Namtso
Location
Damxiong County, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region
Reasons to visit
Nam Co is the second largest saltwater lake in China. It is located in the central part of Tibet, with the lake surface at an altitude of 4,718 meters. The lake is roughly rectangular in shape, more than 70 kilometers long from east to west, more than 30 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of more than 1,920 square kilometers.
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Nam Co is the second largest saltwater lake in China. It is located in the central part of Tibet, with the lake surface at an altitude of 4,718 meters. The lake is roughly rectangular in shape, more than 70 kilometers long from east to west, more than 30 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of more than 1,920 square kilometers. The lake is 33 meters deep and has a water storage capacity of 76.8 billion cubic meters. It is a large lake with a high altitude in the world. "Nam Co" is Tibetan, and the Mongolian name of this lake is "Tenggeri Sea". Both names mean "Heavenly Lake". Nam Co, called "Tenggeri Nor" in Mongolian, and Nam Co in Tibetan, means Heavenly Lake, Spiritual Lake or God Lake. It is a famous holy place of Tibetan Buddhism. Believers respect it as one of the four mighty lakes. It is said to be the dojo of the Tantric deity Vajrabhairava. It is located between Damxiong County, Lhasa City and Bange County, Nagqu Prefecture. Namtso Lake is 4,718 meters above sea level, 70 kilometers long from east to west, 30 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of 1,920 square kilometers. It is the largest inland lake in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the second largest saltwater lake in China (it was the third largest saltwater lake in my country before the 1970s, and has become the second largest saltwater lake in my country since it dried up, second only to Qinghai Lake). It is also the highest saltwater lake in the world, with a depth of more than 33 meters. There are more than 1,500 lakes of various sizes around it. Namtso is located between Dangxiong County in the north of Lhasa and Bange County in Nagqu Prefecture, 240 kilometers away from Lhasa. The formation and development of Namtso is controlled by geological structure. It was formed by the depression of the Himalayan movement. It is a fault tectonic lake with traces of glacial action. The lake is now shrinking. There are 8 to 10 ancient lakeshores around the lake, and the highest one is about 80 meters away from the lake. To the south of Namtso is the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, which are covered with snow all year round, and to the north and west are plateau hills and vast lakeshores. The lake is clear and beautiful with the surrounding snow-capped mountains. To its southeast is the main peak of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, which reaches the sky and is covered with snow all year round. To its north is the gentle and continuous plateau hills. The vast grassland surrounds the lake. The lake is like a huge mirror inlaid on the grasslands of northern Tibet. The Luosa River, the Dalgu Zangbo River, the Chahasutai River and other rivers flow into Namtso. The lake is surrounded by a vast lakeside plain, where herbaceous plants such as wormwood, moss and fireweed grow. It is a natural and excellent pasture with abundant water and grass, and can be grazed all year round. Every year before the arrival of winter, the herders in northern Tibet drive their cattle and sheep here to survive the severe cold and snow. Namtso is full of vitality and interest in summer.
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