Lake Manasarova lies about 12.5 miles south­east of Mount Kailash. The name means "Invincible Jade Lake." It originates in a story that Buddhism won a victory against Bon in a religious match beside the lake. The lake is the same "Jade Pool of the Western Kingdom" described by the prestigious monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty in his Journey to the West.

The altitude of Manasarova is about 15,000 feet, making it one of the highest fresh- water lakes in the world. The water is very transparent and bright. Hindu legend has it that the amrita designed by the great god Brahma can wash away all one's sins as well as any anxiety or improper thoughts. Many pilgrims bathe in the lake and take some water back as a gift to their relatives and friends.

The sacred lake is surrounded by four rivers: Maquan in the east, Shiquan in the north, Xiangquan in the west, and Kongque in the south. Named after the four divine animals in Buddhist legends—horse, lion, elephant, and peacock—these four rivers are also the respective sources of the other four famous rivers, the Ganges, the Indus, the Sutlej, and the Yarlung Tsangpo.