The AFP reports that the new facility will be built in the Nagqu prefecture, at 14,554 feet (4,436 meters) above sea level—335 feet (102 meters) higher than the current record holder, which is also in Tibet. Nagqu, Tibet’s biggest prefecture, sits near the middle of the Tibet-Qinghai plateau and is home to a mostly ethnic Tibetan population of about 400,000, according to the Xinhua news agency. The airport, to be located about 140 miles (230 kilometers) north of the capital Lhasa, will be the sixth in Tibet, which has been ruled by China for almost six decades.

While on the surface this could be cool for travelers, critics argue the new airport, as well as the recently completed railway, allow China’s ethnic Han majority to more easily flood Tibet, exploit its resources, and consolidate political control. China argues it is helping raise the standard of living in the region.

Meanwhile, adventure travelers continue to trek–or in some cases kayak–their way through the mystical region:

Tibet Kayak Mission from Kayak TV on Vimeo.