Namtso Sacred Elephant Tianmen has been a tourist hotspot in Tibet in the past two years. About one-third of Namtso belongs to Damxung, two-thirds belong to Bangor, Tashi Peninsula belongs to Lhasa Damxung County, and Sacred Elephant Tianmen belongs to Nagqu Bangor County . After browsing a lot of beautiful pictures, on June 12, 2021, during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, we set off with two cars by ourselves! !
1. Preparation before departure
(1) Booking: Reservation is required in advance, usually three days in advance during peak season
[Booking points: two] One is a group ticket: inside the Tibetan Mandala; the other is an individual ticket: the Holy Elephant Sky Ticket Service Center in the parking lot on the west side of the Potala Palace. There are 8 of us, and we don't know whether it is a group or an individual guest, so we went directly to the Bu Palace to book.
I went to the scene, scanned the QR code and added the ticketing WeChat, and sent the front photo of the ID card, the screenshot of the health code, and the license plate number of everyone in the ticketing via WeChat. If you want to arrange in a tent, write the driver's name, license plate number and number of people in an order.
[Ticket price: three types] Due to scenic spot construction, road construction, epidemic prevention and other reasons, the Holy Elephant Tianmen Scenic Area requires limited number of tourists and reservations throughout the year. Reservations are required in advance, and tourists can book three types of tickets according to their own needs:
1. A single ticket for the Holy Elephant Tianmen Gate is 80 yuan per person (excluding the red-head pass ticket, you need to buy Namtso Tashi Peninsula 110 yuan + sightseeing car 105 fees at the gate of Namtso National Park)
2. Scenic shuttle bus + ticket 180 yuan/person (mainly for self-driving guests with cars, low chassis, and poor passing performance; transfer to a 110KM dirt road at the self-driving camp in Qinglong Township, and the scenic shuttle bus is 100 yuan per person; the ticket for the holy elephant Tianmen is 80 RMB per person; including the red head pass, if you do not go to the Namtso Tashi Peninsula Scenic Spot, it can be used as a proof of passing the Namtso National Park entrance, saving the Tashi Peninsula tickets and sightseeing car fees)
3. Group ticket 330 yuan/person (Lhasa to the Holy Elephant Tianmen round trip is more than 600 kilometers, it is not recommended to go back and forth on the same day, the team ticket includes tickets 80 yuan/person; accommodation 150 yuan/person; two meals and breakfast 100 yuan/person; red head pass single (same as above)
——We booked 330 yuan, and I would like to remind you here: when we booked the ticket, the picture of the tent introduced made us mistakenly think that the place we lived in was an eight-person tent by the lake, but the actual situation is that the camp is 56 meters away from the Holy Elephant Tianmen. The service center of the scenic spot (the location of the white elephant sculpture) is 10,000 kilometers away. The worst part of our day was that we walked on the "washing board" road for more than two hours to reach the Tianmen Gate of the Holy Elephant. We took pictures to see the scenery, and looked for camp tents everywhere. It takes 56 kilometers to go back to the camp. If you want to live by the lake, you need a 2,000 yuan caravan (for 4 people). When you go back, it is already 9:30 in the evening, and you can stay in a Datong shop with 17 people. To be honest, we all have a strong sense of "entering the pit". Moreover, there are many lights in the campsite, so you don't feel like watching the starry sky!
Therefore, it is recommended that a ticket of 180 yuan is enough, and the accommodation can actually be selected separately (accommodation options and related conditions will be described in detail below)
(2) Accommodation
Because I have always wanted to see the starry sky of Namco, it coincides with the arrival of summer, so I decided to stay for one night. The 330 set ticket includes three meals, but we only ate one meal, and the on-site staff said that breakfast was not provided. Eat in the unified restaurant, there is unified tableware for self-service, and the taste of the food is acceptable. But the Chase shop in the camp is far from ideal.
The hygienic conditions are relatively poor. I knew that the bedding would only be replaced after a long period of time. The smell is relatively strong and relatively damp. There is no tap water for washing, and there is a public plastic washbasin. Brush your teeth and scoop water to find a floor brush outside the door; The bathroom is about 200 meters away, dry toilet, it is very cold at night; these can be dealt with, that is, there are people who snore and shake the sky in the middle of the night, there are several cases of nocturnal urine and walking, some people suddenly turn on the lights, and some people can’t sleep and watch for a whole day Night video~~~ Fortunately, we don’t have one for late night chatting. We all got up at 6 o'clock in the morning. We made our beds and went on the road. We didn't even wash up. We wanted to leave here immediately.
The conditions here are difficult, and the management level and service quality are extremely low, so the extremely bad reviews in the holy elephant Tianmen travel are these, and of course the high-priced oxygen supply is what makes tourists particularly dissatisfied and has nowhere to complain.
The following is a reference accommodation plan:
1. Lakeside RV: Four people per car, relatively clean, can be booked at the ticket office, it is the nearest accommodation to the lake. The price is said to be 2000, and the price is said to be 1500~
2. B&Bs in pastoral areas: 30 minutes’ drive from the lake, there are two local B&Bs, but unfortunately the phone numbers are not clear!
3. B&B in the pastoral area: There are several local B&Bs within a 45-minute drive from the lake, and only a few were photographed!
4. The service center of the scenic area (White Elephant Sculpture Office) also has tent homestays set up by locals. The conditions are better than those in Datong. There are electric blankets or stoves. Four people share a room. The price is about 100-150 yuan/person, and the price is negotiable. It is 56 kilometers away from the lake, and it takes 2.5 hours by car, because it is all washboard roads!
5. You can return to the tent accommodation in the Tashi Peninsula of Nam Co. The price is about 100. The most important thing is that it is a good place to watch the stars!
6. Bring your own camping equipment and camp by the lake. (Note: Stay as close to the crowded area as possible, choose a campsite that is too far away, and watch out for wolves and other wild animals at night!)
(3) Luggage equipment
I am an amateur outdoor enthusiast, so if I organize everyone to go out to play, there are quite a lot of things to bring:
1. 5L mineral water, fruit, self-heating rice, cereal, snacks, bread, etc.
2. Skin care products: horse oil, eye cream, sunscreen (water is very inconvenient, so try not to put on makeup); toiletries, portable washbasins, sunscreen hats (with brims), masks (sunscreen and windproof), sunglasses, etc.
3. Down jackets, sleeping bags, thick socks (for fear of cold feet when sleeping at night), disposable underwear, slippers, wet wipes, paper towels, garbage bags, hot water cups, charging treasures, ID cards, cameras, etc.
4. Oxygen bag: the altitude is 4720, and most people will feel high. We live in Lhasa, so there is no reaction. My sister comes from the mainland, and she inhales a bag of oxygen when she sleeps at night (if you have an oxygen bag, you can go to any one in Lhasa) Almost all pharmacies can charge oxygen, a bag of 5-10 yuan; if not, the pharmacy will buy a bag of 50 yuan to fill it up for you) I have seen a lot of guides saying that buying oxygen here in the scenic area is very slaughtered!
5. Gas tanks, stoves, small aluminum pots, small outdoor torches (sometimes these things are not available, but we used them this time)
6. If you bring your own camping equipment, even more!
(4) Others
1. Refueling: Dangxiong or Bangor County must fill up the gas, and the washboard road is quite fuel-intensive!
2. On the way, the signal is sometimes absent: the telecom signal is better, and China Unicom has no signal at all
2. Itinerary
1. Depart from Lhasa at 10:30, arrive at Damxung County for lunch at 1:00 p.m.
2. Depart from Dangxiong at 1:30 and arrive at Namco Township at 2:30
When arriving at the ticket office of Namtso Scenic Spot on the way, there will be ticket inspectors to take away the red-headed documents;
The altitude of Nagenla Pass is 5190, and there are photo spots on the viewing platform;
Sanchakou in Namtso Township: Go left and enter the Namtso Tashi Peninsula Scenic Area; go forward and go directly to the direction of the Holy Elephant Tianmen, and the beautiful scenery along the lake of Namtso is always on the left
——We did not turn into the Tashi Peninsula, but we drove to Namtso Lake on the way and stopped for half an hour.
3. Depart from the lake at 3:05 and arrive at the service center of the Holy Elephant Tianmen Scenic Area at 3:40 (there is a sculpture of a big white elephant)
After entering the White Elephant Gate, turn left and get off at the building below to register. Sometimes you have to measure your body temperature (this is where the 330 yuan ticket package camp and restaurant are located)
If it is already late when you arrive here, it is recommended to stay on the spot and enter again the next morning, unless you are staying inside. Because the washboard road ahead starts, it will take about 2 hours, and there will be two places to stop to take pictures in the middle, which will take more time; if it is a car, it will be even slower.
4. After registration and departure at 3:55, you will soon set foot on the "washboard" road. It is best to go to the toilet in advance, and the urine can be poured out;
Of course, there is also a vast expanse of beautiful scenery~~
Walking, bouncing, singing, chatting, the tile-blue lake comes into view~~
I thought the lake was very close, but actually I had to go around a long way around the mountains to get to the lake.
Walking along the lake, there are many practice caves in the mountain wall of a section of the road. As a holy place of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, countless eminent monks and hermits have practiced here for thousands of years, and it is still the same today.
5. The drive arrived at 5:20, and the beautiful scenery in front of us made us stop. It was so beautiful that I couldn't think of any words to describe it.
6. Stayed for 25 minutes, departed from 5:45 to 6:20 to arrive at the ticket checkpoint of the Holy Elephant Tianmen, blocked the intersection with a rope, and the inspectors would tear off the ticket and release it
7. Arrive at the Holy Elephant Tianmen at 6:30. If there is no road, we may never be able to reach here. Such a quiet and quiet blue is slowly approaching us.
The sky seemed to darken, making the blue seem a bit darker; but in an instant, she brightened again
The sky is getting darker and the blue is getting heavier
Facing the sea, sit on the ground, let go of your thoughts, laugh and watch the changes in the sky~~
Sacred Elephant Heavenly Gate on Chadurangka Island in the northern part of the holy lake Namtso
Legend has it that in the eighth century A.D., Master Rinpoche, who was invited by King Chisong Dezan to Tibet to promote Buddhism, surrendered Nyenchen Tanglha, betrothed Namtso to Nyenchen Tanglha, and became a couple. A grand wedding ceremony was held on the island. The night before the wedding, 108 gods worked together to build a stone gate for one night. The stone gate is shaped like a holy elephant from northeast to southwest. This stone gate is called the Holy Elephant Tianmen. Holy Elephant Tianmen, as the name suggests. A huge natural stone elephant stands on the vast bank of Namtso, its trunk goes deep into the lake, as if it is absorbing the sacred water from the snowy area. Between the body and the trunk of the stone elephant is like a huge door, the holy door leading to heaven.
3. Return
I always thought that I was living by the lake, but it was only after dark that I realized that I had to drive back to the "washboard" for more than two hours before returning to the camp, and I was instantly petrified. It was 9:40 in the evening when we got back to the White Elephant’s accommodation. It was raining on the road and the wind was very strong. It was hopeless to watch the starry sky. At this time, we had to put on a down jacket. Fortunately, we had dinner so late, nearly 12 At 1:00, we all lay down under the covers, and entered a half-dream and half-awake state unsteadily.
At around 4 o'clock in the morning, I quietly got up and ran outside to see if I could have a date with the starry sky. There were many lights in the campsite. My colleague just camped here and shared the starry sky taken by her mobile phone!
In July and August, if you want to camp in Namtso again, you must not miss the gorgeous night sky on the plateau!
Early the next morning, we drove back to the Namtso Lake where we stayed on the first day. The hot water was boiled, the oatmeal was soaked, and the self-heating rice was eaten. Haha, the lake view breakfast in the morning was steaming in the sunrise!
Just after breakfast, the rain started to rain again, we drove straight to Yangpajing Blue Heaven Hot Spring, soaked for half a day, washed away the fatigue of the body, but was full of fulfillment in the heart. Hot spring tickets Ctrip reservation 195/person (including swimsuit, bath towel, etc.), back to Lhasa after 6 o'clock, complete!