Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash lies in the Ngari region of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China, within the Kailash Range. Its sharply defined, pyramid-like profile rises above a high-altitude landscape shaped by mountain building, glaciers and running water. Lake Manasarovar lies to its south, across a region that also includes other peaks, lakes, wetlands and grasslands. UNESCO's Tentative List describes the sacred-mountains-and-lakes landscape as a connected natural and cultural area.

Mount Kailash is revered in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bon, though the traditions attach different stories and meanings to it. In Hindu traditions it is associated with Shiva; Buddhist traditions connect the mountain with sacred geography and religious narratives; Jain traditions associate it with liberation; and Bon regards it as an important sacred mountain. These beliefs make Kailash significant to communities far beyond the immediate region.

Pilgrims undertake a circumambulation of the mountain, a practice described in Tibetan as kora. The UNESCO Tentative List account describes circumambulation of the mountain and nearby lake as an integral part of the cultural landscape and gives an approximate 52-kilometre route. The tentative-list nomination is not the same as inscription on the World Heritage List: it records a proposal submitted by China in 2017. Respect for local religious practices and the fragile high-altitude environment are important considerations in the region.