Besides its towering mountain ranges, the Tibetan Plateau also boasts numerous mirrorlike lakes. Among them, there are over a hundred lakes that cover an area of more than a hundred square kilometers each. Nam Lake, the highest large lake in China, has an area of 1,993 square kilometers. It is also known as Heavenly Sea. Legend has it that Nam Lake is the beautiful daughter of nearby Bam Lake. She was married to the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. As time went by, she could not stand the frigid weather and loneliness any longer and so, with a sad heart, threw all her jewels, ornaments, and necklaces into the lake. Thus it is said that there are boundless treasures at the bottom of Nam Lake.

Dzashi Monastery on Dzashi Peninsula in Nam Lake is a sacred place to Buddhists. Thousands of pilgrims travel a long way to worship here on the Tibetan New Year.