Yamdrok

Yamdrok Lake
photographed from the Gampa pass (on the road between Lhasa and Gyantse)
Coordinates	28°56′N 90°41′E / 28.933°N 90.683°E / 28.933; 90.683Coordinates: 28°56′N 90°41′E / 28.933°N 90.683°E / 28.933; 90.683
Basin countries	China
Max. length	72 km (45 mi)
Surface area	638 km2 (246 sq mi)
Surface elevation	4,441 m (14,570 ft)

Yamdrok Lake (also known as Yamdrok Yumtso or Yamzho Yumco; Tibetan: ཡར་འབྲོག་གཡུ་མཚོ་, Wylie: yar-'brog g.yu-mtsho, ZYPY: Yamzhog Yumco; Chinese: 羊卓雍錯湖; pinyin: Yángzhuō Yōngcuò Hú) is a freshwater lake in Tibet, it is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet (28°56′N 90°41′E / 28.933°N 90.683°E / 28.933; 90.683). It is over 72 km (45 mi) long. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. The lake has an outlet stream at its far western end.

Around 90 km to the west of the lake lies the Tibetan town of Gyantse and Lhasa is a hundred km to the northeast. According to local mythology, Yamdok Yumtso lake is the transformation of a goddess.

The Yamdrok Hydropower Station was completed and dedicated in 1996 near the small village of Baidi at the lake’s western end. This power station is the largest in Tibet.