Yamdrok Lake - one of the four holy lakes of Tibet

Yamdrok Lake is one of four such holy lakes, the others being Lhamo La-tso (mentioned above), Namtso and Manasarovar. It is revered as a talisman and is said to be part of the life-spirit of the Tibetan nation. The largest lake in southern Tibet, it is said that if its waters dry, Tibet will no longer be habitable. The lake has nine islands, of which one houses the famous Samding Monastery. This monastery is interesting, as it is the only Tibetan monastery to be headed by a female re- incarnation. Since it is not a nunnery, its female abbot heads a community of about thirty monks.

Today, both pilgrims and tourists can be seen walking along the lake's perimeter, enjoying the diversified fauna and flora, admiring the snow-capped mountains in the distance and visiting the villages scattered along its shores. One of the most newly popular pastimes for Tibetans is fishing, new because Tibetans are traditionally not allowed to eat fish.

Since the mid-1980's, when the local government decided to build a hydroelectric plant here, Yamdrok Lake has been a source of controversy between traditional Tibetans and the energy department. A six km tunnel, built 10 meters below the water's surface, is already being used for power generation to supply the growing city of Lhasa. Traditionalists fear that the lake will dry out. While Chinese scientists emphasise that all excess water is pumped back into the lake, there is still some animosity from Tibetans who consider that the sanctity of the lake has been compromised.