinghai

3,688 m

Doilungdêqên137,451 people · Tibet

3,664 m

Chéngguān Qū478,275 people · Tibet

3,657 m

Lhasa867,900 people · Tibet

3,651 m

Quxu41,851 people · Tibet

3,599 m

Lhoka353,700 people · Tibet

3,560 m

Nima17,820 people · Gansu

3,480 m

Shangri-La186,400 people · Yunnan

3,283 m

Qamdo86,280 people · Tibet

3,235 m

Mangnai Zhen18,856 people · Qinghai

3,193 m

Dongchuan17,982 people · Qinghai

3,067 m

Bayi21,400 people · Tibet

2,995 m

Shangpa30,129 people · Yunnan

2,984 m

Huatugou27,000 people · Qinghai

2,976 m

Nyingchi200,000 people · Tibet

2,970 m

Qingshizui28,561 people · Qinghai

2,940 m

Labuleng22,970 people · Gansu

2,926 m

Hezuo59,148 people · Gansu

2,898 m

Haomen36,515 people · Qinghai

2,865 m

Qabqa46,907 people · Qinghai

2,839 m

Kangding100,000 people · Sichuan

2,826 m

Quankou18,308 people · Qinghai

2,807 m

Guōlèmùdé31,941 people · Qinghai

2,804 m

Yongning20,852 people · Yunnan

2,770 m

Lintan Chengguanzhen23,035 people · Gansu

2,762 m

Xincheng20,535 people · Gansu

2,760 m

Qilian25,603 people · Qinghai

2,758 m

Lushar67,153 people · Qinghai

2,738 m

Zhanhe23,854 people · Yunnan

2,648 m

Xinyingpan21,008 people · Yunnan

2,644 m

Barkam58,390 people · Sichuan

2,621 m

Liulin17,731 people · Gansu

2,539 m

Yongbei60,099 people · Yunnan

2,537 m

Jinding53,667 people · Yunnan

2,511 m

Tongren103,700 people · Qinghai

2,506 m

Dianga15,993 people · Gansu

2,499 m

Jiuhe23,680 people · Yunnan

2,490 m

Highlights

Within China, Nagqu ranks first in 2026 with 4,512 m, followed by Gengqing (4,507 m) and Damxung (4,286 m).

The top two are virtually level: Nagqu and Gengqing differ by less than 1%.

Across 50 entries, values run from 4,512 m (Nagqu) to 2,490 m (Jiuhe), with a median of 2,990 m.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2026. Unit: metres.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants · CC BY 4.0 (GeoNames) · fetched Oct 17, 2026 — Elevation is the GeoNames digital elevation model value at the populated place coordinates; population figures are shown for context.

Ranking

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Highlights

Within China, Nagqu ranks first in 2026 with 4,512 m, followed by Gengqing (4,507 m) and Damxung (4,286 m).

The top two are virtually level: Nagqu and Gengqing differ by less than 1%.

Across 50 entries, values run from 4,512 m (Nagqu) to 2,490 m (Jiuhe), with a median of 2,990 m.

Source: GeoNames, cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2026. Unit: metres.