Since the 13th century, a mysterious creature in Kanas Lake has been killing livestock and baffling researchers
In the 1970s, a local herdsman in Altai prefecture, Xinjiang, woke from a nap to find his horses had vanished. He had brought 10 animals to graze on the lush grasslands next to the pristine Kanas Lake, but he now found nothing but hoof marks near the lake, and the water there tinged an ominous red. With the help of his fellow villagers the herdsman searched high and low for any sign of the horses, or of what could have happened to them, but found nothing. A frightening hypothesis emerged: could there be a monster residing beneath the crystal-clear water?
The story quickly spread and more legends about the supposed lake monster dragging away livestock have emerged since. Today, Kanas Lake, surrounded by stunning mountains, attracts tourists hoping to bask in its beauty and also those curious to catch a glimpse of what has been dubbed China’s Loch Ness Monster.
In fact, fears of a monster lurking in the lake have been around since the 13th century. One rumor had it that the mausoleum of Genghis Khan, founder of the great Mongol Empire, was located at the bottom of the lake, where a ferocious lake god watched over his remains and protected his spirit.
In modern times, the first official report of a sighting appeared in the state-run Guangming Daily newspaper in 1980, and quickly sparked public concern. The newspaper reported that on August 1 that year, local forest ranger Jin Gang saw a giant red object over 15 meters in length floating in the middle of the lake while on duty near Kanas Lake. A terrified Jin hastily went to the nearest settlement for assistance but when others came to observe the object, it had disappeared. Jin and others spent the next week watching the lake for any sign of activity, but saw nothing.
Yang Tingting is a Chinese editor at The World of Chinese. Interested in telling Chinese stories, she writes mainly about culture, language, and society.
