Lake Kanas is located in the northernmost part of Burqin County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. One hundred and fifty kilometers north of the county seat, the alpine lake is surrounded by snowcapped mountains and widely acclaimed as a secluded paradise far away from the noise of the big high-tech cities.

Kanas in Mongolian means 'lake in canyon'. Nestled in the deep forests and mountains of Altay, the lake is 1,374 meters above sea level and covers an area of 45.73 square kilometers, with the deepest point reaching 188.5 meters.

Sights at the lake

After heavy rains in the early morning, one can appreciate the sunrise while standing in the Pavilion for Viewing Fish on the top of the peak. During sunrises, clouds and mist curl high up over the lake. Sometimes, one can see the Buddha Halo, with reflections of the pavilion and human figures in the halo.

On the lakeside are lots of withered trees with interlocked branches. Carried by strong wind or waves onto the lake, these dead trees strangely flow against the current to the lake's northern end and pile up in the upper reaches. Over time, a thousand-meter-long dike of dead trees came into being, forming a rare spectacle.

Monsters living deep in the water

Lake Kanas is the only area where Southern Siberian animal and plant species can be found in China, therefore it has long been a birdwatchers' paradise. A wide variety of aquatic birds and animals live here, and some are very rare. 

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