Dream of Tibet Part 8: Basongcuo, a turquoise plateau
Fulfilling the Tibetan Dream Part 8
——Basongcuo, the turquoise plateau
At 19:30 on August 4, 2024, after more than 20 hours, we finally arrived in Lhasa. The tour bus arranged a driver to pick us up. The driver was a young man from Sichuan. He was very enthusiastic. While driving, he introduced to us the things we should pay attention to when visiting Tibet for the first time, such as not to catch a cold, not to take a shower, not to walk too fast, etc. The hotel is pretty good and has an oxygen concentrator. My wife felt a little dizzy, so I adjusted the working time of the oxygen concentrator to 2 hours so that she can sleep peacefully and will not become dependent on oxygen.
A 17-seat bus arrived at 8 o'clock in the morning on August 5. There were only 10 people in our group, so it was very spacious. The person sent by the travel agency was a young man named Yang. We called him a tour guide. He said very modestly, "I am not a tour guide, but a travel agency staff member." July and August are the peak tourist seasons in Tibet, and there are not enough tour guides. So he came to Tibet from Hubei to work through the introduction of his classmates. He had just finished the college entrance examination this year. We were all moved by the young man's spirit of self-reliance. Xiao Yang introduced that our trip to Tibet this time will start from the Linzhi area with the best environment at a lower altitude, and then gradually adapt to the environment, and finally go to the glaciers at higher altitudes. The first stop is Basongcuo in Nyingchi area.
Basongcuo is located in the upper reaches of the Ba River in Nyingchi City, about 350 kilometers away from Lhasa. Starting from Lhasa, you can go over Mila Pass along the Linla Expressway and then drive along the Cogao Highway to reach the scenic spot. The whole journey takes about 4 hours. The scenery along the way is breathtaking. The azure blue sky, white clouds, green grass, clear rivers, and densely wooded mountains flashed past the car window from time to time. Although the ride was quite long, we didn't feel monotonous or tired. The scenery along the way makes people sigh that Linzhi is worthy of being called the Jiangnan of Tibet.
At 14:30 we arrived at Basongcuo. Basongcuo is one of the largest barrier lakes in Tibet. As most of the lake is located in Cogao Township, locals call it Cogao Lake. Basongcuo is the transliteration of Tibetan. "Cuo" means lake, which means "the green lake under three rocky mountains", and is abbreviated as "Three Rock Lake". The three rocky mountains are Zangezha Rock in Bahe Town, Dojizasen Rock in Zhula Township and Laza Rock, which resemble a king's throne, a burning flame and purple Buddhist beads respectively. The lake is a national 5A-level natural scenic spot, a national scenic spot, and a national forest park. It is a scenic spot that integrates snow-capped mountains, lakes, forests, waterfalls and pastures, cultural relics and historical sites, and famous temples.
After arriving at Basongcuo, take a sightseeing bus to the island in the middle of the lake. Walking into Basongcuo, at first glance, it looks like an irregular olive-shaped turquoise, clear, blue-green, and round, which immediately attracted all our attention. In the middle of Basongcuo, about 100 meters away from the shore, there is a small island called Zhaxi Island. Legend has it that the island is a "hollow island", that is, the island is not connected to the bottom of the lake and floats on the lake. The clear green water surrounds the small island in the middle of the lake, and yachts pass by from time to time. On the island there is a Tang Dynasty building called "Cuozong Gongba Temple", which is a famous Red Sect Nyingma sect temple in Tibet. It was built in the late Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,500 years. The temple is built on the mountain, and its golden roof contrasts beautifully with the blue sky. In the temple, the sounds of burning incense and praying are intertwined, giving people a sense of holiness. There are also attractions such as the White Pagoda, prayer wheels and a lakeside viewing platform on the island. It is reported that Basongcuo is about 18 kilometers long. On the lakeside near the northeastern end of Basongcuo, there are Tibetan villages with original Gongbu style such as Jieba Village and Cuogao Village. It is the best place for tourists to stop and deeply experience the characteristics and scenery of the plateau. Continuing along the mountain path, there are more landscapes such as Xincuo, Bailanggou, and Zhongcuo. They are closer to the snow-capped mountains and are the source of Basongcuo. They are more natural, primitive, quiet and beautiful. Due to time constraints, we did not go.
Basongcuo is not only a lake, but also a mysterious place embracing snow-capped mountains, forests and vast pastures. The air here is filled with the fragrance of pine trees, and the sound of clear lake water gently lapping against the rocks on the shore makes every breath extremely precious.
In the next issue, please enjoy "Dream of Tibet 9 - Tasting Stone Pot Chicken in Lulang". Please stay tuned.