Yihun Lhatso (), also transliterated from

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...

as Yilung Latsho, is a

glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...

in the

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

an area of western Sichuan Province,

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 ...

Geography

Yihun Lhatso rests in a valley on the north side of the

Chola Mountains The Chola Mountains, also romanized as the Trola Mountains, are a northern subrange of the Shaluli Mountains in western Sichuan Province, China. The mountains were once at the centre of the Kingdom of Derge and many remnant Tibetan Buddhist mona ...

at the foot of Rongme Ngatra. It is found 10km south of the town of

Manigango Manigango () is a small township in Dege County, Garze Prefecture, Sichuan, China. The town is located on the Tro Chu () river on the east side of the Chola Mountains. The area is part of the historical region of Kham in Tibet. Today, Manigan ...

Dege County Dege may refer to: * Derge, a town in Dêgê County in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China * Dêgê County Dêgê County (; ) is a county in southern China, which was formerly one of the Kham region's five independent kingdoms - ...

, Garze Prefecture. The lake occupies a u-shaped valley and is contained by the former terminal moraine of a glacier originating from Rongme Ngatra that has now receded to above sea level. The lake is drained by the Tro Chu (), a tributary of the Yalong River which eventually joins with the

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

. The lake is passed by Highway 317 on its way over Cho La mountain pass.

Culture

As part of the historic

Kham Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The original residents of Kham are called Khampas (), and were governed locally by chieftains and monasteries. Kham ...

region in

, Yihun Lhatso has long been known to the

Tibetan people The Tibetan people (; ) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Tibet. Their current population is estimated to be around 6.7 million. In addition to the majority living in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, significant numbers of Tibetans live ...

. It is considered a

sacred lake Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. T ...

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

and a

kora Kora may refer to: Places India * Kora, Bardhaman, West Bengal * Kora, Bharuch, Gujarat * Korha, Katihar, also known as Kora, in Bihar * Kora, Kendrapara, Odisha * Kora, Wardha, Maharastra * Kora, Tumakuru, Karnataka * Toyaguda, Adilabad, Telan ...

route circles the lake. The lake and adjacent streams are known for the hundreds of boulders that have been carved into mani stones. Today, it is a common tourist stop for hiking and the entire Yihun Lhatso area charges an admission fee.

References

{{Reflist Lakes of China