People Living by Ranwu Lake

🌟 Ranwu Town: The "Shanghai Plateau" beneath the Snow Mountains🌊

This small town embraced by snow-capped mountains is called "Copper Lake" in Tibetan. At an altitude of 3,850 meters, Ranwu Lake resembles a sapphire mirror reflecting the perennial snow of the Gangdise Mountains. In the morning mist, Tibetan women dressed in bright robes walk along the lakeshore turning prayer wheels, while the bells on yak necks blend with the sound of the prayer wheels to create a highland morning melody.

The "Swiss Town" of southeastern Tibet hides a warm secret—here, you will encounter the purest smiles. The turquoise earrings on the braids of local Kham Tibetan girls sway with their laughter as they shyly ask in imperfect Mandarin, "Would you like some butter tea?" Elderly Tibetan men sit in front of wooden houses making tsampa, always grabbing a handful of barley flour to offer passersby, their rough palms carrying the scent of sunshine.

💧 Gift of the Sacred Lake
Ranwu Lake is the source of the Parlung Tsangpo River, formed by a landslide. Locals say it was created from the mirror dropped by Princess Wencheng when she entered Tibet. On the mani piles by the lake, prayer flags chant millennia-old wishes in the wind. Tibetan children will point out the "Ox’s Nostril" on the small island in the lake’s center—two naturally formed round water caves, where it is said King Gesar once watered his horses.

🌸 A Fairy Tale Through the Seasons
In May, when rhododendrons bloom across the hillsides, herders drive yaks to the lakeshore; in August, during barley harvest season, the whole valley is filled with the aroma of roasted barley; by October, poplar trees dye the lakeshore golden-red, and Tibetan families begin drying yak meat. In winter, when the lake freezes, children slide across the ice on homemade "ice carts," their laughter shattering the ice crystals.

📌 Travel Tips
1️⃣ The best time to photograph the mirror-like reflection of Ranwu Lake is between 7-9 AM; on windless days, even the mani piles on the shore seem to "grow" into the clouds.
2️⃣ The "Ranwu International RV Campground" east of town has a panoramic glass restaurant—enjoy sweet tea while watching the sunset over the golden mountains, a truly healing experience.
3️⃣ Don’t be shy during Tibetan festivals! They will warmly invite you to join the Guozhuang dance; remember, turning clockwise is basic etiquette.

Standing by the lake where prayer flags flutter, you suddenly understand why Tibetans say, "Lhasa is the home of faith, Ranwu is the pasture of the soul." When the mountain wind brushes past your ears, you can almost hear the bells of the ancient Tea Horse Road mingling softly with the shutter clicks of today’s travelers.

Post by DIYCrafts# | Sep 19, 2025