Yangbajain Geothermal Hot Springs
ཡངས་པ་ཅན།
China's most famous geothermal field, with steam rising at the foot of snow mountains and open-air high-altitude hot springs to soak in. It is a rest stop between Lhasa and Namtso.
Yangbajain lies in Yangbajain Town, Damxung County, about 90 km northwest of Lhasa, at an altitude of about 4,300 m. It is one of the largest high-temperature geothermal fields developed in China, and China's first geothermal power station was built here in the 1970s. The valley is dotted with hot springs, boiling springs and steam vents. On winter mornings, steam rises across the entire valley, set against the Nyenchen Tanglha snow peaks. Outside the town are several geothermal resorts with open-air and indoor pools. Admission costs about CNY 100 to 200. Soaking while gazing at the snow peaks is a common way to ease fatigue on the return from Namtso. Getting there: it takes about 1.5 hours from Lhasa via the G109 Qinghai-Tibet Highway or the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, and it can be combined with a day trip to Namtso. Note: soaking at high altitude strains the heart and lungs, so keep each soak under 20 minutes. It is not recommended for those newly arrived on the plateau or with altitude sickness symptoms. Keep warm after bathing to avoid catching a cold. The natural hot springs in the geothermal area are extremely hot, so do not touch them.
Opening hours
approx. 09:00–22:00 (varies by resort)