Namtso Lake Travel Guide

Brief Introduction
Namtso Lake is a mountain lake at the border between Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, approximately 112 km from Lhasa.

The lake lies at an elevation of 4,718 m, and has a surface area of 2,470 square kilometers. It is the highest salt lake in the world, and largest salt lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The weather at Namtso Lake is subject to abrupt sudden change and snowstorms are very common across the Nyainqentanglha range. Namtso Lake is renowned as one of the most beautiful places in the Nyainq¨ºntanglha mountain range. Its cave hermitages have for centuries been the destination of Tibetan pilgrims. A surfaced road across Largen La at 5186 m was completed to the lake in 2005, enabling easy access from Lhasa and the development of tourism at the lake.

Features
The water of Namsto Lake is of a turquoise-ish blue so transcendent, shimmering in the rarefied air of 4500m, as to defy an artist´s colour charts.

Nam Co means Heaven Lake or Scared Lake in Tibetan. It is the second largest salt-water lake in China next to Qinghai Lake. The three islands in the lake are habitats of wild ducks in late spring and early summer. Then their eggs can be found everywhere.The vast shore of the lake is a natural pasture with glossy grass and plenty water. By the lake flocks of wild yaks, blue sheep, hare and other wild animals play and look for food. Also the lake is rich in alpine fishes without scale or with small scales. The lake is a good place for sightseeing.