Background: Yushu Autonomous prefecture profile

Here's a closer look at Yushu Tibetan Autonomous prefecture in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

It covers a total area of 26 square kilometers, with a population of over 250 thousand people. The prefecture's capital is Gyegu. Tibetans make up ninety-seven percent of the total population.

The majority of the population are Tibetan Buddhists. Yushu is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and most of it is over four-thousand meters above sea level.

It has a cold, high altitude climate with an annual average temperature of below zero. Most people are engaged in agriculture and it is dependent on highway transportation for access.