Photo captures the breathtaking Midui Glacier in Bomi county, Nyingchi city, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tsering Norbu)

March 21, 2025, marked the first World Glacier Day. The Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China, which encompasses much of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is home to roughly half of China's glaciers. The region is often called the "water tower of China" and the "water tower of Asia" due to its significant role in supplying water.