Old Man and the Lake

Found in western Sichuan’s Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yading Nature Reserve is located in southern Daocheng County. Yading Nature Reserve covers an area of 1344 square km (520 square miles) and most of the reserve is located at an elevation above 4000 meters.

Within Yading are the three holy mountains of Chenresig which rises to 6032 meters, Chana Dorje and Jampelyang at 5958 meters. Between the mountains are crystal clear rivers, forested valleys, glacier fed lakes, and plentiful wildlife.

While local Tibetans have known about Yading for more than 800 years, the very first westerner to see the incredible area was the noted Austrian-American geographer, botanist, and explorer Dr. Joseph Rock, who explored Southwest China & the Tibetan Plateau from 1922 to 1949. He first visited Yading in 1928, photographing it extensively and publishing his account and images in National Geographic Magazine, offering the world its first glimpse of the stunning area.