Lhasa - Yamdrok Lake Half-Circle - Puma Yumco - Tui Village - Tuiwa Monastery - Lhozhag
This morning, we will first go to the permit center to apply for a border pass, then drive halfway around Yamdrok Lake to deeply experience its beauty. Yamdrok Lake is one of the three great sacred lakes of Tibet. Its surface is calm and a vivid turquoise, like a sapphire on the Shannan Plateau. The lake's waters are as clear as a mirror, and its shores have lush grass and abundant water, making it a fertile plateau pasture. Local Tibetans praise Yamdrok Lake in folk songs: "A fairyland in heaven, Yamdrok on earth. Stars in the sky, cattle and sheep by the lake."
Afterward you will head to Puma Yumco. Puma Yumco, also known as Pumo Yumco, is a saltwater lake in the Himalayas with a surface elevation of 5,010 meters. Unlike the grandeur of Namtso or the elegance of Yamdrok Lake, Puma Yumco is serene, pristine, and pure in its beauty. With its deep blue sky, drifting white clouds, and snow-capped mountains faintly visible in the distance, sitting by the lake will give you the urge never to leave. In winter, when the lake surface freezes, the scenery becomes even more enchanting.
Then drive another 12 kilometers forward to a village — Tuicun. The small village sits right by the lake, with only a few dozen households and very few people who can speak Mandarin. In the village there is a temple, Tui Monastery, which has a history of 500 years. It is built on a cliff by the shore of Puma Yumco, and opposite it you can see endless ice-capped snow peaks. Thus Tui Monastery is set in an environment of clear waters and green mountains. As the saying goes, "Immortals mostly dwell in mountain fairylands," and Tui Monastery is a treasured place for reclusive practice.
🍽️ Breakfast not included, lunch included, dinner included
🏨 Lhozhag