Litang is located at an altitude of 4,020 meters. It is about 400 meters higher than Lhasa, making it one of the highest towns in the world.
At higher altitudes, the sun rays are not filtered as well by the atmosphere, resulting in a much higher light intensity and UV level. The cooler temperatures caused by the high altitude, combined with increased UV level are potentially dangerous for severe sunburn. Most of the children in Litang and on the Tibetan plateau suffer from sunburn and have very dark red cheeks.
