Overview
Namtso Lake, located in the central part of Tibet Autonomous Region, is the second largest lake in Tibet and the third largest saltwater lake in China. "Namsto" is a Tibetan language, and the Mongolian name is "Tengger sea", which means "Heavenly Lake". Namsto is one of the "three sacred lakes" in Tibet. Namtso is the first God lake of yongzhongben religion in ancient Xiangxiong Buddhism, and is one of the famous Buddhist holy places. The lake is 4718 meters above sea level and approximately rectangular in shape. It is more than 70 kilometers long from east to west, more than 30 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of 1920km2. The water storage capacity is 76.8 billion cubic meters, which is the highest large lake in the world.
How was it formed
The Qinghai Tibet plateau where Namsto is located is the product of the compression and uplift of the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate during the orogeny started about 70 million years ago. At the end of tertiary and early Quaternary, a huge lake basin was formed by Himalayan movement depression. Its formation and development are controlled by geological structure and formed by Himalayan movement depression. It is a faulted structural lake with traces of glaciation. After that, the area of Namco was greatly reduced due to the dry climate of Tibet Plateau.
Weather & Climate
Namsto is a semi humid and semi-arid transition zone, with sufficient light, heat and water resources, low air pressure, annual sunshine hours of about 3000 hours, and annual average sunshine rate of more than 65%. The rainy season is from June to October every year, and the average annual precipitation is 410 mm. The dry season is from November to May of the following year.
Main Attractions
Welcome stone
Welcome stone is also known as the door god of Namsto. It is said that Namsto is a goddess who is in charge of the wealth of the grassland in northern Tibet. Therefore, when traders go out to do business, they must first come here to pray for the door god. With the permission of the door god, they can worship Namsto to ensure the prosperity of business.
Hezhang stone
Hezhang stone, also known as the parent stone, is said to be the embodiment of the father's Nianqing Tanggula Mountain and the mother's goddess namsto, symbolizing their faithful love.
Zhaxi monestery
Namsto is surrounded by four temples. The most famous one is Zhaxi monestery, which is shaped like a reclining Vajra and Tara Buddha. There are many natural Buddha statues on the walls of these four monestery. It is said that Namsto is the daughter of the emperor and the mother of Nianqing tangla. It is regarded as a sacred place to be visited by good men and women. From ancient times to the present, there are many pilgrims.
Information
Admission Fee: CNY 120
Opening Hours: 06:00-18:00
Best time visit: Jul-Spe
Visit time: 3-4 Hours