Hulun Lake 呼伦湖

About Hulun Lake

Reeds and wetlands around its margins form important habitat, while the managed Xiaohekou visitor shore provides the familiar open-water view. The lakeside goddess sculpture is a useful landmark within this developed sector. Concentrating on the northern visitor area gives a coherent lake visit without attempting to follow the entire shore or enter the protected wetland beyond the public route.

The lake has carried several names through history: Daze (大泽) in the Shanhaijing, Julunbo (俱伦泊) in the Tang dynasty, and Kulenghu (库楞湖) in the Qing, while local herders call it Dalai Nur (达赉诺尔), meaning 'sea-like lake' in Mongolian. Hulun, the modern name, means 'otter' in Mongolian; paired with the neighbouring Buir Lake ('male otter'), the names recall a time when otters were plentiful in both lakes.

Hulun Lake occupies a strongly subsided structural basin at the western end of the Hulunbuir grassland, mostly within Xin Barag Right Banner. It covers about 2,339 square kilometres and is 93 kilometres long, with an average depth of 5.7 metres; combined water and wetland area totals 3,253 square kilometres. It freezes from early November to early May, with ice over a metre thick. Its main inflows are the Urshun River, draining Buir Lake, and the Kerulen River, which rises in Mongolia.

The Dalai Lake Nature Reserve was established in 1986 and upgraded to a national-level nature reserve in 1992, later renamed Hulun Lake National Nature Reserve. In 1994 China, Mongolia and Russia agreed to jointly form the Dauria International protected area from their respective adjoining reserves. The lake was listed as a Wetland of International Importance in 2002 and accepted as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

What to look for

• The broad water and grassland horizon from the Xiaohekou visitor shore.
• The Hulun Lake Goddess sculpture holding a red pearl beside the lake.

Location & getting there

Getting to Hulun Lake

Approach from Manzhouli and Zhalainuoer toward the northern visitor reception area in the Yueya Lake sector.

• The new reception centre was completed in 2024 as part of the Xiaohekou restoration project; confirm the current reception and internal transfer arrangement before continuing to the lakeshore.