The morning sun moves the clouds to play with the mountains, and the breeze chases the waves to frighten the birds. Read Qingbo under Nianqing Mountain and listen to the sound of rain. The jade dragon is far away in the sky, and the beauty is in the mist. Looking forward to the five blessings by the Buddha of the five directions, see you when the road turns to Yunxiao Lake.


As one of the three holy lakes in Tibet, Namtso is the third largest saltwater lake in my country, with an altitude of more than 4,700 meters and an area of ​​nearly 2,000 square kilometers. The third reason for Namtso can be described as ups and downs. The first place is naturally Qinghai Lake, and the gold medalist is far ahead of other competitors. The second place used to be Lop Nur, but after its "magic" dried up, Namtso came from behind to occupy the second place. However, with global climate change in recent years, the hydrological process of the plateau has undergone drastic changes. Another holy lake, Selincuo, surpassed Namtso, and the latter returned to the third position.

Namtso Lake is a structural lake developed in a large fault depression on the northwest side of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. Although its altitude exceeds 4,700 meters, it is blocked by the Nyainqentanglha Mountains with an altitude of about 6,000 meters and a main peak of more than 7,000 meters. Mucuo is an inland lake, which is mainly supplied by rainfall, glacier meltwater and permafrost meltwater. The main discharge method is evaporation from the lake surface, so it becomes a saltwater lake.


Looking at Nyainqentanglha Mountain Namtso is located in the northwest of Lhasa City, between Damxung County and Bange County, nearly 200 kilometers away from Lhasa. After passing through Damxung County, it is necessary to drive nearly 40 kilometers into the mountains and climb over the 5,150-meter-high mountain. Nagan Pass. It seems that the distance is not far, but it takes nearly 5 hours to reach Tashi Island, the destination of most tourists, from Lhasa. Namtso's peak tourist season is also her rainy season. In July and August, it rains almost every day. Therefore, friends who go to play must remember to prepare rainproof items. Whether you can see the rippling blue waves under the bright sun of Namtso, you can only follow the fate. This summer, during the more than ten days during my work, it seems that only half of them have good weather, even if it is a day, it will change many times.


Tashi Island in the clouds


Unpredictable weather. Just 5 minutes after this photo was taken, we were struck by a hailstorm. There are not many places to stay in the Namtso Scenic Area, so you must book in advance. Our scientific research station is located on the shore of Namtso Lake. Being able to enjoy the scenery of Namtso without leaving home, especially whether it is rainy, windy or clear, can take pictures calmly, which is really a little encouragement in hard work.


clear lake water


Waterfowl flying high by the lake


gorgeous sunset


sunset after rain


Overlooking the snow-capped mountains in the clouds. If you are lucky, you can take pictures of the snow-capped mountains bathed in golden light. Since I didn't bring photography equipment, I can only imprint the beautiful scenery in my mind. Namtso is the daughter of the legendary Emperor Shitian, she accommodated a large number of species with her boundless mind. There are countless waterfowl, as well as wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys, foxes, Tibetan gazelles and many other wild animals. The lake area also produces precious medicinal materials such as cordyceps and snow lotus. It's a pity that I always come and go in a hurry, and I haven't been able to take pictures of these lovely animals. The yaks raised by the herdsmen are the most encountered. Once, when I was working in the mountains, I was chased by a group of yaks for a long time. Thanks to the rescue of the Tibetan guide, I was able to bypass the yaks and move on. Friends, remember to keep a distance from the cattle when traveling, and don't disturb them.


I was chased by these cattle for a long time at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters...


Distance creates beauty, and it is still very quiet to watch yaks like this.

Due to work, we have a journey that ordinary people will not experience. This summer, we walked nearly 8 kilometers to the foot of the glacier in the northeastern basin of Namtso. The round trip was nearly 15 kilometers, and the altitude climbed from 4,800 meters to nearly 5,300 meters. Of course, this may not be worth mentioning to mountain climbers and glacier researchers, but it is indeed an unforgettable experience for me. The experience of being chased by a cow is also in this journey, which can be described as unforgettable for a lifetime. Along the river, there are many types of wetlands developed in the Namtso River Basin, such as ice margin and riverside swamp wetlands, river wetlands, lake mouth tidal flats, etc., where a variety of plants grow and provide rich food for wild and domestic animals At the same time, it conserves glacier meltwater and rainfall, which plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem functions of the watershed and the livelihood of herdsmen.


The lush Zangsong grass meadow wetland is the main pasture of Namtso.


quiet estuary


Looking at the snow-capped mountains (on the right), it doesn't seem so far away. In fact, it took nearly an hour just to drive from the photo booth to the foot of the mountain.


At the beginning of the mountaineering, the melting water of glaciers has shaped many contiguous swamps and wetlands, and the journey is very difficult.


An hour later, I thought that the snow-capped mountains were close at hand and victory was in sight.


Another hour later, feeling that the distance had not diminished at all, we stopped by the river to take a rest and have lunch by the way, and it was already 2 o'clock in the afternoon.


The river water is very fast and very cold. Unlike the blue lake water, the river water here is as white as jade. We're thankful we're finally out of the way of the cattle in the distance.


I finally thought that we were about to arrive. There were many gravels on the edge of the ice, which were relics of glacier movement.


It was more than an hour after lunch, and it was nearly half an hour away from the far glacier. It was already 3:30 in the afternoon. In order to ensure the safety of the return trip, we had to sample and investigate near here, but we still failed to reach the glacier. end. So far, the journey is nearly 8 kilometers, and the climb is about 500 meters, which takes about 4 hours. Note: The temperature difference between day and night in Namtso is huge, and there are few supplies in the scenic area. Be sure to make preparations before going, bring enough clothes, food, medicine, rain gear, etc., and refuel the vehicle in Damxung County in advance, and be careful of the swamp when hiking .