Located in eastern Tibet, the Chamdo Prefecture covers an area of 108,600 square km, neighbouring Sichuan on its east, Yunnan on its south and Qinghai in the north. 

Twenty-one ethnic groups including Tibetan, Han (Chinese), Hui, Zhuang, Naxi, Lhoba, Monba and Bai live in the area. The total population is over 550,000, of which 98.26 percent are Tibetan. 

The Chamdo Town is the center of economy, culture and transportation of Chamdo Prefecture, as well as one of the important towns in east Tibet. It covers an area of 10,652 square kilometres with a population of 77,000. The heighest altitude is 5460 metres above sea level, while the lowest altitude is 3100 metres above sea level.