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Western Xinjiang · 赛里木湖

Lake Sayram

An open lake meets grassland and the mountain ridges of western Xinjiang.

Horses graze on a sloping green pasture above the blue water of Sayram Lake.
Lake SayramHorses graze above the southern shore of Sayram Lake on a July morning.

The lakeshore and the mountain ridges around Lake Sayram.

Lake Sayram through the year

March–May

Spring

Sayram Lake at dawn

Try the lakeshore at first light. In May the weather can still shift quickly, and the wind feels cold before the sun reaches the water.

Red dawn clouds above the dark mountain ridges and water of Sayram Lake.
Sayram Lake at dawnRed dawn clouds burn over the mountain ridge, with Sayram Lake still in shadow.

June–August

Summer

Sayram Lake and its island

Look for a high viewpoint along the shore to see the island, the colour changes in the shallows, and the mountains behind.

A curved lakeshore and small island in blue Sayram Lake beneath broad summer clouds.
Sayram Lake and its islandA sweep of shoreline leads toward Sayram Lake’s island beneath a bank of summer cloud.

September–November

Autumn

Hillside above Sayram Lake

Look back over the lake from a hillside. In early autumn, warmer grass tones can sit beside deep green trees and the blue water.

Early-autumn grasses and dark evergreens above the broad blue water of Sayram Lake.
Hillside above Sayram LakeEarly-autumn grasses and dark evergreens frame Sayram Lake from a hillside above the shore.

December–February

Winter

Sayram Lake from orbit

Winter snow traces the ridges around the lake. From the ground, look for that contrast from the shore, and check official access before going.

The dark outline of Sayram Lake enclosed by snow-covered mountain ridges, photographed from orbit.
Sayram Lake from orbitSnow-covered mountain ridges surround Sayram Lake.