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The Mekong, called the Lancang in China, flows at the bottom of a gorge in northern Yunnan between dry slopes; a white chorten stands above the bank

Photo by Michael Woodhead on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

The source of the Mekong: where the river begins, on the Tibetan Plateau

The Mekong begins in China, more than 5,000 meters up on the Tibetan Plateau. It then runs south through deep gorges to Yunnan, before reaching Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and the sea, in Vietnam.

By Pierre-Marie Coupry · updated · sources

Where does the Mekong River start?

The Mekong starts on the Tibetan Plateau, in China's Qinghai province, at 5,224 meters. A Chinese Academy of Sciences expedition located it in 2007 at the Lasagongma spring, on Mount Guozongmucha, in Zadoi County.

It is not the only proposed source: several streams on the plateau claim the title, and the one you pick changes the river's length. That's why sources give either 4,909 km or 4,350 km.

The stream first carries the Tibetan name Dza Chu. At Qamdo, it receives a tributary and becomes the Lancang, its Chinese name. It then runs south through deep gorges, side by side with the Salween and the Yangtze: the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

After Jinghong, in Xishuangbanna, it leaves China and forms the border between Myanmar and Laos down to the Golden Triangle. From there, it still has a little less than half of its course to run to the South China Sea, in Vietnam.

CHINAMYANMARLAOSSourceQamdoDeqinJinghongGolden TriangleLancangNatural Earth CHINAMYANMARLAOSSourceQamdoDeqinJinghongGolden TriangleLancangNatural Earth
Rounded positions. Base map: Natural Earth.

From the Tibetan Plateau to the Golden Triangle: landmarks of the upper Mekong

From upstream to downstream. Few travelers come this way: mountain roads, high altitude and few riverside towns.

  1. The Lasagongma spring

    On the Tibetan Plateau, in Qinghai, at 5,224 m. A remote area with no road to the source, inside Sanjiangyuan National Park, whose protected zones have been closed to tourism since 2023.

  2. Qamdo

    A town in eastern Tibet, where the Dza Chu receives a tributary and takes the name Lancang.

  3. Deqin and the Meili Mountains

    In northern Yunnan, the river runs at the bottom of a gorge, below the Meili Mountains.

  4. Jinghong

    The capital of Xishuangbanna, the last big Chinese town on the river.

    Our guide to Jinghong →

  5. The Golden Triangle

    Our pick

    The river has left China: here it separates Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. This is where travel on the Mekong really begins.

The Mekong's names, from source to sea

The river changes its name in almost every country.

Dza Chu

in Tibetan

The name of the stream on the plateau, from the source down to Qamdo.

Lancang

in Chinese

The river's name in China, from eastern Tibet to Yunnan.

Mae Nam Khong

in Lao and Thai

Literally “the Khong River”: this is where the name Mekong comes from.

Cuu Long

in Vietnamese

“The nine dragons,” after the mouths of the delta.

Questions about the source of the Mekong

Do the Mekong and the Yangtze start in the same place?
Almost. Both rivers begin on the Tibetan Plateau, in southern Qinghai, a few hundred kilometers apart: this is the Sanjiangyuan region, “the sources of the three rivers,” along with the Yellow River. They then run side by side through Yunnan before parting ways: the Yangtze heads east toward Shanghai, the Mekong south toward Southeast Asia.
Where does the Mekong start and end?
It starts on the Tibetan Plateau, crosses China, runs along Myanmar and Thailand, crosses Laos and Cambodia, and ends in the South China Sea through the delta, in Vietnam.
What is the Mekong called in China?
The Lancang. On the Tibetan Plateau, upstream of Qamdo, the stream carries the Tibetan name Dza Chu.
How long is the Mekong River?
4,909 km according to Liu et al. (2009), measured from the Lasagongma spring. The Mekong River Commission uses 4,350 km. The gap comes from the choice of source and the measuring method.
Can you visit the source of the Mekong?
Not as a tourist. Since 2023, the protected zones of Sanjiangyuan National Park, where the source lies, have been closed to tourism, expeditions and hiking; only authorized researchers may enter. Yushu Prefecture, farther down, needs no special permit, but local police sometimes close areas without notice. US citizens using the 240-hour visa-free transit can't go at all: it excludes Qinghai.

Sources: Liu et al. (2009) for the source and length; Mekong River Commission; UNESCO (Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan); access, Sanjiangyuan National Park administration (May 2023) and China's 240-hour transit rules; river course and borders, Natural Earth. Updated October 11, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.