Heavenly Lake Namtso in Tibet

Known in English as the Heavenly Lake and in Tibetan as Namtso Lake. It is the largest saltwater in Tibet and the highest lake in the world at 4718 meters. The water is always crystal clear and same as the sky. That is why the Tibetan say that the soul of every visitor will be cleansed by the pure lake water. 

Being the second largest saltwater lake in China only after Qinghai Lake, Namtso Lake is the biggest lake throughout Tibet. Meanwhile, it is the highest altitude saltwater lake in the world. The water here is a storybook crystal-clear blue. Clear skies join the surface of the lake in the distance, creating an integrated, scenic vista. Soul of every visitor who has ever been here seems to be cleansed by the pure lake water.

Through the lake there are several small islands and a lot of stone peaks. The stone peaks are famous in the lake and many resemble other objects, such as trees, people or trunks. Summer is the best time to visit Namtso. During this time you can see wild yaks, sheep, hares, birds, fish and of course the surrounding mountains are covered in green grasses and amazing flowers. 

Namtso has a long history in Buddhism and Tibetan culture. The lake is a sacred Buddhist place. On one of the small islands, Zhaxi every year of the sheep thousands of Buddhists will go to that temple to pray, then walk clockwise around the  to receive the blessings of the gods. 

Almost everyone who visits the lake leaves a mani stone and most monks and Buddhist leave a mani stone on every mani stone mound. Mani stone are rocks with a mantra (prayer) written or engraved on the stone. Leaving a stone on mani stone mound is the same as saying the scripture. So, you can imagine how many mani stone there are and how many mani stone mounds there are after thousands and thousands of years. 

In Tibetan culture Namtso lake is known as a portal to Heaven. People can go to the lake and whisper to the gods. Many Tibetan stories come from this lake. For example, when the monks were searching for the 14th Dalai Lama they went to Namtso lake to talk to the gods. The gods helped them by giving them visions and helped them find him.