The Kanas Lake is located in the northern Bu'erjin County of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and 150 kilometers to the county town. 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 of 188.5 meters.

Embraced by snow-capped mountains, the Kanas Lake is covered with dense forests and is the only area where animals and plants of South Siberia species can be found in China. A total number of 798 kinds of trees have been found in the area, including some rare species such as larch, red pine, spruce, fir, and birch. The lake also has 39 species of beasts, 117 species of birds, 4 species of amphibious animals, 7 species of fish, and more than 300 species of insects.

  The Kanas Lake has several great sights

·Monster in the Lake

Legend has it that huge lake monsters live in the deep water of the lake and often has dragged horses and camels drinking along the lake into the water before swallowing them. It is said that the monster is actually a kind of rare fish named Hucho taimen in Chinese, also called huge red fish, with the longest one measuring up to over 10 meters.

·Buddha Halo Shining over Sea of Clouds

After heavy rains in the early morning, one can appreciate the sunrise while standing in the Pavilion for Viewing Fish on the top of a peak. During sunrises, clouds and mist curl high up over the Kanas Lake. Sometimes, one can encounter the great spectacle of Buddha Halo, like that of Emei Mountain, with reflections of the pavilion and human figures in the halo.

·Great Spectacle of Color-changing Lake

The Kanas Lake is famous for its changing colors. The color of the water changes several times in a day, from dark green to sky blue, then to gray and white.

·Thousand-meter Long Bank with Withered Trees

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

·The Tuwa Tribe

A Mongolian tribe called Tuwa lives on the south bank of the Kanas Lake. Believing in Lamaism, it is a valiant ethic minority with a long history. Tuwa people speak Turkish, resembling the language of Kazakh, and live on hunting and graze. They also have a special folk custom.

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