In Damxung County, Lhasa, Yangpachen contains rich geothermal resources and is famous as a geothermal museum. The well known Yangpachen Geothermal Power Station stands here. It has hot sprigns everywhere and when the valve is switched on, hot water spurts several meters or even dozens of meters high, constituting a magnificent scene.
Yangpachen, 87 kilometers (54 miles) north of Lhasa, is famous for its hot springs. It was said that long time ago, before the sky and the earth was separated, the whole world was in total darkness. People living at the foot of Mt. Nyainqentanglha were suffering. One day, a golden phoenix flied to the area, determined to create brightness by sacrificing itself. It threw one of its bright eyes onto the ground. A fairy caught the eye, and then a bright lamp arose in the air. Snow capped peaks of Mt. Nyainqentanglha appeared; grassland like huge carpet emerged; happiness came into Tibetan people. However, a greedy man near Yangpachen coveted the lamp. He took a witch man's idea to sharpen his hatred into an arrow to shoot the lamp. The lamp was broken then, the pieces of the lamp dropped onto the ground, turning into hot springs and burned the man to his end. People said that the hot springs were the fairy's tears.
Yangpachen is 87 kilometers away from Lhasa. It can be reached by taking the long distance bus in Lhasa. Around the Yangpachen Transport Station there are guesthouses for 4 years. |