PLACE GUIDE

Bosten Lake 博斯腾湖

Bositeng Hu

Bosten Lake brings a broad expanse of water and reed habitat to the northeastern Tarim Basin.

Wooden pier and pavilion extending over the water at Bosten Lake
A wooden boardwalk and lakeside pavilion at Bosten Lake National Wetland Park, Bohu County · 博斯腾湖国家湿地公园的木栈道与湖边亭台，博湖县 Source-recorded photograph date: 2018-09-16 15:33:54. · liuxingy2015 · CC BY 2.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Explore the region

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About Bosten Lake

The Kaidu River feeds the lake, linking it with the wider river system around Korla. Dahekou focuses on the open lakeshore and visitor facilities, while Lianhai World is associated with reed channels and seasonal water lilies. Choose the experience you want: the name Bosten Lake covers several visitor areas rather than one entrance.

The lake occupies a fault-bounded depression in the Yanqi Basin (焉耆盆地). From about 2.5 million years ago, differential crustal movement caused pronounced subsidence between faults along its northern and southern margins, shaping the present lake basin. Its water surface stands at 1,048 metres and covers 1,160 square kilometres. Surrounding mountains rise to 2,000-3,000 metres, with alluvial fans, plains and lake deposits below them.

The lake supports an active fishery. Several carp species were introduced between 1962 and 1965 and became major commercial catches in the 1970s; introduced European perch has dominated catches since 1978. Bosten Lake was designated a National Key Scenic Area (国家重点风景名胜区) in 2004, and its scenic area became a national 5A tourist attraction (国家5A级旅游景区) in May 2014.

What to look for

  • Dahekou provides open-water views and a developed lakeside visitor area.
  • Lianhai World offers a different reed-and-water-lily landscape in season.

Background & history

Bosten Lake (traditional Chinese: 博斯騰湖; simplified Chinese: 博斯腾湖; pinyin: Bósīténg Hú, Uyghur: باغراش كۆلى / Бағраш Көли / Baghrash Köli / Baƣrax Kɵli, Chagatai: Bostang) is a freshwater lake on the northeastern rim of the Tarim Basin, about 20 km (12 mi) east of Yanqi and 57 km (35 mi) northeast of Korla, Xinjiang, China in the Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. Covering an area of about 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) (together with adjacent small lakes), it is the largest lake in Xinjiang and one of the largest inland freshwater lakes in China. Bosten lake receives water inflow from a catchment area of 56,000 km2 (22,000 sq mi). The lake's Mongol, Uyghur and Chinese names are sometimes rendered as Bosten Hu, Bagrax-hu, Bagrasch-köl, Baghrasch köl, Bagratsch-kul, Bositeng Lake or Bositeng Hu. The Kaidu River is the most important tributary to Lake Bosten, accounting for about 83% of its water inflow, other significant tributaries are the Huangshui Ditch (Chinese: 黃水溝), the Qingshui River (清水河), and Wulasite River (烏拉司特河).

Excerpt from Wikipedia: Bosten Lake · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.

Location & getting there

Getting to Bosten Lake

Select Dahekou or Lianhai World in Bohu County before arranging the road transfer from Korla or Bohu. Confirm the specific entrance, current boat operations and return pickup for that area.

General visit reminders

Check the venue’s current entry arrangements and the return connection before travelling.

Combine your visit

Choose from these complementary stops when planning your visit.

  1. Dahekou lakeshore大河口湖岸

    Choose this area for broad lake views.

  2. Lake interpretation and rest stops湖泊解说与休憩点

    Add context on the water and reed habitats.

  3. Optional Lianhai visit可选莲海世界

    Treat this as a separate transfer if you want seasonal water-lily scenery.

This is a suggested combination, not a timed route; confirm the opening and transport arrangements for your date.

AI illustration: AI illustration: reed panicles; generic detail, not a photograph of this place.
AI illustration · AI 示意图（景观类型参考，非实拍） · 芦苇穗与浅水 — A general visiting detail, not an exact view of this place.
Rivers, lakes & waterfalls · 江湖／峡谷瀑布 →

Find Bosten Lake

博斯腾湖 · 巴音郭楞州

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

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Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Geographic and historical facts selectively adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Bosten Lake · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1365910153.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "博斯腾湖", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 93814465.

Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Bosten Lake", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1365910153.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07