Lhanag-tso

When mentioning the holiest lake in Tibet, most people will have the sacred lake - Manasarovar Lake in mind. While her sister Lake - Lhanag-tso is always forgotten by people. Actually, the scenery of the Lhanag-tso is still stunning and attractive. With a high altitude of 4574 meters, Lhanag-tso (also named Rakshas) is known as the “Ghost Lake” among travelers. In the Tibetan language, the name of the lake means “the poisonous dark lake”. Situated in Purang County, Ngari, Tibet, Lhanag-tso is just separated with the holy Manasarovar Lake by a road. Because it is a salt lake, the water in this lake cannot be drunk. Maybe this is the original of its nickname.

In fact, Lhanag-tso and Manasarovar Lake stayed together without separation. Due to some solid materials carried by the ice and glaciers, the riverbed in the middle of the Lhanag-tso became higher and higher. Later, because of global warming and low water supply, the area of the Lhanag-tso gets smaller and smaller. And the content of the salt in the lake is higher and higher.

There is no plant, or living things by the side of Lhanag-tso. The holy Manasarover Lake and the Lhanag-tso are connected by a small water channel named ganpa chu. Although this water channel always remains dry, people believe that one day the holy water in Manasarovar Lake will flow into the Lhanag-tso via this small channel. At that time, a golden fish and a redfish will run into the ghost lake, then the water in Lhanag-tso will get as clean and holy as the Manasarovar Lake.