Chamdo's defining geographical feature is the meeting of the Dza Chu and Ngom Chu rivers directly below the monastery promontory. The combined river becomes the upper Lancang — which, as it flows south through Yunnan and into Southeast Asia, becomes the Mekong. Standing on the riverbanks here, you are at the headwaters of one of Asia's most important rivers, a fact that gives the unremarkable-looking confluence a certain resonance.
The viewpoint from the monastery terrace above is better than any point at river level, but the banks themselves are pleasant for an early morning walk. Prayer flags strung across the water are reflected in the current below, and the old pilgrim path along the promontory base still sees a steady trickle of circumambulators throughout the day.