The bacterial diversity and abundance in snow of the summit (8201 m) of Cho Oyu mountain, Tibet, were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing followed by scanning electronic microscopy analysis. Most of bacteria were found to be of spherical or oval shape (>95%). Bacterial 16S rDNA sequences were classified into 5 genera (Caulobacter, Ralstonia, Cupriavidus, Pelomonas and Pseudomonas). Gammaproteobacteria were the most abundant (91.25%) among the library that consists of 594 clones. The sequences found in this study are highly similar to those previously retrieved from other cold environments, such as ice core, sea ice, permafrost and snow. The results showed that the cold and barren environments strongly influence the survival of bacteria. The high similarity among sequences retrieved from snow sample and other places, such as ocean, soil and water, suggested that the bacteria in snow, soil and water environments have the same origin.