Glacier meltwater from the Kunlun Mountains has pooled into turquoise lakes along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where seasonal floodwaters are now irrigating poplar forests and drawing rising numbers of visitors.
From above, the shallow waters shimmer like mint jelly, while deeper stretches glow with an emerald hue.
In recent years, local authorities have managed peak flood flows to water stands of poplar, building a green barrier against the desert. The turquoise waters, once a seasonal spectacle, are now becoming a steady draw for tourists eager to explore the transformed landscape.
Glacier meltwater carves stunning turquoise lakes in Xinjiang desert
Chinese stocks closed higher on Monday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 1.16 percent to 4,073.90 points.
The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.19 percent higher at 15,812.87 points.
The combined turnover of stocks covered by these two indices reached 3.51 trillion yuan (about 515 billion U.S. dollars), down from 3.55 trillion yuan in the previous trading day.
Weight-loss drug, bioproduct and recombinant protein stocks led the gains, while non-metallic materials, electronic components and consumer electronics stocks posted the biggest losses.
The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.54 percent to close at 4,216.70 points.
The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 3.12 percent higher at 2,416.67 points on Monday.
Chinese shares close higher Monday
