[2025 Lhasa Attraction] Travel Guide for Lalu Wetland Nature Reserve (Updated Jan)

There is a large wetland in the north of Lhasa, which is the world's highest and largest urban natural wetland. It is also known as the lung of Lhasa and the city oxygen bar. This is Lalu Wetland. In winter, countless water birds rest in the wetland. Because of its remote location and large area, it is very quiet here, and only locals can find its entrance. It is a great place to go for a light hike, sunbathe, and enjoy the slow pace of Lhasa in the afternoon. 📍Location: Chengguan District, Lhasa 🎫Tickets: Free 🕘Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, May to October 🌈Recommended route: Enter from the entrance on Dangre West Road, walk along the bluestone road and the wooden plank road, pass the entrance on Qumi Road (there is a toilet nearby), walk all the way to the North Ring Road to take photos of the Potala Palace reflected on the water, and then return to exit from the entrance on Barkhor (there are not many road signs in the wetland, so I can only describe it roughly. The wetland loop is very large, and the scenery is similar, so I suggest walking this short section is enough.) ✅Photography recommendations: 1️⃣Reeds near the wooden plank road and bluestone road 2️⃣Water fields near Qumi Road 3️⃣Potala Palace reflected on the water near the North Ring Road 4️⃣Other birds flying by and water birds foraging leisurely in the water 💖Tips: 1️⃣Light hiking is relatively easy. Walk slowly for 2 hours, and you can adapt to the exercise rhythm of the plateau while inhaling oxygen. 2️⃣It is not recommended to get close to wild animals, although they may be very close. This is a wetland nature reserve. 3️⃣It is difficult to get a taxi near the entrance on the North Ring Road, and there are few ride-hailing orders. It is recommended to take a taxi at the entrance on Barkhor or Qumi Road.

In my opinion, this is the best spot to capture the Potala Palace in autumn in Lhasa. 🤫 📍Lalu Wetland (also known as the "lungs" of Lhasa) 🎫Tickets: Free, no reservation required ⏱️Opening hours: Lalu Wetland's winter opening hours are adjusted to Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Closed on Monday for maintenance. ✔️Lalu Wetland entrance (currently 7, see photo 15): ①South entrance is located at the intersection of Deji North Road and Dangre West Road, opposite the Jinniu Gas Station (bird feeding point entrance and exit) ②East entrance is located in the alley of Zhuoma Hospital in the middle of Qumi Road (Jima Dangre entrance and exit) ③North entrance is located at the sedimentation tank of Baluku on the North Outer Ring Road of Lhasa (Baluku entrance and exit) ④Southwest entrance is located at the intersection of Dangre West Road and Luding North Road (Luding North Road entrance and exit) ⑤South entrance of the Party School of the Autonomous Region (Orchard entrance and exit) ⑥Second entrance on the west side of the North Ring Park (Big Stone entrance and exit) ⑦North Ring Park entrance and exit ⚠️⚠️⚠️Best photo spot for the Potala Palace: Just inside the entrance ③, you can see the Potala Palace standing majestically in the distance, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. ❗️❗️❗️Notes: ①No fire sources allowed ②No pets, bicycles, or skateboards allowed ③There are many birds in winter, keep a safe distance from migratory birds ④Strictly follow the instructions on the signs 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻Finally, if you really disagree, let's have a photo battle in the comments (let me see if there are any places in Lhasa that I don't know about, please have a photo battle in the comments, please 🫣)

Strolling along the central canal of Lalu Wetland, you can enjoy the birds of the Tibetan Plateau. After renovation, the central canal of Lalu Wetland has been transformed and become very beautiful, making it a perfect place for a leisurely stroll and a relaxing holiday! The central canal of Lalu Wetland is located between the south and north canals, flowing along Dangrexi Road. About 5 kilometers of it has been turned into a garden landscape, and the water flows into the Lhasa River. Traveling here is a great choice. On one side of the road, a street park has been created, while on the other side, it connects to the core area of Lalu Wetland, offering tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle. In the canal, wild ducks swim leisurely, preen their feathers, or splash in the water. Under the sunlight, time seems to slow down, the scenery is serene, and it's captivating. There are several small bridges over the central canal of Lalu Wetland, leading to residential areas and also to Lalu Wetland itself. However, Lalu Wetland is not open all year round; for ecological protection, the area is closed for most of the year. Most of the visitors to the central canal of Lalu Wetland are locals from Lhasa, with few tourists. Bird watching here is quite good, and it is said that more than 20 species of birds can be seen, including the Ruddy Shelduck, Mallard, Tibetan Partridge, Bar-headed Goose, Brown-headed Gull, Skylark, Black-necked Crane, and others. Especially deeper into the wetland, birds are more commonly seen. When bird watching here, please do not feed the birds or harm them, as most of the birds are nationally protected wildlife. 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈 Address: Dangrexi Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region Admission: Free Transportation: Take bus No. 10 and get off at the Unicom station Surroundings: Potala Palace, Norbulingka, Zongjiao Lukang Park, Barkhor Street, Niangre Folk Culture Garden, Jokhang Temple, Ramoche Temple, Sera Monastery

The main vegetation type in Lalu National Nature Reserve is wetland meadow, with a high diversity of plant species, mainly consisting of plateau-specific aquatic, semi-aquatic and grassland plants. The animal species in Lalu National Nature Reserve are mainly aquatic, with vertebrate species also distributed. The national first-class key protected wildlife includes the Black-necked Crane and the Bearded Vulture, the national second-class key protected wildlife includes the Himalayan Vulture, and the second-class key protected wildlife in Tibet Autonomous Region includes the Red-crested Pochard, etc.

Lalu wetland, the lungs of the city of Lhasa. wetland is the most mysterious and most overlooked place on earth. In the northwest corner of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, there is a typical Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland: the Lalu Wetland. This is the world's highest and largest urban natural wetland. The humid climate and abundant aquatic plants not only provide habitat and wintering ground for a large number of migratory birds, but also play an important and irreplaceable role in maintaining the air humidity in Lhasa. It is a veritable Lhasa lung. If you start from Budala or Jokhang Temple, we can turn from Lhasa Beijing Road to Jiangsu Road and then to Lhasa River. Turn along the river to Jinzhu Road, take the Lublinka South Road, and turn right through the military area to see the Lalu wetland. Lalu Wetland has a total area of 6.2 square kilometers and an average elevation of 3,645 meters. This is the world's highest natural area and the largest natural wetland in the city. It is also the only urban inland natural wetland in China. It is a typical Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland and belongs to the reed peat swamp. The humid climate and the abundant grass are very rare on the plateau. Lalu Wetland is also the habitat and wintering ground of rare and endangered birds such as black-necked cranes and scorpions. In May 1999, Lalu Wetland was approved as a district-level nature reserve; in 2000, the Lalu Wetland Management Station was established; in August 2005, it was listed as a national nature reserve, known as the Oxygen Bar in Lhasa. Address: Northwest Corner of Chengguan District, Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region Type: Nature Reserve Wetland Play Time: Recommended 2-3 hours opening time: Appearance all day open ticket : No tickets required. There are no tickets in the reserve, but the wetlands are often not open to the public. Can only be viewed through the fence

My favorite Lalu wetland, every time is turned over countless spider web iron wall, shoes still need to soak the wetlands to get in. The old one helped me to take some photos before I chose them.