Located in the northeastern part of China's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and on the border of Qinghai Province, Tanggula Mountains, meaning "mountain in highland" in Tibetan language, has an average height of 6,000 meters.

The Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway cross the Tanggula Mountain Pass. This is the highest point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and the highest point of any railway in the world, at 5,072 metres (16,640 feet) above sea level.

The Tanggula Mountain Railway Station has three station tracks. It is a comprehensive railway station for both passenger transport and freight transport.The waiting room of Tanggula Mountain Railway Station is equipped with large oxygen generation equipments.

On account of the snow and occasional road accidents, highway closures and concomitant traffic delays are common.