Napa Lake: lake behind forests

A horse eats grass on the bank of Napa Lake. In Tibetan, Napa refers to a lake behind forests. Napa Lake Nature Reserve is located in Shangri-La City, Yunnan province. The reserve covers an area of 31.25 square km and is over 3000 meters above sea level. [Photo: China Plus]

Napa Lake Reserve is surrounded to the east, west and north by tall mountains which, during winter and spring, are covered in snow. [Photo: China Plus]

Local people's households are located at the foot of the mountains near Napa Lake. [Photo: China Plus]

A white pagoda stands on the bank of Napa Lake. [Photo: China Plus]

Yaks eat grass on the meadow. They are raised by the people who live near the Napa Lake Reserve. [Photo: China Plus]

In October, migrating birds such as black-necked cranes, white cranes, bar-headed geese and others can be seen looking for food in marshlands near the lake. [Photo: China Plus]

Horses walk around on the bank of Napa Lake. As a seasonal plateau lake, Napa Lake will expand in late summer and early autumn and shrink again in late autumn. [Photo: China Plus]

There are a number of small to medium-sized Tibetan villages in the vicinity of Napa Lake. [Photo: China Plus]