Bangda Lake (; ), formerly called Yeshil Kul, is a glacial lake in

Ngari Prefecture Ngari Prefecture () or Ali Prefecture () is a prefecture of China's Tibet Autonomous Region covering Western Tibet, whose traditional name is Ngari Khorsum. Its administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Shiquanhe. History Ngar ...

in the northwest of the

Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a Provinces of China, province-level Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China in Southwest China. I ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. It lies south of the western

Kunlun Mountains The Kunlun Mountains ( zh, s=昆仑山, t=崑崙山, p=Kūnlún Shān, ; ug, كۇئېنلۇن تاغ تىزمىسى / قۇرۇم تاغ تىزمىسى ) constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending for more than . In the bro ...

, only a few kilometres to the southeast of

Guozha Lake Kotra Tso (), also known as Guozha Lake (), and Lake Lighten,Michael WardThe Kun Lun Shan: Desert Peaks of Central Asia ''The Alpine Journal'' (1989-90), p. 90. is a glacial lake in Rutog County in the Ngari Prefecture in the northwest of the Tibet ...

(Lake Lighten). Located at an elevation of , the Bangda Lake covers an area of 106 square kilometres with a maximum depth of 21.6 metres and contains 90 glaciers. Yeshil Kul is located along an ancient travel route between

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

and

Khotan Hotan (also known as Gosthana, Gaustana, Godana, Godaniya, Khotan, Hetian, Hotien) is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Western China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become ...

via the Keriya Pass. The route runs along the Longmu Co fault up to Yeshil Kul, and then heads north to the Keriya Pass, after which the valleys of the Iksu, Polu and Keriya rivers are followed. A "Xinjiang–Tibet Highway" was laid by the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

between the Polu town and the vicinity of the Bangda Lake during 1950–1951, prior to its annexation of Tibet. Jeep tracks were then made over the relatively flat, hard terrain of the Longmu Co fault, leading to

Rudok Rudok, also spelt Rutok and Rutog, more properly Rudok Dzong (), is a town that served as the historical capital of the Rudok area in Western Tibet on the frontier with Ladakh. In the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, it is described as being "pict ...

. A regular jeep traffic had commenced by 1953. China has recently constructed a highway that runs along the fault connecting the

G219 China National Highway 219 (G219; Chinese language, Chinese: ''Guódào219'') is a highway which runs along the entire western and southern border of the People's Republic of China, from Kom-Kanas Mongolian Ethnic Township, Kom-Kanas Mongolian e ...

and G216 highways.Kongka La Highway
OpenStreetMap, retrieved 14 November 2022.

Maps

File:NI-44-7 Yahsierh Tso China.jpg, Map including Yahsierh Tso (Yeshil Kul) File:Txu-pclmaps-oclc-22834566 g-7c.jpg, Map including Bangdag Co

Notes

References

Ngari Prefecture Lakes of Tibet {{Ngari-geo-stub