Namtso
Encyclopedia
Namtso or Lake Nam is a mountain lake on the border between Damxung County
of Lhasa
Prefecture and Baingoin County
of Nagqu Prefecture
in the Tibet Autonomous Region
of China
, approximately 112 kilometres (69.6 mi) NNW of Lhasa
.
age, result of Himalayan tectonic plate movements. The lake lies at an elevation of 4,718 m, and has a surface area of 1,920 square kilometres. This salt lake is the largest lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region
. However, it is not the largest lake in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. That title belongs to Qinghai Lake
(more than twice the size of Namtso); which lies more than 1,000 km [650 miles] to the north-east, in China's Qinghai province.
Namtso has five uninhabited islands of reasonable size, in addition to one or two rocky outcrops. The islands have been used for spiritual retreat by pilgrims who walk over the lake's frozen surface at the end of winter, carrying their food with them. They spend the summer there, unable to return to shore again until the water freezes the following winter. This practice is no longer permitted by the Chinese Government.
The largest of the islands is in the north-west corner of the lake, and is about 2,100 m long and 800 m wide, rising to just over 100 m in the middle. At its closest point it is about 3.1 km from the shore.
The most remote island is, at its closest, 5.1 km from the shore. At summer time birds like Ruddy shelduck
Phalacrocorax migrate to the lake area, besides the filed of astragalus, roegneria nutans and marram grass.
The weather at Namtso is subject to abrupt sudden change and snowstorms are very common across the Nyainqêntanglha range.
ages have for centuries been the destination of Tibetan pilgrim
s. A surfaced road across Laken Pass at 5186 m was completed to the lake in 2005, enabling easy access from Lhasa
and the development of tourism at the lake.
Settlements in the area include Dobjoi
, Donggar
and Cha'gyungoinba.
The Tashi Dor
monastery is located at the southeastern corner of the lake.
Around the area's natural elements, historical and anthropological background, a 2010 romantic drama 香格里拉 Shangri-La
, starring China's popular actor Hu Ge
, was broadcasted at CCTV1 and received positive reviews. Some scenes in the 2002 Hong Kong film The Touch
were filmed at the lake. Namtso Lake was featured in the BBC TV series: Himalaya with Michael Palin.
It is often incorrectly written that Namtso is the highest lake in China (or even the world), or the highest salt lake in the world, but there are many smaller lakes at altitudes of more than 5,500m in the Himalayas and in the Andes. For lakes with a surface area of more than 50 km2, the highest freshwater lake is Sengli Lake at an altitude of 5,386 m and with a surface area of 78 km2, while the highest saltwater lake is Meiriqie Lake at an altitude of 5,354m with a surface area of 64 km2 (both are located in Tibet region of China). However, Namtso is the highest lake in the world with a surface area of more than 500 km2. The Qingzang railway helped efficient transportation and also is a leisure way for sight seeing. A normal tour to Namtso often start at Lhasa taking the shuttle bus at 7-8 am, arriving at lake shore by noon, and return at 15-16 pm the same or the other day, costs RMB150 for an one day return trip. The traditional fashioned turquoise, silver, choral, amber and carnelian jewelry, handmade cheese and the Thangka
craft are tourist' favored local souvenir.
Damxung County
Damxung is a county far north of the main centre of Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its administrative seat is Damquka.Damxung means "selected pasture" in Tibetan language.-Geography:...
of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
Prefecture and Baingoin County
Baingoin County
Baingoin County is a small county within the Nagchu Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region....
of Nagqu Prefecture
Nagqu Prefecture
Nagqu Prefecture ; ; Wylie: Nag-chu Sa-khul; simplified Chinese: 那曲地区; pinyin: Nàqū Dìqū) is the largest prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Nagqu has a total area of 450,537 km²...
in the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, approximately 112 kilometres (69.6 mi) NNW of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
.
Geography and climate
Namtso was born PaleogenePaleogene
The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...
age, result of Himalayan tectonic plate movements. The lake lies at an elevation of 4,718 m, and has a surface area of 1,920 square kilometres. This salt lake is the largest lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
. However, it is not the largest lake in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. That title belongs to Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake , is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lake in China. The names Qinghai and Kokonor both mean "Blue/Teal Sea/Lake" in Chinese and Mongolian. It is located about west of the provincial capital of Xining at 3,205 m above sea level in a depression...
(more than twice the size of Namtso); which lies more than 1,000 km [650 miles] to the north-east, in China's Qinghai province.
Namtso has five uninhabited islands of reasonable size, in addition to one or two rocky outcrops. The islands have been used for spiritual retreat by pilgrims who walk over the lake's frozen surface at the end of winter, carrying their food with them. They spend the summer there, unable to return to shore again until the water freezes the following winter. This practice is no longer permitted by the Chinese Government.
The largest of the islands is in the north-west corner of the lake, and is about 2,100 m long and 800 m wide, rising to just over 100 m in the middle. At its closest point it is about 3.1 km from the shore.
The most remote island is, at its closest, 5.1 km from the shore. At summer time birds like Ruddy shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck
The Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea, is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae...
Phalacrocorax migrate to the lake area, besides the filed of astragalus, roegneria nutans and marram grass.
The weather at Namtso is subject to abrupt sudden change and snowstorms are very common across the Nyainqêntanglha range.
Other Features
Namtso is renowned as one of the most beautiful places in the Nyainqêntanglha mountain range. Its cave hermitHermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
ages have for centuries been the destination of Tibetan pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s. A surfaced road across Laken Pass at 5186 m was completed to the lake in 2005, enabling easy access from Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
and the development of tourism at the lake.
Dobjoi
Dobjoi is a village in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China north east of Shigatse. It lies at an altitude of 4410 metres .It lies approximately 5.6 miles south of Namlingxoi.-See also:*List of towns and villages in Tibet...
, Donggar
Donggar
Donggar is a town in Doilungdêqên County in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, northwest of Lhasa. It lies at an altitude of 3,828 metres...
and Cha'gyungoinba.
The Tashi Dor
Tashi Dor
Tashi Dor is a peninsula protruding into Namtso Lake from its south-eastern corner, in the Tibetan Region of China.On the peninsula is a small monastery and several hermit caves. Nomadic herders frequently camp on the peninsula, and many species of migratory birds make their home there....
monastery is located at the southeastern corner of the lake.
Around the area's natural elements, historical and anthropological background, a 2010 romantic drama 香格里拉 Shangri-La
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
, starring China's popular actor Hu Ge
Hu Ge
Hu Ge may refer to:*Hu Ge , founder of WAZA in China*Hu Ge , actor*Hu Ge , amateur director...
, was broadcasted at CCTV1 and received positive reviews. Some scenes in the 2002 Hong Kong film The Touch
The Touch (2002 film)
The Touch is a 2002 Hong Kong action/adventure martial arts film directed by Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon cinematographer Peter Pau and starring Michelle Yeoh, Ben Chaplin and Richard Roxburgh...
were filmed at the lake. Namtso Lake was featured in the BBC TV series: Himalaya with Michael Palin.
It is often incorrectly written that Namtso is the highest lake in China (or even the world), or the highest salt lake in the world, but there are many smaller lakes at altitudes of more than 5,500m in the Himalayas and in the Andes. For lakes with a surface area of more than 50 km2, the highest freshwater lake is Sengli Lake at an altitude of 5,386 m and with a surface area of 78 km2, while the highest saltwater lake is Meiriqie Lake at an altitude of 5,354m with a surface area of 64 km2 (both are located in Tibet region of China). However, Namtso is the highest lake in the world with a surface area of more than 500 km2. The Qingzang railway helped efficient transportation and also is a leisure way for sight seeing. A normal tour to Namtso often start at Lhasa taking the shuttle bus at 7-8 am, arriving at lake shore by noon, and return at 15-16 pm the same or the other day, costs RMB150 for an one day return trip. The traditional fashioned turquoise, silver, choral, amber and carnelian jewelry, handmade cheese and the Thangka
Thangka
A "Thangka," also known as "Tangka", "Thanka" or "Tanka" is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting...
craft are tourist' favored local souvenir.