Tangjiahe is located in the transition zone from the northwest Sichuan plateau to the Sichuan Basin, a region of high mountains and gorges. Tangjige's unique geomorphic features attracted the attention of Zhang Wenjing, a renowned glacier geologist in China. In 2016, after five days of scientific exploration and investigation, Zhang and experts of the China Association for Scientific Expedition discovered traces of Quaternary paleoglaciers at Motianling, the highest peak in Tangjiahe.