Lake Manasarovar

　　         The best spot to view the sacred Lake Manasarovar is the hillside next to the Jiwu Monastery. The lake spans approximately 60 kilometers, and circumambulating it takes about two days when traveling clockwise. You’ll need to bring your own food, as apart from spending the second night in the wilderness, there are monasteries along the way that offer accommodation. While hiking around the lake isn’t as challenging as trekking around the sacred mountain, you will face the challenge of crossing streams. When encountering rivers or streams on the trail, you’ll have to wade through them. Imagine how it feels when glacial meltwater from the snowy mountains reaches waist-deep.    　    Points of Interest          Since ancient times, both Buddhist and Bon followers have regarded this as a sacred “center of the world.” It is the freshwater lake with the highest transparency in China and one of Tibet’s three “sacred lakes.” It is also the source of four major Asian rivers — namely, the famous Ganges, Indus, Sutlej, and Yarlung Tsangpo rivers in South Asia. Hence, it is often referred to as the “Mother of All Rivers.”   　              Located 20 kilometers southeast of Mount Kailash at an altitude of 4,588 meters, Lake Manasarovar is one of the highest-altitude freshwater lakes in the world, covering an area of over 400 square kilometers. The Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang also wrote in his records of his journey to India that this lake is the site of the Heavenly Queen Mother’s Jade Pool.       Pilgrims throughout history have considered visiting this lake, circumambulating it, and bathing in its waters as the greatest fortune in life. In fact, even for general tourists, the status of Lake Manasarovar as the “King of Sacred Lakes” is beyond question.       In Tibetan, Lake Manasarovar means “the Unconquerable Jade Lake.” Its name originates from a religious war that took place on the lakeshore in the 11th century, during which the Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu sect decisively defeated the Bon religion. “Manasarovar” commemorates the Buddhist victory, hence the lake’s name.       　    Food / Accommodation / Shopping         At the small village at the foot of the Jiwu Monastery hill, there are two unnamed guesthouses run by —, with a charge of 20 yuan per person for accommodation. The village consists of ten earthen houses, with no restaurants. The guesthouse to the south serves vegetarian rice meals for 10 yuan per meal. It's best to bring instant noodles or dry rations. The guesthouse has a stove and dried yak dung for fuel, so you can cook your own food.    　    Transportation          Most travelers use the small village near the Jiwu Monastery as their base. It is located 30 kilometers southeast of Darchen. To get there from Mount Kailash, unless you hire a jeep, you’ll have to hitchhike in Darchen or at the Barkha checkpoint, with prices ranging from 30 to 70 yuan. For information on how to reach Mount Kailash, please refer to the transportation section for the sacred mountain.     

　　  Tibet’s Ngari Prefecture