Kanas Lake (Also called Hanas which is the name used by local Kazakhsare) is a nature reserve that means beautiful, rich, and mysterious in Mongolian, could be the most fascinating resort in Northern Xinjiang. Kanas is located in the Altay Mountains of Northern Xinjiang in China.
Travelers rave about the wonderful alpine scenery at R&R-perfect Kanas Lake, a long finger of a lake found in the southernmost reaches of the Siberian taiga ecosystem. The Kanas nature reserve bounding is the only one in China to border three other nations – Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan.
It is the most popular natural ecosystem formed by lakes, glaciers, grasslands, forests, and rivers. But the main highlight of the nature reserve is Kanas Lake, located 1,375 meters above sea level, and covers an area of 45.73 square kilometers. Kanas Lake is 140 kilometers away from Burqin County, and 246 kilometers away from Altay City. Well, you can take a plane to Altay City or take a coach to Burqin County at Urumqi, and then rent a motorcar to get there.
Moreover, there are free bus rides available after you buy the tickets for Kanas. The service is quite good and all the places are quite well-connected. You can also ride horses with local guides. The attractiveness of Kanas Lake is more boosted by the changes in its color according to the season. During the thaw in May, it is a deep grayish blue, which by June, when it reflects summer’s mountain greenery, has turned sky blue.
The long bean-shaped lake provides rise to the Kanas River which flows out for about 125 kilometers across pristine, alpine forest before discharging into the Irtysh at Burqin Town. In autumn, the attractive landscape bursts into a riot of colors with gold, red, blue, and green. Many tourists are here just to hope to catch a glimpse of the Kanas Lake Monster, a mythical beast that myriad tourists swore to have seen.
It’s the same as Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster. After the 1980s the hype of story sightings regularly appeared in Chinese media. July is the flooding season when deluges from the White Lake upriver bleach Lake Kanas milky white. High rainfall in August deepens its color once more to an aqua green, which turns bright emeralds in the drier months of September and October.
Among the numerous contributing features to this marvel are the various minerals that are carried downstream from the upper rivers, the varying colors of plant life on the mountains around the lake, and the varying angle of sunshine on the water surface throughout the year.
These stories attract more tourists and settlers came to this area bringing countless journalists and conspiracy hounds, although researchers have dismissed the Chinese Nessie as a large member of the salmon family. Apart from the temptation of monsters, Kanas Lake is a breathtaking place with its vivid, minty green water surrounded by forest and snow-packed mountains.
There is a 2000 meters long bank of dead trees on the one side of the lake, which have accumulated over the years, carried by strong wind and waves. The massive dike of dead trees is an uncommon spectacle. In winter, it is freezing, so be sure to take proper protection, it abruptly becomes excessively cold during the night.
The beautiful Kanas Lake is also home to a thousand Mongolians, whose stout log houses are clustered into numerous villages. They are quite habitual of eating fish from the lake, keeping herds of cows and sheep, and trading animal products for wheat grown in the south. 3 to 4 days of trekking around the area is the perfect way to witness the beauty and an extraordinary experience practiced by all backpackers who travel to Kanas.
July is the flooding season when deluges from the White Lake upriver bleach Lake Kanas milky white. High rainfall in August deepens its color once more to an aqua green, which turns bright emeralds in the drier months of September and October.
Among the numerous contributing features to this marvel are the various minerals that are carried downstream from the upper rivers, the varying colors of plant life on the mountains around the lake, and the varying angle of sunshine on the water surface throughout the year.
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