Yangpachen is a town of Damxung County, located at the 91.8 km northwest of Lhasa City. It earns its fame by the rich geothermal resources, the titles of the highest geothermal power plant in the world and the biggest geothermal power plant in China and the only power plant to generate electricity industrially by using superficial layer geothermal reservoir in the world. The rare resource endows Yangpachen a popular tourist item hot spring.
With 4300m higher than sea level, Yangpachen keeps the largest number of hot springs in the whole China on this highland. The big-scaled fountains, thermal springs, hot springs, boiling springs, hot lakes, the rare explosive spring and intermittent hot springs here occupy more than 7,000 km2. The hot spring are rich in mineral substance which are benefit for health care, attracting endless tourists come here each year.
The most enjoyable sight views here are appreciating the distant snowy mountains when taking bath in the hot springs and appreciating the hovering smoke in the morning as the hot water meets the cold air in the low temperature. When the warm steam is embraced and surrounded by the mountains, a cozy hot spring bath after the exhausted journey on the highland would be the most wonderful thing in the world for travelers.
Yangpachen lies between Lhasa and Namtso, about 87km away from Lhasa downtown. The long-distance buses sent from Lhasa could transfer the customers to Yangpachen, but not to the hot spring pools where is about 8km far from crossroad the Qinghai-Tibet Road where customers are dropped off. People need take a walk or hitchhike to reach the destination.
Open Time: 9:00-21:00
Entrance Charges: it is ranging from CNY40 to CNY160 according to different sorts of the hot spring pools
Travel Tips:
- Exercise should not be done overzealously in Yangpachen during the hot spring bath time becausethe oxygen consumption would easily break through the normal standard in the highland zone.
- Customers are not suggested to take too much time in the hot spring as the bath in it needs much energy, which might easily sharpen the altitude stress.
- If customers plan to visit here on the way to Namtso, then the hot spring bath is suggested to be arranged on the back journey so as to not miss the scenery of Namtso at dusk.
