Bosten Lake lies in the Yanqi basin between the Tianshan and the Kuruktag mountains, close to Korla and Bohu county. It covers around 1,000 square kilometres, making it the largest lake and the largest inland freshwater lake in Xinjiang, and it is fed by snowmelt from the surrounding ranges.
The landscape
The lake is shallow, with extensive reed beds around much of its shoreline and sandbars in the open water. The northern and western margins are dominated by reeds - some of them several metres high - which provide nesting habitat and are harvested commercially for matting, paper and weaving. Open water stretches away to the south and east, with the desert hills visible on the far side. Because the basin is arid, the contrast between the reeds, the water and the surrounding dry country is striking.
Birds and wildlife
Bosten's reed beds and open water make it one of the most important wetlands in western China and a significant stop on migratory routes between Siberia and South Asia. Swans, geese, ducks, cormorants, herons, egrets, gulls and terns pass through, and a number of species breed here. Fish include several local species, and the lake supports a commercial fishery. The reed habitat is also home to smaller mammals and a wide range of insects, and the edges are worth exploring slowly.
What to do
Visitors come for boat trips out among the reeds, for birdwatching, for fishing and for the shore. There are jetties, boardwalks and viewing platforms in several places, and small boats can be hired to go deeper into the reed channels. The lake's fish, particularly a local species of carp and a type of white fish, are eaten fresh in the restaurants along the shore, and lotus and other aquatic plants appear on menus in season. The water is warm enough for swimming in high summer.
Practical notes
Bosten is about an hour's drive from Korla, which is served by train and air, and is usually visited as a day trip or as a stop between Urumqi and the southern oases. The best seasons are spring and autumn for birds, and summer for boating and swimming. Midges can be intense around the reeds in summer, so bring repellent. There are resorts and guesthouses on the shore, and the surrounding area produces good fruit, including the pears for which Korla is known.
