Discover the Pristine Chorten Nyima Mineral Spring
Nestled in the northern foothills of the Himalayan range in Kampa County, the Chorten Nyima Mineral Spring stands at an impressive altitude of 5,128 meters. Surrounded by glaciers and snowfields, it remains untouched by pollution. Recognized for its unique properties by the Tibet Autonomous Region Mineral Water Review Committee in October 1990 and later by the National Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, Health Ministry, and Geological Environment Management in 1992, Chorten Nyima Mineral Spring offers low-sodium, low-mineralized strontium spring water, surpassing national standards for natural beverages.
Chorten Nyima’s Water: A National Quality Mineral Water
The spring maintains a temperature between 1.5°C to 2.0°C, with a daily flow rate of 820.8 tons. It contains strontium (0.21-0.32 mg/l), sodium (0.69-2.23 mg/l), and a mineralization degree of 64.36-66.1 mg/l, classifying it as a high-quality national mineral water.
A Decade in the Making: Himalayan Lake Water
Originating from the Himalayan snow mountains, the water undergoes a 10-year and 7-month natural filtration process through the Himalayas before emerging at the surface. Rich in zinc, selenium, lithium, calcium, iodine, and metasilicic acid, it offers numerous health benefits, including appetite enhancement, cardiovascular improvement, bone development, thyroid enlargement prevention, and cancer prevention.
Historical Significance and Tibetan Scriptures
Tibetan scriptures claim, “Chorten Nyima Mineral Spring can cure 424 infectious diseases and 360 acute and chronic diseases.” According to legend, when the Indian Tantric master Padmasambhava passed through Chorten Nyima, local shepherds sought a cure for prevalent diseases from him. Padmasambhava struck the ground with his staff, and the spring gushed forth, now known as “Tibetan Holy Water,” believed to be a divine elixir (bdud-rtsi) gifted by the master.
A Regional Influence and Annual Pilgrimage
For centuries, the spring has significantly influenced Tibet and neighbouring countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim. Every spring and autumn, thousands of faithful journey here to offer incense, pray, and collect the “God Water” to share and cure illnesses.
Chorten Nyima Mineral Water Development
In 1993, Kampa County established a mineral water company, which later partnered with the Yamei National Handicrafts Company of Shigatse to form the Shigatse Chorten Nyima Mineral Water Co., Ltd. The company, producing the nationally registered “Chorten Nyima Brand – Tibetan God Water,” has achieved an annual production value of 240 million yuan with a capacity of 20,000 bottles (500ml each) per hour, amounting to 240,000 bottles daily.
Travel Tips
- Visiting the Spring: Chorten Nyima Mineral Spring is over 50 kilometres from Kampa County town, with Chorten Nyima Monastery just 1.5 kilometres away. Travellers can combine a visit to both by hiring a car or self-driving.
- In the Spotlight: By 2012, “Tibetan Holy Water” became the exclusive water choice for the Chinese Super League – Shanghai Shenxin Football Team and the production water for Shanghai Galan Group, a leading domestic cosmetics company.
