Kukunor is the second largest inland mountain salt lake in Central Asia after Lake Issyk-Kul.
It is mountainous and is located at an altitude of 3205 m.

Chinese – Qinghai, Mongolian – Khukh-Nur and Tibetan – Tso Ngongpo names mean “blue-green (turquoise) sea (lake)”.One of the first Europeans to explore the lake was the Russian traveler, geographer and naturalist Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky in 1872.

23 rivers flow into Kukunor, the most aquiferous of which – Bukh-Gol – forms a delta that extends into Kukunor in the west.
The lake has a large amount of alkali, so drinking water from the lake is not only harmful, but also life threatening.

The lake is surrounded by many legends, mystical beliefs and traditions that have been formed over centuries.

During the existence of the Chinese Empire, the northern section of the Great Silk Road passed along the shores of the lake. Residents of settlements located near the lake, called the reservoir Avaricious master. This is due to the fact that not a single river flows from the lake, and it is impossible to use water for cooking.

Due to its length, the lake is called Long Water.

In the year of the horse, every Tibetan Buddhist is obliged to go around the lake around, making the Great Pilgrimage to the holy places.

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