Namtso Lake

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Namtso or Lake Nam is a mountain lake on the border between Damxung County of Lhasa prefecture-level city and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is the second largest salt lake in China and the highest one in the world.

History of Namtso

Namtso was born in the Paleogene age, as a result of Himalayan tectonic plate movements. The lake lies at an elevation of 4,718 m (15,479 ft), and has a surface area of 1,920 km2 (740 sq mi). This salt lake is the largest lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Namtso has five uninhabited islands of reasonable size, in addition to one or two rocky outcrops. The weather at Namtso is subject to abrupt, sudden change and snowstorms are very common across the Nyainqêntanglha range. Namtso has an alpine tundra climate.

Photographing Tips in Namtso

Normally, the best time for photographing in Namtso is spring, summer and autumn, especially March - September. In winter, the road to Namtso is closed due to heavy snow. Renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet, Namtso can be a huge surprise for shutterbugs, as the colors of the lake keeps changing.

Yingbin Stones (Couple Stones)

According to a legend, Namtso was Indra's daughter and Nyanchen Thanglha's wife. She had one face, three eyes and two hands. In her right hand she held a precious vase and in her left a jeweled mirror. The goddess is said to be in charge of the wealth of the North Tibetan Prairie.

The stones are always hanged with colorful prayers’ flags. Hence making the stones as the foreground of the lake is a great choice.

Tips:

1. The altitude ascends 1100 meters from Lhasa to Namtso. In case of severe altitude sickness, you need to stay in Lhasa at least 3 days and acclimatize yourself to the high altitude before heading for Namtso.

2. On the way from Lhasa to Namtso, the 190KM journey contains crossing Nageng Mountain Pass at an elevation of 5150 meters and passing rugged marshy land. It is far from an easy task, so please be mentally prepared.