Kanas Lake (,
Xiao'erjing
Xiao'erjing, Xiaorjing, Xiaojing or Benjing, is a Arabic script, Perso-Arabic script used to write Sinitic languages, including Lanyin Mandarin, Zhongyuan Mandarin, Northeastern Mandarin, and Dungan language, Dungan. It is used on occasion ...
: كَانَاسِ خٗ;
Mongolian
Mongolian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia
* Mongolian people, or Mongols
* Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924
* Mongolian language
* Mongolian alphabet
* ...
: Ханас нуур; , , ) is a lake in
Altay Prefecture
Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. As of the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivisi ...
,
Xinjiang
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. The lake is located in a valley in the
Altai Mountains
The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The ...
, near the very northern tip of
Xinjiang
Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
and the autonomous region's borders with Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The lake was formed around 200,000 years ago during the
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
period as a result of glacier movement. The crescent moon shaped lake has an estimated water storage capacity of 53.8 billion cubic meters, coupled with an average depth of around 120 meters.
The
Kanas River
The Kanas River () is a river in Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. It originates from the main peaks of the Altai Mountains. It is a perennial river with a total length of 125 kilometers, an average width of about 50 meters, and a m ...
, flowing out of the lake, later merges with the Hemu River to form the Burqin River, which itself discharges into the
Irtysh River
The Irtysh is a river in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. It is the chief tributary of the Ob and is also the longest tributary in the world.
The river's source lies in the Mongolian Altai in Dzungaria (the northern part of Xinjiang, China) cl ...
at Burqin Town, the county seat of
Burqin County
Burqin County is a county in Xinjiang, China and is under the administration of the Kazakh autonomous area of Altay Prefecture. It has an area of with a population of 70,000. The postcode is 836600.
Administrative divisions
Burqin County is ...
.
There is a large population of ethnic
Tuvans
The Tuvans (from Russian ) or Tyvans (from Tuvan ) are a Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Siberia that live in Tuva, Mongolia, and China. They speak the Tuvan language, a Siberian Turkic language. In Mongolia, they are regarded as one ...
and
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...
in the Kanas valley. While most of these people have maintained their traditional
agricultural
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
and
nomadic
Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...
life styles, many work in the developing tourism industry and have established facilities for
orienteering
Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigation, navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specia ...
,
hiking
A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time.
"Hi ...
,
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
,
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...
,
paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...
and
camping
Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...
. The ''scenic spot'' is classified as a
AAAAA scenic area
AAAAA () is awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in the People's Republic of China, given the highest level in the rating categories used by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As of 2025, there are 359 tourist ...
by the
China National Tourism Administration
The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) was a Chinese government authority responsible for the development of tourism affairs and was subordinate to the State Council. Its headquarters were in Beijing.
History
The predecessor was the ...
.
Giant fish
For several centuries there have been sightings of large lake creatures in the waters. First efforts in research of these legends were done by Yuan Guoying of
Xinjiang University
Xinjiang University (XJU) is a provincial public comprehensive university in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. It is a national key university affiliated with the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and co-funded by the Ministry of Education and the re ...
, who observed fish of enormous size in 1985. He and his students assessed that the fish could be 10 – 15 m long and weigh more than 4 tons, with total population in excess of 50 individuals.
Frequency of observation has increased in the 21st century, with the development of mass tourism. A video was taken and shown in the local Chinese media where numerous unidentifiable creatures can be seen.
According to
CCTV-10
CCTV-10 is the science and education focused channel of the China Central Television (CCTV) network in the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of ...
, the creatures living in the lake are speculated by Chinese scholars to be giant ''
Hucho taimen
Siberian taimen (''Hucho taimen''), also known as the common taimen (), Siberian giant trout or Siberian salmon, is a species of salmon-like ray-finned fish from the genus '' Hucho'' in the family Salmonidae. These fish are found in rivers in Si ...
''.
YouKu
/ref>
Gallery
File:LakeKanas.jpg, Kanas view
File:Kanas glacier alpine.jpg, Kanas lake besides the alpine glacier
File:Kanas silk road tour.jpg, Kanas lake tour
File:Kanas Lake, China, LandSat image.jpg, Lake Kanas satellite Landsat 7
Landsat 7 is the seventh satellite of the Landsat program. Launched on 15 April 1999, Landsat 7's primary goal is to refresh the global archive of satellite photos, providing up-to-date and cloud-free images. The Landsat program is managed and ...
, 2015
File:Quaternary age Kanas lake 2009-0827.jpg, The Kanas River
The Kanas River () is a river in Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. It originates from the main peaks of the Altai Mountains. It is a perennial river with a total length of 125 kilometers, an average width of about 50 meters, and a m ...
, part of the Irtysh River
The Irtysh is a river in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. It is the chief tributary of the Ob and is also the longest tributary in the world.
The river's source lies in the Mongolian Altai in Dzungaria (the northern part of Xinjiang, China) cl ...
to the Arctic Ocean, view from rafting boat
See also
* Ake Kule Lake
Ake Kule Lake () is a lake in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, close to the borders of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries an ...
* Tourism in China
Tourism in China is a growing industry that is becoming a significant part of the Chinese economy. The rate of tourism has expanded over the last few decades since the beginning of reform and opening-up. The emergence of a newly rich middle c ...
References
External links
*
CCTV News: Unknown Creatures Videotaped by An Amateur in Lake Kanas
{{Authority control
Lakes of Xinjiang
AAAAA-rated tourist attractions
World Heritage Tentative List for China
Nature reserves in Xinjiang
LKanas