Juyan Lake

Juyan Lake

Juyan Lake

Juyan Lake is located in the northern part of Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It has a long, winding shape resembling a crescent moon. The Ejin River flows into the lake, serving as its primary source of water supply. "Juyan" is a term from the Xiongnu language, translated as "weak water flowing over sand" in the Commentary on the Water Classic. During the Han Dynasty, it was called Juyan Ze, in the Wei and Jin periods it was known as the West Sea, and since the Tang Dynasty it has been called Juyan Lake. It is now known as Swan Lake.

The surface area of Juyan Lake has changed frequently due to shifts in the course of the Ejin River. Since the Yuan Dynasty, it has been divided into three lakes (water bodies): Yijinai, Habanhabaer, and Talashi. Since the Qing Dynasty, it has been split into the eastern Subonuoer (Mongolian for "Mother Deer Lake") and the western Gaxun Nur (Mongolian for "Bitter Lake"). The two lakes are about 35 kilometers apart, with an average depth of 1.5 meters. The lake surface is rippling with blue waves, surrounded by reeds, and is home to fish species such as carp, crucian carp, bighead carp, and grass carp. Migratory birds such as swans, wild geese, cranes, and ducks often come here to rest.

Historically, Juyan Lake had abundant water, with beautiful grasslands along its shores, fertile land, and lush water plants. It was one of China’s earliest agricultural regions, with farming activities dating back to the Han Dynasty. Juyan Lake was also an important passage through the Badain Jaran Desert and the vast Gobi Desert to the north of the desert, making it a strategic military location. The Records of the Grand Historian · Biography of the Xiongnu states: "(The Han) ordered the Commandant of Strong Crossbowmen, Lu Bode, to build a fortress on Juyan Ze." Later, a commandery and counties were established here. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was occupied by the Rouran people; in the Sui and Tang dynasties, it belonged to the Turks; and in the Song Dynasty, it was under the rule of the Western Xia, serving as one of the political, economic, and cultural centers of the Western Xia at that time.

On this oasis in the vast yellow sands, by the side of the blue waters, many legends have emerged and many touching stories have taken place. It is said that during their campaigns against the Xiongnu, the Western Han Dynasty's General of Chariots and Cavalry, Huo Qubing, and the "Flying General" Li Guang, both watered their horses at Juyan Ze. It is also said that during the Yuan Dynasty, the Italian Marco Polo visited Juyan Lake. Furthermore, the great Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei once stayed by the lake and wrote the famous poem "Written on the Frontier": "Beyond Juyan City, they hunt the proud game; / White grass connects the sky, the wild fire spreads the plain. / At dusk, o’er the desert my horse I urge apace; / In autumn plains, I shoot the falcons in their grace."　

In recent years, due to the reduced inflow of water from the Ejin River, its main water source, Juyan Lake has gradually dried up.