Yamdrok Lake is a very famous freshwater lake surrounded by lots of snowy mountains, one of the three sacred lakes together with Namtso Lake and Lake Manasorovar in Tibet. It is located on the south bank of Yarlung Zangbo River, also one of the largest inland lakes in the Himalayas region.
With the altitude of 4,441 meter on the surface, Yamdrok Lake has the length of 130km from the east to the west while the width of 70km from the north to the south. The lake is huge, the shape of which looks like the coral branch but full of mysterious and beauty with a total area of 638 kilometers. In Tibetan, the name of Yamdrok Lake means “the green jade lake” and “swan lake” sounds particularly beautiful to people. And the lake is more fairness than the name of itself.
Standing peacefully on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Yamdrok Lake likes a big blue mirror flowing to the far away slowly. The water is so clean and pure, do not has little pollution and impurities due to the unique location of the high plateau.
There are 21 different islands in Yamdrok Lake. All kinds of birds and animals are living on these island, make here as a largest paradise of waterfowl habitat. Imaging thousands of various birds fly to the blue sky at the same time, how magnificent there are! You will certainly be shocked by this scenery! Countless fishes flowing freely on the lake while the lots of lovely animals such as wild sheep or foxes may sometimes be come across when you are lucky.
Yamdrok Lake also known as a rich pasture, it is the heaven of the cattle and sheep. In the spring and the early summer, the experienced herdsmen are sending their precious cattle to the islands in the lake to make good use of the abundance of grass. There has good grassland here for cattle and horses to graze on. When one of the best seasons of a year -summer comes, the cattle and horses are growing well and healthy. It is really a time worth to cherish for the herdsmen. The cattle are sent back till the winter comes. There are a lot of herdsmen earning their living by relying on Yamdrok Lake. It is really need to thanks to have such a good place to create such a pure land for them.
As Yamdork Lake called sacred lake by people, many devout Buddhists circle the lake every year by following their traditional. It is said that it will bring the very good fortunate for them. Although it takes almost a year to circle on round to the lake for its huge, even ride a horse needs a totally month to finish. The devout Buddhists believes they will be bless by the Buddha the whole year.
Although the landscape of Yamdrok Lake is so incomparable and charming, but since it is also in the high plateau, it is easy to have the high-plateau disease. If you prepare well enough, it is completely avoided. A famous geographer and author Van Loon has said, before we start out upon a voyage, we usually try to find out more or less definitely whither we are bound and how we are supposed to get there. Actually, the truly beauty of nature is really worth to visit.