Compared with Lhasa, Shannan has a higher altitude. The average altitude of Shannan is 3700 meters, and that of Lhasa is 3650 meters. Therefore, the altitude of Shannan is higher than that of Lhasa.
Shannan is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the middle and lower reaches of the main stream of the Yarlung Zangbo River from Gangdise Mountain to Nyainqentanglha Mountain in the south. It borders the capital of Tibet, Lhasa in the north, Shigatse in the west, Nyingchi in the east, and India and Bhutan in the south. Shannan has a border line of more than 600 kilometers long, which has a very important strategic position. It is the southwest border of China.
Lhasa is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the political, economic, cultural and religious center of Tibet, and also the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa is located in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau and north of the Himalayas. It is located in the valley plain in the middle reaches of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, through which the Lhasa River flows into the Yarlung Zangbo River in the southern suburbs.