Bitahai Lake

Bitahai Lake lies in the east of Shangri-La County, it is over 3500 meters (about 3828 yards) above sea level. Covering an area of about 159 hectares (around 393 acres) with an average depth of 20 meters (about 22 yards), Bitahai Lake is famous for its limpid water and its beautiful scenery which is set against the mountains and forests surrounding it.

Bita means in Tibetan a place with a dense oak forest and "Bitahai" means a quiet lake. There is a legend about it: a goddess dropped her mirror carelessly to the earth when she was making up. The mirror was broken into pieces and they became lakes on the plateau. Among these pieces, the most beautiful piece with green jade turned into today's Bitahai Lake. The Bitahai Lake is surrounded by mountains covered with ancient pines, oaks and rhododendrons, like an emerald in the heart of the mountain.

In the center of the lake stands an islet shaped like a boat sailing in the lake with an area of 30 meters (about 33 yards) above the water level. Here, birds twitter happily and flowers release their pleasant fragrances.

Bitahai Lake is fringed with rhododendrons of various varieties, which adds to the beauty of the lake. Every year around June and July, petals of the rhododendrons fall onto the lake surface with the wind. When passing fish eat these rhododendron petals (which are slightly poisonous) they can be seen on their backs with their white bellies exposed as they float upside-down amongst the petals as if they are drunk. It is now the best-known sight of Bitahai Lake. It is also said that in the past bears in the nearby mountains often came out in the moonlight to catch these intoxicated fish.