Haizi Mountain
海子山
The remains of an ancient ice cap on the road from Lithang to Daocheng, where over a thousand glacial lakes are scattered across a stone sea at around 4,500 metres, vast and desolate.
Haizi Mountain lies between Lithang County and Daocheng County and is the largest ancient ice cap remnant on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is now the Haizi Mountain National Nature Reserve. The S217 Lithang–Daocheng highway crosses the plateau surface, mostly at around 4,500 metres, with the pass at about 4,700 metres. Everywhere you look are granite boulders and glacially polished rock left by moving ice. Over 1,000 lakes (haizi) are scattered across the landscape. The water is clear and reflects the blue sky. In summer, there are alpine meadows and wildflowers by the lakes, while in autumn and winter the scene is desolate, looking like the surface of another planet. There are several viewpoints along the way where you can get out and walk to the roadside lakes for photos. The Tu'er Mountain viewing platform on the northern section is also on this road.
The area is open all day and free to visit. Stop for 30–60 minutes if you are driving or on a chartered trip.
Tips: the air is thin, the wind is strong and the weather is cold. Do not run after getting out of the car, and keep stops short. Snow and ice are common in winter and spring, so avoid driving at night. There are almost no services along the route, so fill up on fuel in advance.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Tu'er Mountain
- Zhaga Mountain
- Eye of Genyen
- Wuliang River Valley
- Tsangyang Gyatso Museum
- Lithang Old Town & Thousand-Household Tibetan Village
- Litang Monastery (Lithang Gompa)
- Litang