Napa Lake is 3270 meters above sea level and covers 660 square kilometers; it is approximately 8 kilometers northwest of Shangri-la County. Napa Lake Nature Reserve is both an ideal grazing field for herdsmen and a paradise for many species of birds. This is, in the true sense, a seasonal lake. When summer comes, snow on the adjacent mountains melts and flows down into about ten rivers forming a vast lake. In the dry season, Napa Lake becomes boundless green grassland--the best time for herding sheep or cattle. Every September, the lake turns into a temporary habitat for migratory birds, such as bar-headed geese, wild ducks and blacknecked cranes (one of the 12 rarest bird species in the world).
