Kanas Nature Reserve
Located within Burqin County, Kanas Nature Reserve covers an area of 250,000 hectares. It is a nature reserve for the cold-temperate zone ecosystem in China. With the highest latitude and coldest climate, the reserve includes in it primitive forests with over 500 species of plants and a frigid-zone grassland. It is also home to over 100 species of frigid-zone desert animals, such as snow leopard, lynx, red deer, argali, sable, black lyre cock, snow cock and grouse.
The reserve is known for the Kanas Lake lying in the middle of it. The winding, rectangular lake is 24 km long and less than 4 km at its widest, 1300 m above sea level with an average depth of 90 m. The legend of “Kanas Lake Monster” has added mysterious touch to its enchanting lakescape.
