Sailimu Lake is located in the northern Tianshan Mountains in Bole City, Bortala Prefecture, Xinjiang, adjacent to Huocheng County, Yili Prefecture. The lake is 271m above sea level, 3km long from east to west, 25km wide from north to south, with an area of 453km2 and a storage capacity of 21billion cubic meters. Therefore, it is the highest altitude and the largest alpine lake in Xinjiang.
Sailimu Lake is called "Sailimu Nur" in Mongolian, which means "Lake on the Ridge", and "Sailimu" in Kazakh means "Wish" and "Peace". Because of a sad legend, it is said that Sailimu Lake is made up of the tears of a pair of young lovers who died for love. It is also called Tianchi Lake and Milk Sea.
Administratively, it is said that Sailimu Lake is commonly known as Santaizi, because the Qing Dynasty set up the Etubo Mujuntai in the east of the lake, also known as Santai.
In terms of climate, it is known as "the last tear in the Atlantic Ocean" because it is the last moist place of the warm and humid air flow in the Atlantic Ocean.
Geologically speaking, Sailimu Lake was formed during Himalayan orogeny 7 million years ago, which is called "Graben Lake" in geology. Moreover, the Quaternary lake deposits in the Sailimu Lake Basin record the whole history of geomorphological development and ancient glaciation in the western Tianshan Mountains, reflect several stages of Quaternary climate and environment changes in northwest China and Central Asia, and provide scientific evidence for the division of glacial period and Quaternary strata in northwest China.
it was also called "clean lake" and "clean sea in the west" in ancient times. First, because its lake water is clear and transparent, with a naked eye perspective of 12 meters, and second, because it had no fish to survive before, it became the main aquatic base of cold-water fish in Xinjiang only after it was successfully introduced from Russia in 1998.
It has a vast lake with crystal clear water quality. With the change of light and the influence of the topography at the bottom of the lake, the color of the lake is colorful and changeable. It is a famous color-changing lake in China. Surrounded by mountains, the lake is clear and transparent, rare waterfowl such as swans swim, and the quaint wooden corridor steps lead us all the way to the original ecological picture.
Note: The above pictures were taken by myself with my mobile phone in Sailimu Lake, and my ability is limited. Thank you for your care!