Five-Color Lake

　　The sacred Donghai is made up of two connected lakes, upper and lower, lying peacefully in the embrace of Mount Baigeta at an altitude of 4,100 meters. It is one of the largest alpine lakes in Menyuan. The serene and beautiful Five-Color Lake, which integrates snow-capped mountains, lakes, primeval forests, rare birds and animals, and marvelously formed caves, is formed by 108 springs that miraculously converge into one large and one small sister lake atop Mount Geta. To the east and west of the lake are two white peaks—one resembling a big-bellied Maitreya Buddha with a perpetual smile, the other like a kind and benevolent bodhisattva—guarding the sister lakes. The color of the lake changes vividly between five hues depending on the mountain terrain and weather conditions. Legend has it that the crescent-shaped upper lake is the incarnation of the God of Joy, while the oval lower lake is the embodiment of the Goddess of Fortune. These lofty deities bless and protect the Huare Tibetan region with their benevolence.

　　The eminent Tibetan lama Dongke Duojijiacuo left this benedictory verse for pilgrims who come to this sacred land: “Whoever remembers it in their heart shall be granted both supreme and common blessings. We should worship this flawless jade-like lake, one of twenty-four sacred sites, with devout reverence of body, speech, and mind.”

　　Later, Tibetan pilgrims visiting Donghai would recite this benediction as they prayed piously, wishing for peace, harmony, good fortune, and happiness.

　　There is also another popular folk version of the story. When King Gesar was returning triumphantly after defeating King Hor and reclaiming his beloved queen, Zhumu, he had too many war spoils, and Zhumu had already been influenced by the aura of the Hor Kingdom, making it inappropriate for them to return home immediately. As a solution, King Gesar buried treasures within the Three Gorges Gate and settled Zhumu there. Before leaving, he stationed heavy troops at each gate. At the first gate, he placed crossbows and assigned a fierce tiger to guard it; at the second, a blue dragon coiled; and at the third, rakshasas and dakinis were assigned as protectors. Inside was Donghai, where Zhumu washed away the lingering scents of the Hor Kingdom daily, and in her leisure, she played chess with the rakshasas and dakinis—or perhaps dogs. Later, when King Gesar came to retrieve her, upon parting, Zhumu threw into Donghai a red sash, a green handkerchief, a blue gemstone, a jade hairpin, and a gold bracelet. From then on, the lake acquired five different colors, and it came to be known as the Sacred Five-Color Lake.

　　The Sacred Five-Color Lake rests gently in the embrace of the big-bellied Maitreya Buddha with a smiling face and the kind-hearted bodhisattva, like two sleeping beauties—perhaps with their eyes closed in deep thought, or lost in a timeless dream. The beautiful legends, together with the sacred Donghai, form a spectacle that forever captivates the imagination.

　　Donghai is not like the ocean, nor does it have the grandeur of Qinghai Lake, and of course, it has inspired few poetic verses from literati. However, to the Huare Tibetans, this “twenty-four-part jade-like lake” is a sacred spiritual land that brings blessings—an inviolable and irreverent place.