<p>Catastrophic large-scale landslides frequently occur in the Himalayan region, causing significant damage to infrastructure and loss of life. However, studies on the occurrence of such landslides are limited, and the main factors controlling their spatial and size distributions are unclear, which greatly restrict disaster prevention. In this study, a new and detailed inventory of large-scale landslides in the Chinese Himalayas is conducted through artificial interpretation of remote sensing imagery and field surveys, with 794 landslides having volumes ≥ 10⁶ m³ identified. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the spatial and size distributions of landslides under the control of 7 key geomorphic and geologic factors is carried out. Our observations indicate that large-scale landslides display clustering characteristics with four high-kernel-density areas. The distribution of landslides is related primarily to specific lithological units, which consist of thick hard sedimentary rocks and Neoproterozoic-Cambrian gneiss. Additional preferred controls on the landslide distribution are distances to faults and rivers, with slope being the third dominant factor and the preferred slope being 30–40°. Glaciers appear largely to influence the volumes of landslides by intensively fracturing their bedrock, resulting in a more concentrated distribution of slope angles and volumes for the glacial affected landslides than for nonglacial affected landslides. The contributions of elevation and aspect to the occurrence of large-scale landslides are minor. Focusing on large-scale landslides in the Himalayan region of China, a new and systematic analysis of their complex spatial and size distributions is conducted, with new insights into the possible geomorphic and geologic controls on them being reached. With this study, we hope to provide more insights for future geological hazard assessments and management strategies.</p>