On the 24th day of the self-driving tour in Qamdo, Tibet, we came to Ranwu Town on National Highway 318 from Basu County. In the afternoon, we visited Laigu Glacier, one of the three largest glaciers in the world and composed of six major glaciers, and stayed in Ranwu Town at night. The next day, which is the 25th day of the Tibet self-driving tour, we focused on visiting the famous lake in the lower reaches of the Laigu Glacier - Ranwu Lake.

Ranwu Lake is very big. We first came to the outlet of Ranwu Lake located in the lower reaches of Ranwu Town, and then went upstream. Surprisingly, when we came to the outlet of Ranwu Lake, we found that the lake water here was not It was completely frozen (it was the end of December in 2021, and most lakes in Tibet were frozen), the lake here was like a mirror, reflecting the beauty of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

To understand Ranwu Lake, one has to start with the name "Ranwu", which is a transliteration of Tibetan and means "goat's milk lake". Ranwu Lake is located at the junction of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains and the Boshula Ridge of the Hengduan Mountains, with an altitude of 3927 meters, which is higher than Lhasa. It is one of the most beautiful lakes on the Sichuan-Tibet line. The reputation of "Jiuzhai".

Although Ranwu Lake and Laigu Glacier are two scenic spots, they are actually adjacent and connected. It can be said that the melting ice of Laigu Glacier turned into Ranwu Lake. Both Ranwu Lake and Laigu Glacier can be said to be The source of Palong Zangbo, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, is also the origin of the Palong Grand Canyon.

Ranwu Lake is the largest lake in Chamdo and the largest lake in eastern Tibet. It consists of three connected lakes, namely Yangcuo Lake, Pangcuo Lake and Lenganjiabu Lake. The total area of ​​the three lakes exceeds 27 square kilometers, the total length from top to bottom is about 25 kilometers, and the width is about 1-2 kilometers. It is a belt lake located in the canyon.

Laigu Glacier is above Ranwu Lake. The highest altitude is Mount Gangrigabu at 6,626 meters. The snow on the top of the mountain does not melt all the year round, and a large-scale modern glacier group has developed, forming the magnificent and magnificent Laigu Glacier. At the same time, it provides a rich source of water for Ranwu Lake.

It is understood that Ranwu Lake was formed more than 200 years ago. At the current outlet, due to geological reasons, a huge glacier collapsed, and a large number of collapsed mountains and rocks blocked Palong Zangbo, forming a huge plateau barrier lake. And this barrier lake is the Ranwu Lake we see today.

The uppermost lake of Ranwu Lake is called Yangcuo Lake. Its name means bottomless lake in Tibetan. It is located between two mountains. How deep it is is still a mystery to be solved. Ten 12-meter-long clues were connected to hang stones into the water to measure the depth of the lake, but the stones have not yet reached the bottom. Therefore, some experts speculate that there may be a huge canyon crack under Yangcuo Lake, and the depth of the lake is more than 100 meters.

The Yangcuo Lake in the upper reaches is different from the water outlet. The lake has been basically frozen, and tourists can walk, play and skate in the lake. The mountain beside the lake is called Duoji Pearl Mountain. It is said that the mountain is quite sacred and is one of the four patron saints of Meili Snow Mountain. The mountain peak is hidden in the clouds and mists all the year round, looming and mysterious.

The lake in the middle of Ranwu Lake is called Pangcuo Lake. In fact, Cuo means lake. The local people usually call it Pangcuo directly. Pangcuo Lake is adjacent to Ranwu Town. The lake is wide and the surrounding area has been frozen, but the middle is still green Calm, surrounded by row upon row of Tibetan-style dwellings, lakes and mountains, corresponding to the fun, it is an excellent place to appreciate idyllic pastoral and Tibetan customs.

The lower lake scenic spot of Ranwu Lake is Leng'anjiabu Lake, which is the lake near the water outlet. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and glaciers above 5,000 meters above sea level. Even though it is winter, the colors of the lake are still very rich. The grassland, forest, snow-capped mountains, Jingfan and colorful pebbles on the lakeshore together form a fairyland-like picture scroll. Being in it is like entering a dreamland. The most beautiful lake on the Sichuan-Tibet line is also worthy of the reputation of "Xitian Yaochi" and "Plateau Jiuzhai". If you come to play, it is recommended to stay in Ranwu Town for one night. You must spend two days in Ranwu Lake and Laigu Glacier. Really So beautiful.