Travel Picks: Tibet's top 9 lakes

1. Namco Lake (Namtso Lake) in the arm of scared mountain

File photo taken on Aug. 21, 2006 shows tourists visiting the Namco Lake in northern Lhasa,  capital of southwest China' s Tibet Autonomous Region. [Xinhua Photo]

Namco means "heavenly lake" in the Tibetan language. The lake is located between Damxung County and Palgon County, 240 kilometers away from Lhasa. The lake is 4,718 meters above sea level, 70 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide.

It is the largest salt lake in Tibet Autonomous Region, and the second largest in China as well as the highest lake in the world.

According to historical documents, the lake looks like the sky descended to the earth, and that is why people call it "heavenly lake."

Namco Lake formed in a depression created by the movement of the Himalayan Mountains during the tertiary period. Today, we can still see ancient shorelines around the lake left after the lake had receded. The highest one is about 80 meters.

Lake Namco in Tibet attracts more tourists
Tourists pose for photos at the Namco Lake, the highest lake of the world at 4,718 meters above sea level, in Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Increasing number of tourists visit the Namco Lake, one of the three holy lakes in the region, as the weather becomes warmer. Full Story >>

 

Julianne's Diary: Lhasa to Namco Lake

As the trucks were parked, we managed to get past them and eventually made our way out of Lhasa for the four-hour drive to Namco Lake, the most holy lake in Tibet.   Full Story >>