Namtso is a compound Tibetan term that means "Heavenly (nam) Lake (tso)." Sitting at 4,718 meters above sea level between Damxung and Bruagn counties in northern Tibet, Namtso is the highest lake in the world. It covers an area of 1,920 square kilometers, measuring 70 kilometers long from east to west and up to 33 meters deep.

Visitors to Namtso usually pass Damxung, a county 170 kilometers from Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Located by the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Damxung enjoys convenient transportation. A 60-kilometer earth road links Damxung to the Holy Lake, and visitors need to climb over Nyagche Mountain, about 5,200 meters above sea level.

Looking into the distance from the mountain pass of Nyagche, a vast expanse of sapphire-blue water lies ahead. This is Namtso.

Lake Namtso is one of the three major holy lakes in Tibet. The other two are Yamdroktso in Langkazi County and Mapamyumtso in Ngari Prefecture.

As our car approached the lake, small ponds and herds of grazing sheep and cattle came into view. Seeing the snow-white sheep and ribbon-decorated yaks playing, running, and chasing each other freely, we suddenly realized that enjoyment was actually an easy thing.

Pure and honest herdsmen, with great curiosity, waved greetings to every car and traveler passing by. The actual lake appeared much more breathtaking than what I had seen in pictures.

Namtso is a seemingly boundless blue expanse of water. When the wind blows across the plateau, the lake water claps against the banks and the reefs, producing scattered, contemplative waves. Occasionally, waterfowl glide over the lake.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a world of sacred mountains and lakes. Tibetan Buddhism says that every mountain symbolizes a god and that every lake is home to a dragon. It is said that Lake Namtso is the guardian god of sheep, and that every Year of the Sheep on the Tibetan calendar, the lake opens its holy gate to welcome gods from far and near. So throughout the Year of Sheep, the lake is frequented by tens of thousands of pilgrims-men and women, old and young-who come by horse or on foot. Among the numerous lakes in northern Tibet, Namtso stands out for its unique landscapes and boulders, as well as the beautiful legends behind the lake.

Namtso embraces five peninsulas, the largest of which is Tashi, covering 10 square kilometers, the lake's best place for sight-seeing and its only scenic spot offering reception facilities. The Tashi Peninsula is composed of reefs, limestone caves, and towering stone columns, a rare landform on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Standing on the island, one can view the arc of the lake's horizon, and in the distance the highest peak of Nianqing Tanggula Mountain looks like a warrior armored in ice and snow. Nearly all of the mountains and lakes in Tibet are believed to be holy beings. If a mountain is set near a lake, the mountain is worshiped as a god, the lake as a goddess. Accompanied by Nianqing Tanggula Mountain, Lake Namtso is a gentle goddess. The snow-capped peaks and glaciers of Nianqing Tanggula Mountain provide an everlasting source of water to Namtso that moistens the surrounding land.

In summer, when the first rays of the sun break over the snow-capped peaks of Nianqing Tanggula, the mountain turns golden-red. White fogs rise from the lake and flows toward the mountain on the horizon. Climbing the hill in the center of the Tashi Peninsula, one can have a panoramic view of all of Namtso. In the south, a beautiful lake line links the peninsula with Nianqing Tanggula Mountain, and in the north, an enclosed body of water sets off a snow-capped mountain. As the setting sun emits fervent flames from the gaps of the clouds, it seems that the clouds and the mountains are burning along with the golden-red ripples on the lake. The entire world seems ablaze

In the corner of an extension of the Tashi Peninsula in the lake, there is a stand of colorful prayer flags, which attracts pilgrims who walk around it several times. At another corner of the peninsula, there are mysterious piles of Mani stones, viewed as an integral part of the Tibetan culture. Mostly red and gray-white, the stones are thickly engraved with scriptures. After millions of years of erosion by water, the stones have turned round and glazed. The limestone caves on the island house fantastic rock paintings of early Tibetan times, depicting Tibetan totems and scenes of hunting and fighting.

In the cold winter, Lake Namtso is thickly iced, and in May, when spring turns to summer, the melting ice blocks are pushed by water to the bank and pile up as an icy wall that glitters in the sunshine against the backdrop of the blue water. The view makes visitors feel like they are standing in Antarctica.

In autumn, Namtso looks like a fabulous land of fairy tales. The ice-and-snow-capped Nianqing Tanggula Mountain is fused with the azure-blue lake and hugged by golden meadows on the shore. But as soon as the weather turns bad, you should immediately leave, or a heavy snowfall will entrap you on the island until next spring.

Source: China Pictorial
Text by Yi Ran Photographs by Dong Feng'an