Sayram Lake
| Sayram Lake | |
|---|---|
| Sayram Lake (2010) | |
 Sayram Lake | |
| Location | Bortala Prefecture, Xinjiang |
| Coordinates | 44.6°N 81.2°E |
| Native name | 赛里木湖 (Chinese)Сайрам көлі (Kazakh) |
| Basin countries | China |
| Surface area | 458 km2 (177 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 2,070 m (6,791 ft) |
Sayram Lake (Chinese: 赛里木湖; pinyin: Sàilǐmù hú; Kazakh: Сайрам көлі, romanized: Sairam köli; Mongolian: Сайрам нуур, romanized: Sairam nurr) is a fresh water lake located near the border of Kazakhstan at the Tian Shan Mountains in Börtala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. The name Sayram originally derives from Kazakh, which means ‘blessing’. The lake is also known as Santai Haizi and is the largest (458 km²) alpine lake in Xinjiang and also the highest at 2,070 m.
A local folktale relates that the lake was formed by a young Kazakh couple who had been separated by a demon, and were forced to jump into an abyss to be reunited. Their tears filled the abyss, forming the lake.
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