Road Tripping Tibet! (11)

Today is April 16, day 11 of our Tibet road trip.

The plan is to set off from Lhasa to visit Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet. Then from Yamdrok Yumtso Lake to Xiongse Monastery.

Yamdrok Yumtso means 'Turquoise Lake' in Tibetan. It joins Namtso and Manasarovar as the three great sacred lakes of Tibet. Leaving Lhasa, it’s about a two-hour drive to reach Yamdrok Yumtso. On the way, we passed a small mountain village where three huge peach trees were in full bloom—scenes like this always make us stop for photos.

On the road to Yamdrok Yumtso.

Wild Beast and Peach Blossom Fairy!

Leaving the blazing pink peach trees behind, we continued toward Yamdrok Yumtso and arrived at the Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge. We got out to snap some keepsake pictures.

We reached the lakeside at an altitude of 4,677 meters, but the weather didn’t cooperate. A light snow began to fall, and the vivid turquoise waters of Yamdrok Yumtso dimmed under the grey sky. The wind blew fiercely, so after a few quick photos, we turned back and headed for Xiongse Monastery.

Xiongse Monastery lies on a hillside in the Xiongse Valley, on the southern bank of the lower Lhasa River. It’s the largest nunnery in Tibet today, perched over 4,100 meters above sea level with a history of nearly a thousand years.

The winding road through Xiongse Valley.

When we arrived, the monastery was undergoing construction. At such high altitude, building materials are carried up by these sturdy, plodding donkeys.

Xiongse Monastery is not large, but it’s incredibly old. It’s also a favourite spot for bird photography enthusiasts, who say that Tibetan snowcocks often appear here—and we were lucky enough to see them too.

Three Tibetan snowcocks came to forage just outside the monastery walls. Inside, bird photographers stood quietly with their long lenses and telephoto gear, capturing them from a distance.

After leaving Xiongse Monastery and having dinner, we made our way to Barkhor Street in Lhasa’s old town. Perhaps because it’s the off-season, all the shops had closed early and the street felt empty. But under the streetlamps, the old quarter still radiated its timeless charm.

We said goodbye to Barkhor Street, returned to the hotel, and got an early night’s rest.