Jūyán Sea

The Juyan lakes lie at the northern end of the Heihe River, where its waters reach the arid Ejin Basin beyond the Hexi Corridor. The river divides into channels across an oasis before ending in the desert lakes. For centuries, irrigation sustained fields and settlements along its lower course, while the extent of the lakes changed with the water reaching them. The ruins of Khara Khoto stand in this wider oasis country, a reminder of the settled communities once supported by the river.