# Ranwu Lake Scenic Area (然乌湖景区)

Qamdo, Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 5/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/ranwu-lake-scenic-area
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Free
- **Opening hours:** 2026.01.01-2026.12.31 open all day
- **Time needed:** 1–2 hours
- **Address:** Ranwu Township, Baxoi County, Qamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region
- **Getting there:** National Highway 318 runs along the lakeshore. From Bayi County town, it is 89 km by bus to reach the lake.
- **Good for:** Photography, Nature

## About Ranwu Lake Scenic Area

Ranwu Lake is about 25 km long and 12 km wide. The lake forms a long, narrow valley shaped like a river gorge, made up of three interconnected lakes, with a total area of 18.4 square kilometres. The lake surface sits at an altitude of over 3,800 metres.
To the north of Ranwu Lake lies the famous Laigu Glacier, which extends down to the lakeshore. When the snow and ice melt, the meltwater flows into the lake, keeping its water supply abundant. Green grassland and lush crops surround the lake. Forests cover the hillsides, with belts of rhododendron and shrubs higher up in a riot of colours, and the mountaintops hold permanent snow in layered ridges.
Ranwu Lake itself is a huge ancient glacial valley, shaped by glacial action over various periods. More than 200 years ago, a massive collapse sent boulders blocking the Parlung Tsangpo River, forming today's Ranwu Lake. Huge rock masses still block the lake's outlet valley.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 616. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
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