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Lake · Tibet

Yamdrok Lake

羊卓雍错 (Yángzhuóyōngcuò)

The turquoise, scorpion-shaped holy lake south of Lhasa

Yamdrok (Yamdrok Tso) is a long, branching lake at about 4,440 metres in Nangartse county, south of Lhasa and the Yarlung Tsangpo, covering some 600 square kilometres. One of the three holy lakes of Tibet, it is known for its turquoise water seen from the Kamba La pass on the road from Lhasa to Gyantse, and for Samding Monastery, seat of Tibet's highest-ranking female incarnation.

Key facts

Surface elevation
about 4,441 m[1]
Area
about 600–640 km²[1]
Highest peak nearby
Noijin Kangsang, 7,206 m
Location
Nangartse county, Shannan, Tibet
4,441 m above sea level · highest point: Lake surface (approximate)

Overview

Yamdrok lies in a mountain basin just south of the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo, separated from the river by the Kamba La ridge. The lake has no single open shape but winds between hills in long arms and bays, so that its outline has been compared to a scorpion or a coral branch; an island-like mountain massif rises inside its southern loop. The name is usually explained as “turquoise lake of the upper pastures”, and the colour of the water changes with depth and light from pale green to deep blue.

For Tibetans the lake is the transformation of a goddess and one of the life-souls (la) of the Tibetan people; a saying holds that if Yamdrok dries up, Tibet will no longer be habitable. Villages of farmers and herders stand along its shores, and the road from Lhasa to Gyantse and Shigatse follows its northern and western arms.

How the landscape formed

Yamdrok occupies a basin dammed by landslides and glacial deposits in the valleys of the northern Himalaya. With only minor outflow, it is slightly brackish. The glaciated Noijin Kangsang massif (7,206 m) rises to the west, and the Karo La glacier descends almost to the road that links the lake with Gyantse. Water levels have fluctuated in recent decades with changes in precipitation and glacial melt and with the use of lake water for hydropower.

Highlights

  • Kamba La pass

    岗巴拉山口 (Gǎngbālā Shānkǒu)

    The pass of almost 4,800 m between the Yarlung Tsangpo valley and the lake, with the classic view over its turquoise arms.

  • Samding Monastery

    桑顶寺 (Sāngdǐng Sì)

    A monastery on a ridge near the southern shore, seat of the Samding Dorje Phagmo, the highest-ranking female tulku in Tibetan Buddhism.

  • Noijin Kangsang

    宁金抗沙峰 (Níngjīn Kàngshā Fēng)

    A 7,206 m glaciated peak west of the lake, above the road to Gyantse.

  • Karo La glacier

    卡若拉冰川 (Kǎruòlā Bīngchuān)

    A glacier hanging above the pass of the same name on the road from the lake to Gyantse.

  • Nangartse

    浪卡子 (Làngkǎzǐ)

    The county town on the western shore, a stopping place on the road to Gyantse.

Plants and wildlife

The lake and its marshy shores are a breeding and stopover area for waterbirds of the plateau, and the lake holds native fish of the schizothoracine group, adapted to cold water. Around it lie barley fields, alpine meadows and steep, sparsely vegetated slopes.

Plants

  • Highland barley

    青稞 (qīngkē)

    The staple crop of the villages along the shore, grown up to the limits of cultivation.

Wildlife

  • Bar-headed goose

    斑头雁 (bāntóuyàn)

    Common on the lake in summer.

  • Ruddy shelduck

    赤麻鸭 (chìmáyā)

    An orange-brown duck seen in pairs along the shore, regarded by Tibetans as a holy bird.

  • Schizothoracine fish

    裂腹鱼 (lièfùyú)

    Native carp relatives of the plateau lakes; Tibetans traditionally do not fish in holy lakes.

Culture and legend

Yamdrok is one of the three holy lakes of Tibet, with Namtso and Manasarovar, and pilgrims walk parts of its shore and visit the monasteries around it. Samding Monastery is the seat of the line of female incarnations known as Dorje Phagmo, “Thunderbolt Sow”, a manifestation of the deity Vajravarahi, which dates back to the 15th century.

  • Dorje Phagmo

    多吉帕姆 (Duōjí Pàmǔ)

    The line of female incarnations seated at Samding, a manifestation of Vajravarahi.

  • Ritod Monastery

    日托寺 (Rìtuō Sì)

    A small monastery on a rocky peninsula of the lake.

History

  1. 15th century

    Samding and the Dorje Phagmo line

    Samding Monastery became the seat of a line of female incarnations that continues today.

  2. 1904

    British expedition

    The British expedition under Francis Younghusband marched past the lake on its way from Gyantse to Lhasa.

  3. 1990s

    Yamdrok hydropower station

    A pumped-storage hydropower station was built to use the drop between the lake and the Yarlung Tsangpo; its construction met concern among Tibetans for whom the lake is sacred.

Through the seasons

  • Spring

    Windy and dry, with snow on the passes; the lake thaws in April.

  • Summer

    June to September brings green shores, barley fields and the most vivid colours of the water, with afternoon showers.

  • Autumn

    Harvest season and clear skies; September and October give some of the best views from the Kamba La.

  • Winter

    Cold and clear; parts of the lake freeze, and the passes can be blocked by snow.

Routes and ways in

  1. Kamba La viewpoint

    The road from the Yarlung Tsangpo valley climbs over the pass and descends to the lakeshore.

  2. Lakeshore to Nangartse

    The road follows the northern and western shore to Nangartse, and continues over the Karo La to Gyantse and Shigatse.

  3. Samding and southern shore

    A side road from Nangartse leads to Samding Monastery, with walks on the ridge above the lake.

Practical notes

  • The lake lies about 800 m higher than Lhasa and the Kamba La higher still; visitors should acclimatise in Lhasa first.
  • Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit, arranged through a registered travel agency with a guided itinerary; see the visa section for general entry rules.
  • The lake is holy: do not swim, fish or leave rubbish, and walk clockwise around shrines and chortens.
  • The lake is usually seen on the way between Lhasa and Gyantse or Shigatse rather than as a separate trip.

Cities to start from

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Yamzho Yumco — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region — People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. People's Government of Shannan — Shannan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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