The 24-square kilometer lake, located near the city of Dunhuang, dried up in the 1970s. Now however the lake has reappeared exactly where it used to be.
According to the China Daily, the lake’s resurgence did not occur overnight, but was made possible thanks to several years’ worth of efforts by local authorities.
"Several years spent dredging and repairing local river channels, in addition to a high level of precipitation last year, have brought the lake back to life," Sun Zhicheng, head of the research department at Gansu Dunhuang West Lake National Nature Reserve Administration, said.
However, it appears that the lake might disappear once again later this year if the water supply proves to be inadequate, Wu added.
"If the lake fails to gather enough water in spring, it is likely to disappear in summer," he remarked.
