Siling Tso

About Siling Tso

Located in the south of the Qiangtang Plateau and north of Shenzha County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the lake is 4,530 meters above sea level. The lake is about 72 kilometers long from east to west. For a long time, people in the West regarded this lake as the world’s highest lake. Whereas in Tibet, nearly 1,000 lakes are higher than 4,000 meters above sea level and 17 lakes are 5,000 meters high.

According to Chinese scientists, the Siling Tso of Tibet should be the highest lake in the world. Located in Shenzha County, the 5,386-meter-high fresh-water lake flows into the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The lake lies on a tundra of very rigid natural conditions.

Siling Tso is also the 2nd largest lake (the largest one is Namtso Lake) in Tibet, lying south of the Changtang Plateau. In accordance with legend, Siling is an arch-devil who used to live in Duilongdeqing County, west of Lhasa. He greedily devoured thousands of lives every day including both human beings and animals. One day, Padmasambhava found Siling and asked him to stay in the lake forever and confess. From then on, people called the lake “Siling Tso”, which means “Siling Devil Lake”.

Tips of Siling Tso

After you get off the bus, there are still several kilometers away from the Siling Tso. Be careful, because there are many marshes nearby.

Recommended Tour Itineraries including Siling Tso

You can embark on leisurely walks along the lakeshore, basking in the serenity of the landscape and observing the diverse birdlife that calls this tranquil oasis home. Check the top 4 highly recommended Tibet tours that include Siling Tso.