Top Ten Most Beautiful Lakes in Tibet

NO. 1  Yamdrok Tso -  The Most Beautiful Water in the World

Situated 100 km southwest of Lhasa with an elevation of 4441 m (14570 ft), Yamdrok Tso (Yamdrok Lake, Tibetan: Yamdrok Yumtso; Chinese:羊卓雍措,羊卓雍错,羊卓雍湖) is one of the three most sacred lakes in Tibet (the other two are Namtso and Manasarovar).

On the old road between Gyantse and Lhasa, coiling Yamdrok-tso Lake can be seen from the summit of the Kamba-la pass (4700m). The lake lies several hundred meters below the road, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise-blue. Far in the northwest distance is the huge massif of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang (7191m). Nangartse is a small town along the way that has some basic accommodation and a couple of restaurants. A 20-minute drive or a two-hour walk from Nangartse brings you to Samding Monastery, a charming place with scenic views of the surrounding area and the lake. Yamdrok-tso Lake is also the site of Tibet’s largest hydroelectric Power Station.

NO.2  Namtso – Heavenly Lake in Tibet

About 240km northwest of Lhasa, Nam-tso (Heavenly Lake in Tibetan, Chinese:纳木错,又称纳木措,那木措,那木错, 腾格里海, 腾格里湖) is the highest saltwater lake in the world at 4,720m (over 14,000 feet) and one of the most beautiful natural sights in Tibet. It is over 70km long, reaches a width of 30km and is 35m at its deepest point. When the ice melts in late April, the lake is a miraculous shade of turquoise and there are magnificent views of the nearby snowcapped mountains. The wide open spaces, dotted with the tents of local drokpas (nomads), are intoxicating.

Lake Namtso (Namco) is one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet (the other two are Lake Manasarovar and Yamdrok Tso) and an important centre for pilgrimage. The lake plays sanctuary to many species of migrating birds and other local birds. One attraction of a trip to Nam-tso is the opportunity to get a peek at the otherwise inaccessible life of Tibet’s drokpas (nomads), seminomadic herders who make their home in the Changtang, Tibet’s vast and remote northern plateau. Most travelers head for Tashi Dor Monastery (elevation 4718m) in the southeastern corner of the lake. There are some fine walks in the area, as well as a short but pilgrim-packed Kora.

The best season for trekking in Nam Tso Lake is late May to October, however you must be prepared at all times for wet weather, snow and cold winds.

NO. 3  Lake Manasarovar – The Most Sacred Lake in Tibet

Tucked away in the southwest corner of Tibet near Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar or Lake Manasa Sarovar (also spelled Mansarovar and Mansarowar, Tibetan: Mapam Yumco or Mapham Yutso; Chinese: 玛旁雍错; 4560m/14,957 ft) is the highest freshwater lake in the world and one of its most beautiful natural sights in Tibet. With its sapphire-blue waters, sandy shoreline and snowcapped-mountain backdrop, Manasarovar is immediatedly appealing, and a welcome change of venue from the often-forbidding terrain of Mt Kailash, Tibet’s holiest peak.

The most venerated of Tibet’s many lakes, Lake Manasa Sarovar is a place of pilgrimage, attracting religious people from India, Nepal, Tibet and the neighboring countries. Manasarovar has been circumambulated by Indian pilgrims since at least 1700 years ago when it was extolled in the sacred Sanskrit literature the Puranas. Legend has it that the mother of the Buddha, Queen Maya, was bathed at Manasarovar by the gods before giving birth to her son. Gandhi requested that his ashes be scattered beside this sacred lake. Just 20km from Mt. Kailash across the Barkha plain, Manasarovar can be circumambulated in four or five days. Five of the original eight monasteries have been partially rebuilt.

Manasarovar is linked to the smaller Rakshastal (known to Tibetans as Lhanagtso) by the channel called Gang-chu. The two bodies of water are associated with the conjoined sun and moon, a powerful symbol of Tantric Buddhism.

The best time to make a tour to Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarovar region is between mid-May and mid-October. During this time the weather in Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is generally stable and clear, with warm temperatures during the days and cool nights. July and August are usually warmer, but this is when the monsoon pushes beyond the Himalaya. Swelling the creeks and coating the valleys with greenery and wildflowers.

Mansarovar lake and Mt. Kailas can now be accessed by air as China inaugurated a high-altitude Ngari Gunsa Airport (Ali Kunsha Airport) in western Tibet’s Ngari Prefecture near the two holy places in July 1st, 2010. As Shiquanhe (Ali) is only a one-day bus drive (about 330 km) from the settlement of Darchen situated just north of Lake Mansarovar, facing Mount Kailash. It is expected to benefit pilgrims to these two sites.

NO. 4  Lhanag-tso Lake – The Ghost Lake

Despite its close proximity to Lake Manasarovar–over the road to Purang County, Lake Rakshastal (Lhanag Tso, Tibetan:ལག་ངར་མཚོ་ ; Chinese:拉昂错) does not share the lore of worship with its east neighbor. Named ‘lake of the demon’, Lake Rakshastal is considered to be the residence of Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Ceylon in Hindu myth. In Buddhism, Lake Manasarovar, which is round like the sun, and Lake Rakshastal, shaped as a crescent, are respectively regarded as ‘brightness’ and ‘darkness’. Its salty water, a stark contrast to the fresh water of Lake Manasarovar, produces no waterweeds or fish and is considered poisonous by locals.

However, despite its notoriety, Lake Rakshastal bears no less beauty than other lakes in Tibet. Originally joined with Lake Manasarovar and later separated by geological movements, it is still connected with Lake Manasarovar by a natural channel, Ganga Chhu. It covers a total area of 70 sq km (27 sq miles), at an altitude of 4,752m (15,590 ft). Though absent of nearby grasslands, the white cobbles, the hills and the island colored with dark red, and the deep blue lake water present another distinctive picture absent from many of the places more frequented by visitors.

NO. 5 Pangong Tso – A Paradise For Migratory Birds

Situated at a height of 4,350 m (13,900 ft) in the Himalayas and spanning like a finger from India into China with two-third of its length in Tibet, Pangong Tso (Pangong Lake, Tso means lake in Ladakhi,Chinese:班公湖,班公错,班公措) is noted for its crystal clear blue-brackish water which keeps playing tricks on your eyes changing colors in seven distinct shades of blue, green, purple, truquoise and violet depending on the angle of your view.

Lake Pangong (Palgon) is home to a variety of migratory birds including brown-headed gulls, cygnets, yellow ducks, bar-headed geese and black-necked siberian cranes. The pangong lake can be reached from Leh, the capital city of Ladakh in India or from Shiquanhe (Ali), the capital of Ngari prefecture in western Tibet. The trip from Lhasa to Shiquanhe has been much easier with the opening of Ngari Gunsa Airport on July 1, 2010, the journey has been shortened from three or four days by car to only 100 minutes by air.

NO. 6  Draksum-tso – an alpine lake with a fairy-tale island monastery

The beautiful alphine lake Draksum-tso (Basum Tso,Pasum-tso, Chinese:巴松错,八松错)  is located in Kongpo Gyamda County in eastern Tibet’s Nyingchi Prefecture, 400 kilometers away from Lhasa. It is the sacred lake of Nyingmapa (Red, tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, monks wear red hats) as well as the largest fresh water barrier lake in the eastern part of Tibet.

The holy lake, more Swiss Alps than Tibetan plateau,is beautified by its surrounding landscapes from forested mountains to snow capped peaks.The site has strong connections to Gesar of Ling, the semi-mythical ruler of the Kham region and Guru Rinpoche, the Indian sage, both of whom are said to have resided at the lake.

The highlight of the Basum lake is the Tsozong Gongba Monastery (Chinese:错宗工巴寺), a small sacred chapel of the Nyingma sited on a photogenic Tashi island just off the southern shore. The Zhaxi island is an organic fusion of dozens of types of flora and a springkle of holy sights.

NO.7 Rawok Tso Lake – The Little Swiss of Tibet

A perfect blend of the Swiss Alps snow peaks and the streams in Jiuzaigou (a photogenic town in central China), Rawok Tso (Ranwu, Ranwok tso, Chinese:然乌湖,然乌错) is the largest lake in southeast of Tibet’s Nyingchi Prefecture.

The Ranwu Lake is surrounded by the Gangrigabu Mountain in the southwest, the Azhagongla Glacier in the south and the Bosula Peak in the northeast, with the famous Lagu glacier extending to the lake from the north. The melted snow and ice supply the lake and rivers such as Yalu Tsangpo. Many of the peaks surrounding the lake are over 5, 000 meters high and thus permanently locked with glaciers. The foot of these peaks, however, is green with pines and cypresses. The browsing herds of cattle and sheep, the barley paddy, bean and cabbage field form an oil painting that can be seen no elsewhere.

NO.8  Tangra Yumco – The holy lake of the Bon believers

The holy lake of the Bon believers, Lake Tangra Yumco (Dangra Yumtso, Chinese:当惹雍错) is located in the Wenbu District in northern Tibet. It lies at the bottom of a deeply sunken basin, surrounded by mountains on three sides. On the eastern bank of the lake stand red cliffs and the seven peaks of the Darguo Mountains.Beside the lake there is a monastery, Yubon Monastery, built in the scarp cave. It is said that Yubon Monastery is the oldest one in Bon Religion.

NO.9 Lhamo La-tso – The Oracle (Vision) Lake in Tibet

Lhamo La-tso (Lhamo Latso, Lamu Lacuo, Lamuna Lake, Tibetan:ལྷ་མོའི་བླ་མཚོ།, Chinese:拉姆拉错,拉母那错), the small oval ‘Oracle Lake’ around 115km northeast of Tsetang in central Tibet, is where senior Tibetan monks go for visions to assist in the discovery of reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas. Other pilgrims also come to seek visions. It is considered to be the most holiest lake in Tibet. It is also known as “The Life-Spirit-Lake of the Goddess”, the goddess being Palden Lhamo, the principal Protectress of Tibet. The gateway to Lhamo Latso is the dramatic, but mostly ruined, Chokorgye Monastery, wedged between three mountains.

NO.10 Siling-tso – “Devil Lake” where the arch devil lives

Siling Tso - The Devil Lake in Tibet

Siling Tso (Siling co, Chinese:色林错) Lake is the second largest saltlake in Tibet, after the Namtso Lake.

Siling is an arch devil who used to live in Duilongdeqing County, west of Lhasa. He greedily devoured thousands of lives everyday including both human beings and animals.One day, the Padmasambhava found Siling and asked him to stay in the lake forever and confess. From then on, people called the lake “Siling-tso” which means the “Siling Devil Lake.”

Pangong Lake – A Paradise For Migratory Birds

Pangong Tso Lake - A Paradise For Migratory Birds

Pangong Tso (Pangong Lake, Chinese: 班公湖, 班公错, 班公措; Hindi: पांगोंग त्सो；Korean:반공호; Japanese: パンゴン湖), the largest brackish lake in Asia, is situated at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft) in the Himalayas. The lake was once divided between Ladakh and Tibet as early as 1684 under the Treaty of Tingmosgang. As of today it is shared by India and China. The eastern part of the lake, in Rutog County of Ngari Prefecture in Western Tibet, is the world’s highest freshwater lake, and its western part is a saltwater lake straddling the China-India border.

The crystal clear sapphire-blue water of the Pangong lake against the bleak brown, towering mountains is dazzling

The Pangong Lake is noted for its crystal clear blue-blackish water which keeps playing tricks on your eyes changing colors in seven distinct shades of blue, green, purple and violet depending on the angle of your view. Its white shores are actually strips of deposited sand. The iridescent, hypnotizing blue of the lake against the bleak brown, towering mountains is dazzling, as is the sheer solitude here.

Brown-headed gulls at the Pangong Lake of Ngari Prefecture in western Tibet

Bar-headed geese fly over the Pangong Tso of the Rutong County in Western Tibet’s Ngari Prefecture

A beautiful donkey (Tibetan Wild Ass, known locally as kiang) on the banks of Pangong Tso

Pangong lake is an ideal site for bird lovers as well. The lake acts as an important breeding ground for a variety of birds including a number of migratory birds. During summer, Brown-headed gulls, cygnets, Brahmini ducks, bar-headed geese and black-necked Siberian cranes are commonly seen here. The region around the lake supports a number of species of wildlife including the kiang (Tibetan wild ass) and the Marmot.

Best time to visit pangong Lake is between June and August

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Pangong Tso is between June and August when the average temperature in these months is about 12 degrees celcius (67F).

Getting to Pangong Tso

From Leh, India

Chang La pass, en route to Pangong lake from Ladakh, India

Pangong Tso is about five hours drive from Leh, capital city of Ladakh, a province of state of Jammu & Kashmir in India, most of it through rough and spectacular valleys. The road passes through some of the most beautiful places in Ladakh – the Changla Pass (The worlds 3rd highest motorable road) and the Shey and Thiksey Village among others. A special permit is required to visit the lake. Spangmik is the farthest point you can go on the shores of the lake.

From Ali, Tibet

Pangong Lake is about 3-4 hours drive from Ali, the capital of Ngari Prefecture in Tibet

Pangong Tso can also be reached in a three-four hours drive (140 km) from Ali (aka Shiquanhe in Chinese, 狮泉河镇, Senge Khabab (Town of the Lion) in Tibetan), the capital of the Ngari Prefecture in Western Tibet. The Road (China National Highway 219, 新藏公路 in Chinese) is bumpy, winding and treacherous. Taxi hire is recommended. The transportation cost is around RMB800-1000. The road passes the new Chinese town of Rutok Xian (Ritu Xian, 日土县), a modern army post and about 8 km south of Pangong Lake.

Tibet Top Attractions Guide

For travelers, Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་; Chinese: 西藏; Pinyin: Xī Zàng) is without doubt one of the most remarkable places to visit in Asia. It offers fabulous monastery sights, breathtaking high-altitude treks, stunning views of the world’s highest mountains and one of the most likeable peoples you will ever meet. There’s Gyantse, in the Nyang-chu Valley, famed for the largest chörten (stupa) in Tibet, and hiking in Yarlung Valley, widely considered the cradle of Tibetan civilization. Base yourself in Tsetang and marvel at the monkey cave in Gangpo Ri or walk the monastery kora (pilgrim path). Your trip will take you past glittering mountain turquoise lakes and over high passes draped with prayer flags. Find a quiet spot in a prayer hall full of chanting monks, hike past the ruins of remote hermitages or make an epic overland trip along some of the world’s wildest roads. The scope for adventure is limitless.

For many people, Tibet is a uniquely spiritual place. Those moments of peace, fleeting and precious, when everything seems to be in its proper place, seem to come more frequently in Tibet, whether inspired by the devotion apparent in the face of a pilgrim or the dwarfing scale of a beautiful landscape. Tibet can truly claim to be on a higher plain.

Lhasa, Capital of Tibet, is home to sacred Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace.

• Lhasa

(Tibetan: ལྷ་ས་; Chinese: 拉萨)

The name Lhasa is thought to come from the Tibetan words Lha (sacred) and Sa (earth). Lhasa is the capital of Tibet. At 3,700m (11,000 feet), even the fittest traveler may find breathing tough in the beginning. Lhasa is home to the historical center of Tibetan Buddhism, the Potala Palace.

The Potala Palace, the highest ancient palace in the world, was home to ten successive Dalai Lamas.

The Potala Palace

(Budala Gong, Tibetan: པོ་ཏ་ལ; Chinese: 布达拉宫)

Commissioned by Dalai Lama V (17th c.), the Potala was built around the fortress of King Songtsen Gampo, which had stood on Mount Mapori  for a millennium. “Potala” refers to a mountain in south India, the abode of Tibet’s patron deity, Avalokiteshvara (Chenresik). Both the ancient kings and the Dalai Lamas are said to be manifestations of this bodhisattva, feminized in the Chinese Buddhist pantheon as Guanyin, the goddess of mercy. A monastery, a palace, and a prison, it symbolizes the fusion of secular and religious power in Tibet.

An architectural wonder even by modern standards, the palace rises 13 storeys from 130m-high Marpo Ri (Red Hill) and contains more than a thousand rooms.

The Jokhang, Tibet's holiest temple

The Jokhang Temple (Dazhao Si)

(Tibetan: ཇོ་ཁང་; Chinese: 大昭寺; pinyin: Dàzhāosì), also called the Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery or Tsuklakang (gTsug lag khang)

The Jokhang, also known in Tibetan as the Tsuglhakhang, is the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Thick with the smell of yak butter, echoing with the murmur of mantras and bustling with awed pilgrims, the Jokhang is an unrivalled Tibetan experience.

• The Three Great Gelugpa Monasteries

Three great monasteries near Lhasa are considered to be important centers of the Yellow Hat sect and pillars of the theocratic state: Drepung, Sera and Ganden.

The Shoton Festival at Drepung begins with the dramatic unfurling of a giant thangka banner of the Buddha

Drepung  Monastery (Zhebang Si)

(Tibetan: འབྲས་སྤུངས་; Chinese: 哲蚌寺)

Founded in 1416 by Tsongkapa’s disciple Jamyang Choeje, Drepung (literally “Rice Heap”) was once Tibet’s largest and most influential monastery, with over 10,000 monks, a number which now stands at a paltry 700.

Drepung is especially known as the site of the annual Shoton Festival, with its dramatic unfurling of a giant thangka painting on the hillside.

Ganden Monastery is one of the most sacred places of Tibetan Buddhism.

Ganden Monastery (Gandan Si)

(Tibetan: དགའ་ལྡན་; Chinese: 甘丹寺)

Dramatically perched on a mountain east of Lhasa, to the south of the Kyi Chu, Ganden Monastery was built in 1409 by Tsongkapa. Drawing on support from monks of the older schools, as well as laypeople, the school rapidly expanded, with disciples opening Drepung and Sera monasteries in 1416 and 1419 respectively. Mongol support during the 17th century eventually assured their status as the preeminent school of Tibetan Buddhism, and more than 3,000 monks lived here prior to 1950.

Sera Monastery, 5km north of central Lhasa, was built in 1419 by a pupil of Tsongkhapa

Sera Monastery (Sela Si)

( Tibetan: སེ་ར་; Chinese:  色拉寺)

This major Geluk monastery was founded in the early 15th century by Sakya Yeshe, a disciple of Tsongkapa. A pilgrimage circuit of the complex passes the colleges Sera Me Tratsang, Ngakpa Tratsang, and Sera Je Tratsang before reaching Tsokchen, the huge assembly hall (ca. 18th c.), which houses an image of Sakya Yeshe. The path continues up to Sera Utse, a hermitage that predates the monastery, a stiff 1 1/2-hour hike up the mountain. Most visitors are drawn to Sera by the lively debates held in the Sera Je Tratsang Courtyard Monday to Saturday from 3 to 5pm.

At 6,714m (22,028 feet) high, Mt. Kailash is a holy mountain not only for Buddhist pilgrims but for Hindus alike.

• Mount Kailash

(Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ, Kangrinboqê or Gang Rinpoche or Kang Rinpoche; simplified Chinese: 冈仁波齐峰, Pinyin: Gāng rén bō qí fēng)

Worshiped by the followers of no less than four religions — Tibetan Buddhists, Bonpos, Hindus, and Jains — Mount Kailash (Gangdise) draws pilgrims from the Tibetan world and beyond. For Tibetan Buddhists, it is Mount Meru, the center of the universe, and many aim to circumambulate the mountain 108 times, thus attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. For Hindu pilgrims, who are allowed to cross the border at Purang (Pulan), it is the abode of Shiva, one of the three supreme gods. The beauty of the 6,714m (22,028-ft.) peak, jutting up from the surrounding arid plain, is astounding, and the sight of Lake Manasarovar under a full moon is enough to have even the most cynical visitor believing in supernatural possibilities.

Lake Mansarovar and Tibetan Himalayas

• Lake Manasarovar

(also spelled Mansarovar and Mansarowar ; Tibetan: མ་ཕམ་གཡུ་མཚོ ; Mapham Yutso or Mapam Yumco / Mapam Yum Co / Mapham Yu Tso; Chinese: 玛旁雍错) or Manasa Sarovar/Lake Manas.

Lake Manasarovar  is the highest freshwater lake in the world (4,560m/14,957 ft.), located at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet. It is the holiest lake in Asia and an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and Buddhists alike. Here you can enjoy unparalleled views of the Himalayas across turquoise waters which freeze over in winter, visit monasteries carved from the naked rock of the lakeshore, and even attempt the 90km (56-mile) circuit of the lake. Hor Qu (Huo’er Qu), 39km (24 miles) southeast of Darchen, is the most common jumping-off point for Lake Manasarovar.

Mount Everest (Mt. Qomolangma) is the highest mountain in the world with a height of 8,848.13 meters above sea level.

• Mount Everest

The Tibetan name for Mount Everest is Chomolungma or Qomolangma (ཇོ་མོ་གླིང་མ, which means “Saint Mother”), and the Chinese transliteration is Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng (simplified Chinese: 珠穆朗玛峰; traditional Chinese: 珠穆朗瑪峰).

Mount Everest, Qumonlangma – needs no introduction. It is the highest mountain in the world at 8,848m (29,029 feet). Those who don’t have the time (or money or madness) to climb Everest, can get fantastic views from Rongphu monastery, the highest monastery in the world, located at the base.

Nam-tso Lake is the largest lake in Tibet

• Namtso Lake

(aka Lake Nam, Tibetan: གནམ་མཚོ་; Mongolian: Tengri Nor; “Heavenly Lake”, Chinese: 纳木错, 蒙古语: 腾格里海)

Namtso Lake is the largest lake in Tibet and the second-largest saltwater lake in China. It is the highest saltwater lake in the world at 4,720m (over 14,000 feet). Tibetans consider it to be a sacred lake. Every year, thousands of disciples come to the lake for a pilgrimage. The best time to visit Namtso Lake is from May to October, and every May and June in the Tibetan calendar (July 21 to September 22), disciples of the Tibetan Buddhism come to the lake to pray.

Gyantse is famed for the Gyantse Kumbum, the largest chörten in Tibet.

• Gyantse

(Gyangze, Jiangzi; Tibetan: རྒྱལ་རྩེ་; Chinese: 江孜)

The two most famous sights in the town of Gyantse are the Kumbum chörten part of the Pelkhor Choede Monastery and the Gyantse Dzong.

Pelkhor Choede Monastery

(Baiju Si, aka Palcho Monastery or Palkhor Tschode Monastery, Chinese: 白居寺)

The nine-story Gyantse Kumbum , the largest chörten (A reliquary or stūpa) in Tibet, towers to a height of 42m (140 ft.). The first five floors are four-sided, while the upper floors are circular, forming a huge three-dimensional mandala. Kumbum means “the hundred thousand images,” and while the actual number of Buddhist images is around one-third of that estimate, even the most dedicated pilgrim won’t have time to properly inspect all the chapels. They house the finest art preserved in Tibet.

The stiff 20-minute climb to the top of the Gyantse Dzong is worth the effort for the great lookouts.

Gyantse Dzong

(Jiangzi Zong Shan, Chinese: 江孜宗山)

Towering above the settlement, this awesome fortress (ca. 13th c.) immediately catches your eye as you approach Gyantse. It’s a stiff hike up, but views of Pelkhor Choede, the ancient alleyways, and the jagged surrounding peaks are breathtaking.

• Shigatse

(Rikaze,Xigazê, Tibetan: གཞིས་ཀ་རྩེ་; Chinese: 日喀则)

Shigatse, second largest city in Tibet, is home to the Panchen Lama who resides in Tashilumpo Monastery.

The residence of the Panchen Lama, Tashilhunpo is perhaps Tibet's best-preserved and most spectacular monastery.

Tashilhunpo Monastery (Tashilumpo Monastery, Zhashilunbu Si)

(Tibetan: བཀྲ་ཤིས་ལྷུན་པོ་; Chinese: 扎什伦布寺)

Tashilhunpo is one of the few monasteries in Tibet that weathered the stormy seas of the Cultural Revolution relatively unscathed. It is a real pleasure to explore the busy cobbled lanes twisting around the ancient buildings – the monastery is essentially a walled town in its own right.

The monastery’s standing rocketed when the fifth Dalai Lama declared his teacher – then abbot of Tashilhunpo – to be a manifestation of Öpagme (Amitabha; a deification of the Buddha’s faculty of perfected cognition and perception). Thus Tashilhunpo became the seat of an important lineage: the Panchen Lamas. Panchen means ‘great scholar’ and the title was traditionally bestowed on abbots of Tashilhunpo.

Yangbajain is famous for its hot springs

• Yambajan

(also spelled Yangbajain or Yangbajing;  Tibetan: ཡངས་པ་ཅན;  Chinese: 羊八井)

Yambajan, famous for its hot springs, is located about 90 km northwest of Lhasa at the foot of  Nyaingentanglha Mountain.

• Location Map of Top Attractions in Tibet

冬季游西藏 经典旅游线路推荐

西藏独特的地质地理环境，造就了千姿百态的风光景色，夏有夏的韵味，冬有冬的魅力。高原大部分地区气候垂直变化显著，昼夜温差大，日照时间长，平均每天日照10小时以上。大部分地区冬无严寒，夏无酷暑，一年四季适合旅游。西藏最美的风光在冬季，因为在冬季可以看到夏季看不到的景色…

拉萨布达拉宫

西藏的旅游格局，是从拉萨向外辐射到日喀则、山南、那曲、阿里、林芝和昌都六个地区，并形成了六条主要的线路：

1.拉萨—日喀则—拉孜—樟木线，是传统的黄金线

在这条旅游线上，你会看到西藏的第二大城市日喀则和这个城市里扎什伦布寺辉煌耀目的金顶与班禅新宫；看到雅鲁藏布江与年楚河交汇的河谷风光；看到古朴庄重的萨迦寺中的精美壁画、唐卡和密如蜂房的藏书阁；看到世界屋脊上珠穆朗玛峰和希夏邦马峰等连绵不断的雪山。

阿里草原

2.拉萨—日喀则—拉孜—措勤—改则—革吉—狮泉河—普兰线，线路虽然漫长，但却充满魅力

经过广袤的阿里草原，沿途桑木巴提山圆锥形的金黄色山峰，扎日南木错辽阔清碧的湖面，达瓦错丰美的水草，巴林冈日群峰上的皑皑白雪，札达一带神秘的古格遗址和荒漠而奇特的土林地貌，以及普兰境内被多种教派誉为圣地的神山岗仁波钦和圣湖玛旁雍错，都会倾倒前来游览的旅客。

玛旁雍错位于冈仁波齐峰东南20公里处，纳木那尼雪峰北侧，海拔4588米，面积412平方公里，湖水最深可达70米，是世界上最高的淡水湖。天气晴好时湖水蔚蓝，碧波轻荡，白云雪峰倒映其中，湖周远山隐约可见，景色奇美。

许多宗教典籍和传说中都曾记载描述过玛旁雍错。印度传说中称这里是湿婆大神和他的妻子——喜玛拉雅山的女儿乌玛女神沐浴的地方，而西藏的古代传说认为这里是广财龙神居住的地方。

曲水大桥

3.拉萨—江孜—日喀则—拉萨线，是一条旅游环线。走在这条线，要跨越雅鲁藏布江上的曲水大桥，登上冈巴拉山口，面对碧波映天的羊卓雍错

抵达古城江孜时，可以观瞻抗英遗址——宗山炮台和白居寺内被誉为西藏独一无二的“万佛塔”。从江孜向北，在日喀则游览古老的夏鲁寺后，再经仁布、尼木县返回拉萨。

白居寺是汉语名称。藏语简称“班廓德庆”，意为“吉祥轮大乐寺”。白居寺始建于明宣宗宣德二年（1427），历时10年竣工。江孜的白居寺作为西藏名寺， 主要有两大特色，其特色之一是一寺容三派，它原属萨迦教派，后来噶当派和格鲁派的势力相继进入，各派一度互相排斥，分庭抗礼。最后，还是互谅互让。于是， 白居寺便兼容萨迦、噶当、格鲁3 个教派，因而寺内供奉及建筑风格也兼收并蓄、博采众长。另一特色是白居寺的标志菩提塔，是由近百间佛堂依次重叠建起的塔，人称“塔中有塔”。塔内佛堂、佛 龛以及壁画上的佛像总计有十万个，因而得名十万佛塔，被称为西藏塔王。

桑耶寺

4.拉萨—山南泽当线

山南是藏民族的发祥地，曾拥有古老的雅砻河谷文明，现在已被辟为国家级风景名胜区。沿途有西藏的第一座寺庙——桑耶寺，第一座佛堂——昌珠寺，第一块农田——索当，第一座宫殿——雍布拉康，加上扎塘寺、藏王墓、拉姆纳错圣湖和哲古草原等，处处向游人诉说着藏民族的兴起、沧桑和发展。

羊八井

5.拉萨—那曲—格尔木线，是一条沿青藏公路、以草原雪域风光为主的线路

出拉萨向西北，首先途经藏于深山之内的楚布寺。再向西北抵达著名的地热区羊八井时，在很远的地方，你就可以看到地面上升起一缕缕蒸气。一过羊八井折向东北，连绵的雪峰和无际的草原将一直伴你而行。如果想目睹西藏第一大湖——纳木错，则要在当雄向北，穿越草原和念青唐古拉山。那曲是藏北的重镇，每年八月的羌塘赛马节远近闻名。

雅鲁藏布江

6.拉萨—林芝—山南泽当—拉萨线

在这条环线上的林芝被称为“西藏的江南”。这里有墨脱国家级自然保护区、巴松错民族度假村，还有被称为世界第一大峡谷的雅鲁藏布江南迦巴瓦大峡谷，它虽然很难进入，但却闻名遐迩，是探险旅游、科学考察的好去处。

China plans to build world’s highest airport in Tibet

China has announced plans to build the world’s highest airport at an altitude of 4,436 meters (14,553ft) in Tibet.

The new airport, to be named as Nagqu Dagring Airport, will be located at Nagqu (also Naqu, Nagchu; Tibetan: ནག་ཆུ་ས་ཁུལ་; Wylie: Nag-chu Sa-khul; Chinese: 那曲) located 300 kilometers north of Lhasa at the center of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Nagqu is connected to Highway 109 which spans north to Golmud and another Highway 317 which links east into Sichuan Province.

The airport will be another feat of engineering just 764 meters lower than the Mount Everest base camp on the Chinese side already located 5,200 meters above sea level. The Nagqu airport is the sixth one in Tibet and upon completion will give the region one airport per prefecture.

The new airport will be 102 meters higher than Bamda (Tibetan: Pomda) Airport in Qamdo (Tibetan: Chamdo) Prefecture, which has been the world’s highest airport since its completion in 1994. “With the airport, Nagqu, which is also on the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, is expected to become the center of an economic hub in the plateau region,” Tan Yongshou, commissioner of the prefecture.

Qamdo Bangda Airport in Tibet is the hightest airport since 1994

Construction of the new airport, which is likely to cost $260 million (yuan 1.8 billion), will start in 2011.

Xu Bo, director of the Tibetan branch of the China civil aviation administration commented: “The objective for the next stage of development is to open direct air routes from Tibet to South Asian countries.”

An extraordinary railway line connecting Tibet to the rest of China opened four years ago, and the government is constructing six new rail lines in and around the vast region, which is rich in natural resources.

Beijing argues that such changes are needed to boost growth and raise living standards.

But opponents claim that the developments are eroding the Tibetan way of life and damaging a fragile environment. They also believe that the economic benefits of the changes have been overstated.

But the railway itself has been a feat of engineering. At its highest point, the Qinghai-Tibet line hits 5,072 metres – a height that is above the peak of any European mountain.

西藏那曲将建世界海拔最高机场 2011年动工

西藏将在那曲地区建设世界上海拔最高的机场，这个机场海拔为4436米，比目前世界上海拔最高的昌都邦达机场要高出102米。占地面积约为3500亩至4000亩的4D级机场，机场的地址初步选定在那曲地区达萨乡达仁区，因此取名为“那曲达仁机场”。该机场计划于2011年动工，用3年建成。

海拔最高　挑战飞机极限

今年要完成在那曲地区机场的选址、飞行程序和导航台站的确认，如果一切顺利，预计在“十二五”期间开工建设。目前预选址海拔 4436米，是世界上海拔最高的机场。民航西藏管理局局长徐波说，这个高度，是飞机制造商提供的民用飞机发动机中，所能承受的极限高度。不过，经过前期周密调研，飞行不会有问题。

那曲地区新建机场项目已被列入“十二五”规划，初步确定建设一个占地面积约3500至4000亩的4D级机场，估计投资将达到18个亿。目前还在进行可研性报告和选址工作，计划2011年动工，在3年时间内建成。初步将机场的地址定在那曲地区那曲县达萨乡达仁区，机场的名字为“那曲达仁机场”。

速度快　40分钟从拉萨到那曲

“从拉萨到那曲，我个人开车的话，4个半小时能到那曲镇，那曲地区有机场后，从拉萨飞那曲只需要40分钟左右。”徐波认为，那曲建机场将大大方便两地公务和商务往来。

西藏自治区目前拥有拉萨贡嘎机场、林芝米林机场和改扩建工程完成的昌都邦达机场。于2007年动工建设的阿里地区昆莎机场目前工程进展也很顺利，计划在今年7月1日正式通航。日喀则和平机场正在紧张进行改扩建，有望在今年10月1日投入使用，将成为我区第5个民用机场。

建设中的阿里昆莎机场候机楼

今年自治区还将投资8亿元对拉萨贡嘎飞行区进行改造，贡嘎机场旅客量已经恢复到了2007年的火爆状态，而跑道因为老化缘故，已经无法满足旅客出行要求。跑道改造主要实行“盖被”工程，即加一层沥青混凝土，建成柔性跑道。此外还将改造7.7万平方米的停机坪，徐波说，如果条件允许，将争取大型空中客机起降，提高效率。