Lake Namtso

Lake Namtso in Nagqu Prefecture is the second largest salt water lake in China. It is 4718 meters above the sea level and covers an area of 1920 square kilometers. It is more than 70 kilometers long from the east to the west and is more than 30 kilometers wide from the south to the north. It is 33 kilometers at its deepest. Lake Namtso impounds 76.8 billion cubic meters of water. It is the highest large lake in the world. Namtso means Sky Lake in Tibetan.

Lake Namtso - Brief Introduction

Lake Namtso is located between Damxung County (Lhasa) and Baigion County (Nagqu Prefecture). It is about 240 kilometers away from the main peak of Nyainqentanglha Mountains. It is the largest salt water lake in Tibet and the second largest salt water lake in China (it was the third largest salt water lake in China before 1970s before the Lop Nor Lake dried up).

The formation and development of Lake Namtso are controlled by the geologic structure. It was formed by the hollow of Himalayan movement. There are also traces of the glaciations. The water in the lake keeps shrinking; there are several lake shorelines of the ancient lakes. The highest lake shoreline is 80 meters away from the lake.

The snow-capped Nyainqentanglha Mountains is located in the south of Lake Namtso. There are plateaus and hills in the north and west of the lake. The grand lakeside is of fertile soil and green grassland. There are abundant fish resources in the lake and rich wild animal resources at the lake basin. The Lake Namtso and the mountains around it form an amazing picture.

Lake Namtso - Religious Significance

Lake Namtso means Sky Lake in Tibetan since it likes the sky falls on the earth according to historical records. There is also another version said that it got its name since it enjoys a high altitude. Lake Namtso is a famous holy land of Tibetan Buddhism.

At late 20th century, numerous eminent Buddhists practiced and studied the Buddhism at Lake Namtso. They created the tradition - circling Lake Namtso in the Year of the Sheep along pilgrim path. People believe that circling the Lake Namtso to pray for happiness in the year of the Sheep according to the Tibetan calendar would be much more effective.

A lot of devout Buddhists from Tibet and other parts of China would come to Lake Namtso in the Year of Sheep. The lake circling activity would reach its climax on April 15 according to the Tibetan calendar. There are numerous Marni heaps around Lake Namtso. The Buddhists would pile up a little stone in the heap when they pass here. As a holy lake, Lake Namtso keeps attracting Buddhists from all over the country.

Lake Namtso - Scenic Spots

There are three main scenic spots at Lake Namtso Scenic Area.

Gate God of Lake Namtso

The Greeting Rock which was known as the Gate God of Lake Namtso. It is said that Lake Namtso is a Goddess. She is in charge of the wealth of the grasslands in northern Tibet. The businessmen would come to worship the Gate God before they go out for business. People could worship Lake Namtso after they got the permission of the Gate God. Businessmen pray for the booming of their business through this way.

Parents Rock

Parents Rock is said to be the incarnation of the man - Nyainqentanglha Mountain and the woman -Lake Namtso. It symbols the faithful love. The Parents Rock also called Clap Hands Rock, it is said to be the incarnation of Master Padmasambhava when he pray for the human beings.

Good and Evil Cave

The Tibetan Buddhism holds that the God is always supervising all the people, so both the goods and the evils are in the eyes of the God. Just like pass through the Good and Evil Cave, you must walk straightly and uprightly or you can't go through it. The cave is just an alarm bell for people. It keeps remind people keeping the self-examination in mind.