Dung Lake

Dung Lake lies among the highlands and lakes of the Changtang, the broad plateau that stretches from western Tibet across northern Tibet and toward Qinghai. High elevation gives the region a severe climate despite its latitude: summers are short and warm, and thunderstorms with hail may occur at any time of year, while winters are Arctic in feeling. The Tibetan Changtang averages about five thousand metres above sea level. Its large areas of semi-arid ground support only sparse vegetation, and the short growing season leaves little room for cultivation.

The Changpa, also called Drokpa, are the plateau's nomadic pastoralists. Their herds provide the basis of the regional economy, and the grazing plants are their most important produce. Because grasses remain dead or offer poor fodder for eight or nine months, families move through established routes, often covering ten to forty miles between camps. Repeated seasonal camps may have stone walls for shelters and livestock corrals, while some wealthy households also keep buildings for storage and part-year residence. Heavy snow can lock pasture beneath cover and become dangerous for both people and animals.

Changtang was once ruled by Zhangzhung culture before merging into Tibetan culture. The pastoral economy uses butter and cheese to preserve summer milk, and animals are slaughtered early in winter after summer fattening. Salt, meat, live animals, wool and raw cashmere are exchanged for grain, cooking pots and metal tools. The Tibetan Changtang then lies largely within extensive protected reserves, and the wider plateau forms part of the historic route between Ladakh and Lhasa.