National Geopark / Nature ReserveBiosphere Reserve
Kanas
East Asia (Xinjiang)Designated in 198010,000 km²
An alpine lake of shifting turquoise in the far north-west of China, where the borders with Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia meet
Area
10,000 km²
Designated in
1980
Region
East Asia (Xinjiang)
Protected since 1980 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2012, Kanas lies in the far north-west of China, in Xinjiang, at a point where the borders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia almost touch. Its glacial lake, a turquoise that shifts with the angle of the light and the season as glacial minerals dissolve in it, is the setting of local legends about a Kanas Lake monster compared to that of Loch Ness, fed by sightings of exceptionally large specimens of a native fish, the taimen.
Location
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Kanas: 9 documented species
Mammals8Birds1
Flora and ecosystems
Ecosystems found in China, where Kanas lies.
Tropical rainforestDesertTemperate forestMarine / coastal
Experiences in this park
Birdwatching
Similar parks
Which other parks are like this one?
Same country: China
Same country: China
Same country: China
Same country: China
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