Dian Lake

Dian Lake
Dian Lake Location in Yunnan Show map of China Dian Lake Dian Lake (Yunnan) Show map of Yunnan
Location	Kunming, Yunnan
Coordinates	24°48′02″N 102°40′17″E / 24.80056°N 102.67139°E / 24.80056; 102.67139
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, 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 subtropical plateau monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 14.4°C, a frost-free period of 227 days, and an annual precipitation of 1036 mm. 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 is called Waihai (Chinese: 外海; pinyin: Wàihǎi) and has a surface area of 292 km² and an average depth of 4.4m. The water flows out of the lake to the west via the Tanglang River (Chinese: 螳螂江; pinyin: Tángláng Jiāng) 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.