Napahai Nature Reserve


The Napahai Nature Reserve, at an altitude of 3,266 meters above sea level, is located 8
kilometers northwest of the county seat of Zhongdian. It has the largest grassland in Zhongdian,
surrounded by mountains on three sides, with grasslands and lakes which attract many bird
species.

The water melting from the surrounding mountains and another over 10 rivers flow into the lake
after zigzagging through grassland. There are nine caves in the northwest peak.

Napahai Nature Reserve is both an ideal grazing field for herdsmen and a paradise for many
species of birds. When summer comes, snow on the adjacent mountains melts and flows down
into about ten rivers forming a vast lake. In the dry season, Napahai becomes a boundless green grassland--the best time for herding sheep or
cattle.

Every September, the prairie changes into a golden color and flocks of yaks, horses, sheep graze there. Tibetan shepherds are occasionally
viewed. The lake again turns into a temporary habitat for migratory birds, such as bar-headed geese, wild ducks and black-necked cranes. Black-
necked cranes, of which only 6,000 remain in the world, usually breed in high-altitude wetlands but spend the winter at lower altitudes on the
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau or on the Yunnan-Guizou Plateau, of which, Napahai is the main wintering spot. During this period, the lake becomes an
ideal place for ornithologists from around the world.

Sitting on top of one peak in the northwest is a temple ruin called Gunqin Temple Ruin. The destroyed temple is heavily
sheltered by old, tall trees. Dilapidated walls and wooden architecture scatter everywhere around the site. The temple
was said to be build in the Ming Dynasty and deserved during the Qing Dynasty. The temple site offers a breath-taking
view of the surrounding vast grasslands. Songzanlin Temple, the largest Buddhism Temple in the region is not far
away and a tour to the Napa Lake is easily accompanied by a few hours visit to the temple.