Have you ever dreamed of entering a wonderland as fascinating and beautiful as paradise? Take a tour to Namtso Lake in Tibet, and you are sure to realize this dream.

With the meaning "Heavenly Lake" in Tibetan, Namtso Lake lies about 240 kilometers north of Lhasa, Tibet. At an altitude of some 4,718 meters and covering 1,940 square kilometers, Namtso is the highest saltwater lake in the world as well as one of the most famous Buddhist sacred sites of pilgrimage.

To reach the heavenly lake, you have to first climb over the Nyagche Mountain, exceeding 5,000 metres above sea level. Looking westwards into the distance from the mountain pass, a vast expense of sapphire blue water lies ahead, a first glimpse of Namtso Lake. Thanks to the flat and broad road built recently at the foot of the mountain, it is now much easier to reach the wide pastureland by the lake.

All-season beauty

Among the large number of picturesque and poetic plateaus and lakes in Tibet, Lake Namtso still stands out for its rare beauty. The bright blue waters and the pure white snow-capped peaks set each other off appealingly, while hordes of cattle and sheep wander across the lush pastureland by the lakeside.

Each season has its own beauty there, and all together they compose an entire fairy world. In summer there extends boundless green grassland, while in autumn a mellow golden yellow predominates. In the cold winter, silver-white snow covers all the mountains and waters, and at the turn between spring and summer, Lake Namtso takes on a similar aspect to the Antarctic Pole, with ice walls piled up around the shores, accumulated from the innumerable ice chunks carried by the water.

Looking over the vast undulating expanses of Namtso Lake, you will enjoy a good view of the ice-covered 7,717-metre Nyachen Thang-la Mountain. It is said that the mountain god ruling Nyachen Thang-la is the most strict and ferocious divinity in the whole Namtso area, while his wife, the fairy Namtso, is very tender and beautiful. As a perfect couple, they accompany each other from generation to generation.

Buddhist sacred site

There are four intrusions of land into the charming blue lake, among which the largest is Tashi Island with a surface area of 10 square kilometers. As the only place that offers accommodation in the Namtso area, Tashi Island makes the best place for sight seeing and religious devotion.

This island hosts a large number of strange-shaped stones and fantastic caves. Upon stepping onto it, you will notice two parallel colossal stelae, which are named the "Heaven Gate Stones", or "the Angry Gate-keeping Parents Statues" by local devotees. In the west of the island there are another two huge stones which look like two palms put together, named "Parents Statues of Shengle Warrior Attendants". Not far from these, in the north, exists a single colossal stone poking directly into the sky, which is called the "Lotus Still Water Vase".

On the walls of the caves are carved precious prehistoric rock paintings, which mainly depict the animals and hunting scenes of primitive times. Standing in front of the walls, you may even have the illusion of being taken back to an ancient age.

There are also many famous monasteries and holy relics on the island, which compose another kind of charm, that of the religious atmosphere.

The saying goes that practising Buddhism here even for a moment is equivalent to a century of self-cultivation in any other place, demonstrating the Lake's prominent significance as a Buddhist sacred site. And the numerous amazing legends and holy relics left by eminent Tibetan monks from past dynasties have added to the mysterious atmosphere.

Lakeside gathering

People believe that circum ambulation around the lake at the right time produces great merit. So when the time comes, tens of thousands of pilgrims from other places congregate there, making the lakeside extraordinarily crowed and noisy.

In the morning when the golden sunshine touches the snow-white peaks, thin smoke begins to rise over the tents by the lakeside. The Tibetan girls draw water from the lake and prepare to cook mellow buttered tea. Soon, the pilgrimage begins.

The lake is 200 kilometers in circumference, and it takes about 18 days for pilgrims to circle around it on foot. But nowadays, more people choose to complete the task by car or by circling around the Tashi Island instead, which saves a lot of time and energy.

Besides circling the lake, the disciples worship the divine relics by casting white Hada over the high precipices and hanging colorful sutra flags by the lakeside. They also wash their bodies and clothes with holy water from the lake, and fill their vessels with water for their relatives or for sacrificial usage in their remote hometowns. All the above scenes add a solemn atmosphere to the natural beauty.

"I loved the lake the moment I saw her," said one young visitor from East China's Jiangxi Province. "I think I've found the paradise of my dreams."

(Shanghai Star February 25, 2004)