Tibet to Build Highway Leading to NamcoThe State Development Planning Commission and the National Tourism Administration recently allocated 20 million yuan (US$ 2.4 million) for the construction of a highway in Damxung County, 160 km north of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.The highway leading to Lake Namco in western Damxung is expected to play an important role in developing ecotourism in the area. The regional government has already worked out an overall development program aimed at protecting wild animals, natural resources and natural beauty around the lake, China's second largest saltwater lake. With an elevation of 4,700 meters, the lake, covering an area of 1,920 sq km, has become a natural habitat for rare water birds like swans, egrets and sand birds. It attracted about 100,000 domestic and overseas tourists last year. July and August are the best season to travel to Namco. Visitors can enjoy the sight of vast grassland, cattle and sheep, blue sky, white clouds, as well as a stone forest on the Island of Zhaxi. However, the area's poor transportation and accommodations facilities have hindered the development of the local tourism industry. |
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