Aiding Lake, Turpan

Aiding Lake is situated in the southern part of Turpan Basin in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, about 40 kilometers south of the city of Turpan. It is a salt lake with an area of 124 square kilometers. The lake is 155 meters below sea level -- the lowest place in China and the second lowest place in the world, next to only the Dead Sea (-391 meters) of Jordan.

Aiding Lake means Moon Lake in the Uygur language but few people seen the scene of the late water reflecting the moon light. It is so called simple because of natural beauty and tranquil environment.  
Aiding Lake is an inland salty lake formed thousands of millions of years ago. More than 200 small rivers, brooks from the melted glaciers from Tianshan Mountain and other mountains empty themselves into the lake and serve as the water source of it.

The lake originally covered an area of 152 square kilometers but the far larger amount of vaporized water than the influx, as well as the large demand of water as a result of increase population has resulted in the dramatic decline of water level in recent years.

Contrasting to other lakes whose banks are fertile with lush vegetations, the area around the lake is the arid and wild Gebi.

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