Things to do in Coqen

Zha Ri Nam Co is located in Coqen County, at the intersection of the northern foot of Gangdise Mountain and the southern foot of Qiangtang Plateau. It is the third largest saltwater lake in Tibet, with an altitude of 4,613 meters. It originates from the Coqen Zangbo River in Gangdise Mountain. The lake water is clear and blue, and is known as the sapphire bestowed by God on Buddha and mankind.

Zharinamco Lake | Beauty Peak Traversing the central route of Ali, through the Qiangtang Plateau of northern Tibet, a lake reflects the surrounding mountains and rivers. A sand ridge pierces the heart of the lake, dividing its turquoise waters in two. Heading towards this vast, blue lake in northern Tibet, the wind sweeps across its surface, the boundless expanse of sky and earth makes all the hardships of the journey worthwhile. Aerial photography is a must! #AliGrandCircuit #ZharinamcoLake #ZharinamcoBeautyPeak #TibetRoadTrip

The Gangdise Mountains are the geographical dividing line between the north and south of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The northern part is the high and cold Northern Tibet Plateau, and the southern part is the warm and cool Southern Tibet Valley. The Himalayas and the Gangdise Mountains provide abundant water supply for the Yarlung Zangbo River, so although the Southern Tibet Valley does not have much rainfall, it is not short of water. It is considered the most livable area in Tibet.

Although I saw countless lakes along the way, Dawa Lake still amazed me. It is round, like a rising crescent moon. Its dreamy blue is breathtaking! There are natural pastures around it. This is the beautiful home of Tibetan antelopes.

I came here for its reputation as the highest highway pass. The sky was low after the snow, and the mountains were covered with clouds. It was quite easy to challenge my first 6,000-meter climb, taking about four hours to get up and down. There were few people and cars, and there were Tibetan antelopes along the way. The only thing was that the 100-kilometer round-trip dirt road was a bit demanding on the car.