Namtso 纳木错

About Namtso

Its exposed water, distant snow peaks and rocky shore give it a very different character from Tibet’s river valleys. At the southeastern corner, Tashi Dor combines a monastery with the lake’s long pilgrimage tradition. This is a sensible focus for a first shore visit rather than an attempt to cover the whole lake. Weather can change abruptly around the mountain crossing and the water, so keep the route flexible and stay on established visitor paths.

Ancient shoreline traces indicate that the lake was formerly wider and deeper. Continued plate collision through the Quaternary raised the Tibetan plateau and dried the climate, shrinking the lake; three tiers of ancient shoreline remnants now surround Namtso, one of them standing 80 metres above the present water level.

Namtso lies in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau lake region, on the boundary between Baingoin county (班戈县) of Nagqu (那曲市) and Damxung county (当雄县) of Lhasa, about 100 kilometres north of Lhasa; roughly three-fifths of its surface lies in Baingoin and two-fifths in Damxung. Nearly rectangular, it extends over 70 kilometres east-west and over 30 kilometres north-south, covering more than 1,920 square kilometres, with an average depth of 33 metres.

The lake has five uninhabited islands and one or two rocky outcrops. Pilgrims once walked across the frozen surface at the end of winter to spend the summer on the islands in spiritual retreat, a practice no longer permitted by the Chinese authorities. An island in the northwest corner is about 2,100 metres long and 800 metres wide, rising just over 100 metres, and lies about 3.1 kilometres from shore.

What to look for

• The southeastern Tashi Dor shore, where the monastery and rock formations meet the lake.
• The open saline water and mountain skyline of the Nyainqentanglha range.

The surrounding area

Palaces, monasteries, museums and a working old city with a strong tea-house culture.

Location & getting there

Getting to Namtso

For the southeastern visitor area, use the road from Damxung across Laken/La Gen La Pass towards Tashi Dor.

• Confirm the open road and visitor access before setting out; the pass and lakeshore are exposed to sudden weather changes.