| Yamdrok Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Yamdrok Lake | |
| Coordinates | 28°56′N90°41′E / 28.933°N 90.683°E /28.933; 90.683 |
| Basin countries | China |
| Max. length | 72 km (45 mi) |
| Surface area | 638 km2 (246 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Max. depth | 60 m (200 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 4,441 m (14,570 ft) |
Yamdrok Lake (also known asYamdrok Yumtso orYamzho Yumco;Tibetan:ཡར་འབྲོག་གཡུ་མཚོ་,Wylie:yar-'drog. G’yu-mtsho,ZWPY:Yamzhog Yumco;Chinese:羊卓雍錯;pinyin:Yángzhuó Yōngcuò, Yángzhuō Yōngcuò) is a freshwater lake inTibet. It is one of the three largestlakes in Tibet. It is over 72 km (45 mi) long. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. The lake has an outlet stream, a tributary ofYarlung Tsangpo, at its far western end and means turquoise in English due to its color.[1]
Around 90 km (56 mi) to the west of the lake lies the Tibetan town ofGyantse andLhasa is 100 km (62 mi) to the northeast. According to localmythology, Yamdok Yumtso lake is the transformation of a goddess.[2]
TheYamdrok Hydropower Station was completed and dedicated in 1996 near the small village ofBaidi at the lake's western end. This power station is the largest in Tibet.[3]
The lake (638 km2 (246 sq mi) in area, 30 metres (98 ft) average depth and 60 metres (200 ft) at its deepest)[4] is fan-shaped, spreading to the south but narrowing up to the north. The mountainous lakeshore is highly crenellated, with numerous bays and inlets. Lake Yamdrok freezes in winter.[5][6]
Yamdrok Lake has a coldsteppe climate (BSk) with long, cold, very dry winters and short, cool, wet summers. It is also bordering on an alpinetundra climate (ET) and on asubarctic climate (Dwc). The differences between day and night are great.[7][8]
| Climate data for Yamdrok Lake | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) | 3.4 (38.1) | 5.8 (42.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 13.1 (55.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 15.2 (59.4) | 13.9 (57.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | 9.6 (49.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) | −5.2 (22.6) | −2.0 (28.4) | 2.1 (35.8) | 6.2 (43.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 10.6 (51.1) | 9.8 (49.6) | 8.1 (46.6) | 2.8 (37.0) | −2.6 (27.3) | −6.0 (21.2) | 2.2 (36.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) | −13.8 (7.2) | −9.8 (14.4) | −5.2 (22.6) | −0.7 (30.7) | 4.0 (39.2) | 5.1 (41.2) | 4.5 (40.1) | 2.3 (36.1) | −4.6 (23.7) | −11.3 (11.7) | −15.3 (4.5) | −5.1 (22.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (0.1) | 4 (0.2) | 12 (0.5) | 39 (1.5) | 82 (3.2) | 83 (3.3) | 37 (1.5) | 7 (0.3) | 1 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 267 (10.6) |
| Source:Climate-Data.org | |||||||||||||
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Like mountains, lakes are considered sacred by Tibetan people, the principle being that they are the dwelling places of protective deities and therefore invested with special spiritual powers. Yamdrok Lake is one of four particularly holy lakes, thought to be divinatory; everyone from the Dalai Lama to local villagers makes pilgrimages there. It is considered sacred as one of the four "Great Wrathful Lakes" guarded by the goddess Dorje Gegkyi Tso.[3] The others such lakes areLhamo La-tso,Namtso andManasarovar.[10]
The lake, its islands, and the surrounding area are closely associated withPadmasambhava, the Second Buddha, who brought Buddhism to Tibet in eighth century AD.[3] The lake is home to the famousSamding Monastery which is on a peninsula jutting into the lake. This monastery is the only Tibetan monastery to be headed by a female re-incarnation. Since it is not a nunnery, its abbess heads a community of about thirty monks and nuns. Samding Monastery is whereSamding Dorje Phagmo, the most important female incarnateLama in Tibet, stayed and presided, and stands to the south of Lake Yamdrok Yumtso.[11]
Today, both pilgrims and tourists can be seen walking along the lake's perimeter. One of the lake's islands contains an old fort or castle called Pede Dzong.[12]
There are shoals of fish living in Yamdrok Lake, which are commercially exploited by the local population.[13] From April to October, fish caught from this lake are sold at markets inLhasa. Additionally, the lake's islands serve as rich pasture land to local herdsmen.[14]
