Lake Rakshastal

　　From Gyiumu Village, you can see the river that connects Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal. The river channel is long and winding, and looks quite enchanting under the setting sun. As the saying goes, good and evil cannot coexist. But beneath the snow-capped Mount Namunani in Tibet, opposites thrive together in eternal tranquility. Lake Rakshastal, known as the “Ghost Lake” in Tibetan, means “poisonous black lake.” It is located in Purang County, Ngari Prefecture, at an altitude of 4,573 meters, covering an area of 268 square kilometers. Surrounded by natural pastures, it is an inland saltwater lake. Ghost Lake Rakshastal lies adjacent to the Sacred Lake Manasarovar.

　　It is said that even without wind, waves rise three feet high on Ghost Lake. In reality, the scenery here is incredibly beautiful. The small dark red hills by the lakeside have a hazy, mysterious hue. The pebble beach resembles a bright, silvery ribbon inlaid along the shore. There is also a small island in the lake, which is dark red in color. By Lake Rakshastal, one often feels a strange sensation rising in their chest: such a vast lake area with not a single person or animal in sight, so desolate it feels like standing on the edge of the universe. It is said that Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal are connected underground — one side is a freshwater sacred lake, while the other is a saltwater ghost lake. It can be said that Lake Rakshastal is also a fascinating sight.

　　The ophiolite of Lake Rakshastal is part of the Shugugabu terrane, located in the southern section of the western segment of the Yarlung Zangbo ophiolite belt. The ophiolite is controlled by nearly east-west thrust faults, with the Purang metamorphic terrane to its south and the Jiwugunba stratified terrane to its north. The emplacement of this ophiolite terrane occurred before the late Tertiary period.

　　Lake Rakshastal and Lake Manasarovar were once connected, but later separated into two lakes due to a drop in water levels. To this day, there is still a river connecting the two, allowing water from the sacred lake to flow into the ghost lake. Originally, Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal were one and the same; they only split into the current two lakes due to geological changes and climate shifts. Experts have confirmed that the valley where Gyiumu Village is located was once the river channel linking Lake Manasarovar and Lake Rakshastal, and in years with ample rainfall, this channel would reunite the two lakes. Therefore, the name “Ghost Lake” is purely a human fabrication, perhaps reflecting the age-old notion that where there is a god, there must be a devil.

　　Strolling along the lakeshore, cold winds rush toward your face, and the thunderous roar of the waves stirs the heart. Standing by the shore of Ghost Lake, a feeling of sorrow wells up inside you — no predecessors ahead, no followers behind; the sky stretches on endlessly, the earth lies vast and empty, and the traveler feels as if they are standing on the edge of the universe, yet forever unable to find the destination of life. Tears of sadness flow endlessly, only to be quickly dried by the howling wind, while the lonely soul wanders day and night among the solitary snow mountains.