A wild jewel

Polychromatic prayer flags, and local Tibetans leading mules carrying cargos along the difficult mountain path, and international running festival are among highlights in Yading.[Photo by Yang Feiyue / China Daily]

The Luorong Pasture is another site one shouldn't miss. It's about 6 kilometers from Chonggu and one could ride an electric cart to get there in about 20 minutes.

The ride is quite thrilling since local drivers seem to know too well about each twist and turn that make the path, which runs through a forested area. However, everything suddenly comes wide open and leaps to your eye once arriving at the pasture, which offers a view of three holy mountains.

Luorong is considered the starting point of the pilgrimage path to Milk Lake, a main attraction around Chenresig Mountain. Visitors who don't feel up to hiking can rent horses to the lake.

The distance is about 5 kilometers and takes about two hours on horseback or roughly three hours by walk.

The lake sits at an elevation of 4,480 meters and is fed by a glacier, which sits like a sapphire set among the mountains under the sun.

The highlight comes when one visits Wusehai, another lake that is roughly 100 meters higher than Milk Lake and takes about 20 minutes to reach.

Sitting right at the foot of the Chenresig, Wusehai is considered the most beautiful lake around the pilgrimage circuit in Yading.

The lake is known for producing five colors as the sunlight changes during the day. It's round and covers an area of 0.7 hectares.

The pristine nature has also attracted international sport events.