Sayram Lake

About

Sayram Lake (pinyin: Sàilǐmù hú, Uyghur, Kazakh, Sairam köli, Mongolian, Sairam nuur), also known as Santai Haizi or historically the "Clean Sea", is an endorheic freshwater lake in the northern Tianshan Mountains at Börtala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, less than 50 km (31 mi) from the border with Kazakhstan. The name Sayram originally derives from Kazakh, meaning "blessing". The lake is the largest (458 km2 or 177 sq mi) and also the highest (at 2, 070 m or 6, 790 ft) alpine lake in Xinjiang, largely filled by glacial meltwater, residual precipitation from the Eurasian westerlies and runoffs from the surrounding mountain chains, as well as some groundwater springing and seepage. It was designated an AAAA National Scenic Area in 2010 and was upgraded to an AAAAA National Scenic Area in April 2021.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.