Basum Lake

Basum Lake is a famous sacred lake and sacred site of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The total area of the scenic area is 37.5 square kilometers, the lake is turquoise, like a piece of jasper embedded in the mountains and valleys, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dense forests.

1. History

Legend has it that the Basum Lake is known as the sacred place of "Ujian Belon", which was founded by the Tianzhu monk Padmasambhava in the 8th century, and its place name is at least about 1,200 years old. The Gongbu Jiangda area where the scenic spot is located has a long history, ruled by the descendants of King Niangbu in the 7th century A.D., and was managed by the Qing Dynasty in 1727.

2. Attractions

• Tashi Island: Located in the middle of the lake, there are unique landscapes such as prayer flags, "zimu trees", King Gesar's war horseshoe prints, and Dachera Observation Deck overlooking the lake.

• Cuozong Temple: also known as "Cuozong Gongba Temple", built in the middle of the thirteenth century, the treasure of the town temple is the cloth that is stamped with the seal of Songtsen Gampo, the Tibetan king of Tibet, there are many Buddha statues in the temple, there are stone turtles, stone fish, Buddha statues and so on on the black stones of the surrounding islands and reefs.

• Zaragogou Waterfalls: 25 kilometers north of the island in the middle of the lake, there are hundreds of spectacular waterfalls formed by glacial meltwater in summer and autumn and during the rainy season, and there are also wetlands next to the waterfalls.

3. Excursion routes

Tashi Island → Jieba Village → Zaragou Waterfalls.

4. Best time to see

• In spring (March to May), the lake is surrounded by flowers, and the snow peaks are arrayed and reflected in the lake, and the scenery is pleasant;

• In autumn (September-November), the weather is clear, the lake is clear, and the surrounding mountains and forests are colorful, like a fairy tale.

5. Traffic

It is 90 kilometers away from Gongbu Jiangda County, 40 kilometers away from 318 National Highway and 120 kilometers away from Bayi Town.

6. Tickets and fees

The ticket price of Basongcuo Scenic Area is generally about 120 yuan/person, and the cost of sightseeing cars is additional.

7. Tips

The altitude of the scenic spot is high, and there may be altitude sickness, so you can prepare some anti-altitude sickness drugs in advance.