What treasure does this lake contain that makes it so highly valued?
The Dry Lake
In the northwestern desert of Bayan Gobi, in the city of Bayan Nur, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, a truly unique lake has been discovered. Although it is referred to as a lake, the lakebed is completely dry, and instead of water, the area is filled with various colorful stones. The precious stones found here include quartz, petrified wood, opal, and most notably, agate…
In many Buddhist texts such as “Amitabha Sutra”, “Lotus Sutra”, and “Heart Sutra”, agate is recognized as one of the seven treasures of Buddhism. Therefore, the lake in Bayan Gobi has been named Agate Lake, meaning Lake of Agate.
Agate Lake is located in the northwestern desert of a city in Inner Mongolia, China. (Photo: Sohu)
Agate Lake covers an area of 6 km2, with the lakebed mostly consisting of agate stones of various sizes, the smallest being the size of a pea and the largest comparable to a fist. Under sunlight, they sparkle and shine like a beautiful carpet of gemstones. At sunset, from a distance, one can see the agate stones in Agate Lake bathed in a bright red hue due to light refraction. This sight is truly captivating!
The Origin of Agate Lake
According to local legends, Agate Lake was once a very large body of water. The water was extremely clear, and the sky seemed to blend into the surface of the lake. Heavenly maidens were drawn to this beautiful lake and secretly descended to bathe. Engrossed in play, they forgot to return to their celestial realm. It was only when they heard the sound of heavenly drums that they hurriedly flew away, leaving behind many treasures. These treasures later transformed into agate and various other gemstones.
Agate Lake’s gemstones are the result of a volcanic eruption over 100 million years ago. (Photo: Sohu)
However, this is just a folk tale. Scientists have analyzed the geological composition in this area and reached a final conclusion. According to their findings, the stones here are the result of a volcanic eruption that occurred more than 100 million years ago. During that time, magma from beneath the Earth’s crust erupted due to tectonic shifts. Once the lava cooled, gases formed bubbles. These bubbles became trapped in the cooling lava, creating numerous cavities.
Over a long period, these cavities were soaked in silica-rich solutions and began to crystallize. Gradually, they absorbed various minerals and debris, eventually forming beautiful stone and rock formations with intricate patterns.
In addition to agate, Agate Lake also contains quartz, opal, and many other types of stones. (Photo: Sohu)
Weathering and erosion have exposed these precious stones on the surface. Subsequently, severe storms swept them into the lakebed, resulting in the diverse array of gemstones found in Agate Lake.
The Treasure Hunt at Agate Lake
Previously, local herders around Agate Lake would often come to collect a few stones to display at home. They were completely unaware of their value, merely sharing tales among themselves that Agate Lake was abundant with beautiful, colorful stones. In the 1980s, news of this spread, and people from other areas quickly came to purchase stones at very low prices. Foreigners also arrived to exploit the resources, even hiring locals to gather the gemstones.
The gemstones in Agate Lake are valued at up to 2 billion USD. (Photo: Sohu).
Boxes of agate were packed and shipped to other regions. Locals believed they had struck it rich with a simple yet lucrative job. It wasn’t until the government discovered the situation that the resource had almost been depleted. Due to over-exploitation and years of drought, Agate Lake has become dry.
According to estimates from local authorities and scientists, the gemstones in Agate Lake are valued at up to 2 billion USD.
In the 1980s and 1990s, many people sought Agate Lake for gemstones. (Photo: Sohu).
By the 1990s, a trend of collecting uniquely shaped stones began to emerge in China. As a result, the gemstone hunt at Agate Lake resumed, with some lucky individuals finding rare gems that changed their fortunes, while others lost their lives to sandstorms.
An elderly farmer named Zhang Jing dedicated his time and effort to search for the most unique stones at Agate Lake. After a long and arduous search, Zhang Jing found a small agate stone shaped like a chick in an eggshell. This stone weighed 92 grams and had excellent color and quality. After appraisal, experts determined the value of this agate stone to be 130 million RMB (over 400 billion VND), setting a record for the highest price for agate in China.
The chick-shaped agate stone from Agate Lake, valued at over 400 billion VND. (Photo: Sohu).
Following this event, many flocked to the area hoping to change their fortunes. Due to human exploitation, Agate Lake has suffered significant damage. Scientists have declared that it would take hundreds of millions of years to restore Agate Lake to its former state. Local authorities have spent substantial amounts of money to surround Agate Lake with barbed wire and have deployed many local police officers to enforce strict surveillance and prohibit access to the area.
