Dian Lake | |
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Location | Kunming, Yunnan |
Coordinates | 24°48′02″N 102°40′17″E / 24.80056°N 102.67139°E |
Type | Freshwater |
Primary outflows | Pudu River |
Basin countries | China |
Max. length | 39 km (24 mi) |
Surface area | 298 km2 (115 sq mi) |
Average depth | 4.4 m (14 ft) |
Surface elevation | 1,886.5 m (6,189 ft) |
Dian Lake (Chinese: 滇池; pinyin: Diānchí), also known as Dianchi, Dianchi Lake, Lake Dian and Kunming Lake, is a fault lake located on the Puduhe-Xishan fault in Kunming, Yunnan, China at 24°23′–26°22′ N, 102°10′–103°40′ E. Its nickname is the "Sparkling Pearl Embedded in a Highland" (Chinese: 高原明珠; pinyin: Gāoyuánmíngzhū).[1] It is the model for the Kunming Lake in Beijing's Summer Palace. Its name is the source of Yunnan's Chinese abbreviation 滇.
Dian Lake is a shallow freshwater fault lake. The Lake is 40 km long, running from north to south, and has an average width of 7 km with the widest point being 12.5 km. The lake is 1886 meters above sea level and has 150 km of coastline. The lake's drainage area has a monsoon-affected subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), with an average annual temperature of 14.4 °C, a frost-free period of 227 days, and an annual precipitation of 1036 mm.[citation needed] The lake covers 298 km2 (115 sq mi). The lake has an average depth of 4.4 m (14 ft),[2] and is divided into two parts by an artificial dike. The northern end of the lake is called Caohai (Chinese: 草海; pinyin: Cáohǎi) and has a surface area of 7.5 km2 and an average depth of 2.5 meters. The southern end of the lake, comprising the majority of the lake, is called Waihai (Chinese: 外海; pinyin: Wàihǎi) and has a surface area of 292 km2 and an average depth of 4.4 m. The water flows out of the lake to the west via the Pudu River (Chinese: 普渡河; pinyin: Pǔdù Hé) which eventually joins the Yangtze River before finally reaching the Pacific Ocean.[3] Dian Lake is the sixth largest lake in China and the largest lake in Yunnan Province.