Xin Co

Xin Co (Chinese: 新错, Tibetan: ཤིན་མཚོ), is a high-altitude glacial lake situated at 4,820 meters (15,814 ft) in Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

The lake's turquoise waters, with pH levels averaging 8.3, support endemic species such as the Tibetan snowtrout (Schizopygopsis thermalis) and migratory black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis).

Its shoreline hosts rare alpine flora, including Rhododendron nivale and cushion plant communities (Androsace tapete), adapted to temperatures as low as -30°C.

In 2022, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) funded a $1.8 million initiative to restore 8 hectares of degraded wetlands and install real-time water quality sensors.

Local herders from 200 nomadic households collaborate on a plastic-waste recycling program, while engineered channels divert glacial meltwater to stabilize lake levels.