Sacred Lake Manasarovar: The Eternal Jade Lake

Manasarovar, one of the three sacred lakes in Tibet, is located on the Ali Plateau. It is accompanied by the nearby Mount Naimona'nyi and watched over from afar by the sacred Mount Kailash. Surrounding the lake, the Maquan River, the source of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, flows eastward; the Peacock River, the source of the Ganges, flows southward; the Elephant River flows westward, and the Lion River flows northward. These rivers eventually converge to form the source of the Indus River. This single lake gives rise to three great rivers, nurturing life across the vast lands of South Asia and fostering the brilliant ancient civilizations along their banks, including the ancient Zhangzhung civilization, Tibetan civilization, Kashmiri civilization, Indus Valley civilization, and Ganges civilization. In the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West," the "Celestial Pool of the Western Heaven" refers to Manasarovar. Manasarovar represents the ultimate beauty of Ali—profound, sacred, serene, and pure. If you visit Ali and trek around Mount Kailash, take some time to visit Manasarovar and walk around the lake.