Journey to the West (Central and Northern Route of Ngari) 11: North Bank of Namtso—Holy Elephant Tianmen

We left the south bank of Namtso at 11 a.m. and drove all the way to the Holy Elephant Gate. Laogu and I have been to Nan'an. However, I followed a friend's one-day trip and visited in a check-in style. The only memory I have is the fatigue of driving in the morning and evening. The scenery of Namtso at noon is not very impressive. Before Laogu, it was from dusk to early morning. It was very exciting to have a good time in Namtso. At that time, you could also walk directly on the crystal clear lake while hiking around the Namtso Lake. But none of us have been to the Holy Elephant Gate. Later, when we were enjoying the peach blossoms in spring, we saw the beautiful sight of the Holy Elephant Gate in a hotel in Lhasa, and we have been yearning for it ever since.

The Holy Elephant Tianmen is on the north bank of Namtso, more than 3 hours' drive from Tashi Peninsula. The first half of the road is particularly good, and you can still look at the lake, which is very enjoyable.

‍The second half of the journey is on a dirt road, which lasts for more than an hour. It is very bumpy and has many shell craters. This is also the reason why ordinary tourists generally cannot see the Holy Elephant Tianmen, because it is difficult for minibuses and buses to enter.

When we saw the lake again, we were already approaching the north shore of Namtso. You can already see the Three Holy Stones (also known as the "Three Life Stones") in the distance, which is not far from the Holy Elephant Heavenly Gate. It is the extension of the same ridge that connects the Holy Elephant Heavenly Gate into the lake.

The three stones at the lake are the "Three Holy Stones"

The main peak of Nyainqentanglha Mountain

We are about to enter the scenic spot.

Close view of Three Holy Stones

Entering the scenic spot and walking up the hillside to the top of the mountain, you can see the Holy Elephant Gate.

I vaguely saw the Holy Elephant Gate.

The eagle spreads its wings in the sky

The most exciting experience of the Shengxiang Tianmen attraction is to overlook Namtso and the Shengxiang Tianmen from the cliffs on the top of the mountain. The color of the lake along the coast is green, white and blue, which is quite stunning. A huge elephant-shaped reef stands on the shore of the lake (somewhat similar to Guilin's Elephant Trunk Mountain), which is the finishing touch and makes the whole scenery quite shocking and beautiful. This is the wonder of the "Holy Elephant Gate". It made me feel that the hardship of traveling on the plateau is worth it. The only thing is that I am afraid of heights and it feels a little painful but also happy.

There are many Mani piles in the direction of the Three Holy Stones

View from halfway up the mountain:

Aerial perspective:

When you go down to the lake, you can also get close to the Holy Elephant Gate. Many people like to stand at the entrance of the cave and take pictures of the lake behind it, which is very impressive.

We played here for three and a half hours before leaving. I originally wanted to wait for sunset or even later, but I checked it out. First, at sunset in this season, the light position does not reach the side of the mountain near the Holy Elephant Tianmen, so I cannot see the most beautiful sunset scene here, and it is said that there is no sunset here at night. We had to stay overnight, so we couldn't take the wonderful scene of the Milky Way rising just behind the Elephant Gate, so we had to give up the plan.

I couldn't sleep well during these two days of high altitude and sometimes I really wanted to give up, but the beautiful scenery of Shengxiang Tianmen revived me with full blood. The conditions for the rest of the journey will be more difficult, so I’m worried but also looking forward to it. Ali, what a place full of temptations and training for the mind!

Aerial photography and time-lapse video (horizontal screen + headphones)

Day17 Shengxiang Tianmen-Bangor County, 126 kilometers, 2 hours

After observing, we didn’t see any accommodation nearby. We needed to stay in Bangor County, which is more than 100 kilometers away. From Shengxiang Tianmen to Bangor County, we had to walk the painful dirt road again. Fortunately, when we reached a good road, a large lake (Bamucuo) appeared in front of us. The sunset was beautiful. By the way, there are so many lakes in Tibet!

Look at the Three Holy Stones and the main peak of Nyenchen Tanglha in the same frame

‍Bamutuo

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Passing through a place similar to a wetland, you encounter the brilliant sunset and the leisurely herd of yaks. The scenery is extremely beautiful!

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Arrive in Bangor County at 8pm. During the peak tourist season, houses are available but the price is 300 to 400 yuan. You need to stay a good night. The rest of the journey is in the village and the conditions are difficult.

I asked the Sichuan girl at the front desk why she wanted to come to such a high altitude place. The little girl said that business here is much easier than in her hometown, and Tibetans love to eat, and drinks are sold very quickly.