The Yalong River (Chinese: 雅砻河; Tibetan: ཡ་ལུང་གཙང་པོ་), a major tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo, flows through southern Tibet's Shannan Prefecture.
Spanning approximately 400 km, it originates near the sacred Mount Yarlha Shampo and merges with the Yarlung Tsangpo near Tsetang, the cultural heartland of Tibet.
[1][2] The river sustains biodiverse wetlands and alpine meadows, hosting rare species such as the black-necked crane and Tibetan antelope.
Its middle reaches feature fertile valleys irrigated by glacial meltwater, supporting endemic fish species like Schizothorax waltoni.
It is home to Tibet's first monastery, Samye (8th century CE), and the ancient capital of Yumbulagang, a 2,000-year-old fortress linked to the reign of the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo.