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'Namtso' (officially: 'Nam Co'; Mongolian: ''Tengri Nor''; “Heavenly Lake”; ) is a mountain lake at the border between Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, approximately 112 km [70 miles] NNW of Lhasa. It lies at an elevation of 4,718 m, and has a surface area of 2,470 square kilometres. It is the largest salt lake in Tibet. However, it is not the largest salt lake in China. That title belongs to Qinghai Lake, which is almost twice the size and lies just over 1,000 km [650 miles] to the north-east, in what is today Qinghai province of China.
The lake has five uninhabited islands of reasonable size, in addition to one or two rocky outcrops. The islands have been used for spiritual retreat by pilgrims who walk over the lake's frozen surface at the end of winter, carrying their food with them. They spend the summer there, unable to return to shore again until the water freezes the following winter.
The largest of the islands is in the north-west corner of the lake, and is about 2,100 m long and 800 m wide, rising to just over 100 m in the middle. At its closest point it is about 3,100 m from the shore.
The most remote island is, at its closest, 5,100 m from the shore.
Namtso is renowned as one of the most beautiful places in the Nyainqêntanglha mountain range. Its cave hermitages have for centuries been the destination of Tibetan pilgrims. A surfaced road was completed to the lake in 2005, enabling easy access from Lhasa and the development of tourim.
The Tashi Dor monastery is at the southeastern corner of the lake.
The weather at Namtso is subject to abrupt sudden change and snowstorms are very common across the Nyainqêntanglha range.
Some scenes in the 2002 Hong Kong film The Touch were filmed at the lake.
It is often incorrectly written that this is the highest lake in Tibet, or even the world. This accolade belongs to Sengli Lake, in western Tibet [Lat: 30.42, Long: 84.05], which has an altitude of 5,386 m, and a surface area of 92 sq. km. However, Namtso is the highest salt-water lake in the world.