According to scientists, the Heavenly Lake is surrounded by mountain ranges, with no flowing water sources feeding into it, yet it holds more than 2 billion tons of water.
There are many intriguing mysteries in the world that scientists have yet to explain. One such wonder is the Heavenly Lake, located in the Changbai Mountain range, China. The Heavenly Lake is not only famous for its stunning scenery but also for the many “mysteries” that continue to attract numerous visitors.
A Surprising “Appearance”
The Heavenly Lake, also known in ancient times as Youmen, Tumen, Wenliang, and Dragon Tan, boasts breathtaking beauty with its deep blue waters nestled among trees and snow-capped mountains. The scenery here resembles a paradise. Each season brings a different charm to the Heavenly Lake: vibrant colors in spring, refreshing greens in summer, hues of gold and red in autumn, and a captivating white blanket in winter. Due to this beauty, it is named Heavenly Lake, which means “Lake of Heaven.”
The Heavenly Lake is situated in the caldera of the Changbai Mountain range, China. (Photo: Baidu)
The uniqueness of the Heavenly Lake lies in its location. It is positioned in a caldera atop the Changbai Mountain range, straddling the border between North Korea and China. Changbai Mountain is a stratovolcano with its summit truncated by a large volcanic caldera approximately 5 km in diameter and 850 m deep. The caldera is filled by the Heavenly Lake.
According to historical records, this caldera was formed in 946 BC due to a massive eruption (VEI 7), referred to as “the Millennium” or “Tianchi.” This eruption is one of the most violent in the past 5,000 years, comparable to the eruption of Lake Taupo in AD 180 and the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. The eruption, whose volcanic ash has been found as far south as Hokkaidō, Japan, and as far north as Greenland, destroyed much of the volcanic summit, leaving behind a crater that is now filled by the Heavenly Lake.
According to the Tokyo Chronicles, in 946 BC, the city of Kaesong suddenly heard “thunder from the sky” (used to describe the explosion from the millennium eruption). This noise was heard again 450 km south of the ancient capital of Korea, instilling such fear in the Goryeo emperor that he immediately released prisoners held by the royal court.
In the book “History of Heungboksa Temple,” on November 3 of the same year, an event of “white ash rain” occurred in Nara, Japan, approximately 1,100 km east of the mountain. Three months later, on February 7, 947 BC, people in Kyoto, Japan, once again heard “thunder from the sky.”
In Manchu mythology, historians have described the Tianwanfeng eruption at Changbai Mountain as “fire dragon, fire demon, or heavenly fire.”
The caldera was created in 946 BC by the massive eruption (VEI 7) “the Millennium” or “Tianchi.” (Photo: Baidu)
Archaeologists have also found evidence of the eruption through carbonized wood in the Heifengkou conglomerate, which has been dated to around 946 BC.
The Heavenly Lake is located at an altitude of 2,154 meters above sea level. Its surface area is 9.82 km2, with a maximum depth of 384 meters and an average depth of 204 meters. With these dimensions, the Heavenly Lake has become the deepest alpine lake in the world.
Due to its high altitude, the lake’s water remains cold, freezing to a thickness of up to 1 meter from mid-October to mid-June each year. Even in summer, the water temperature ranges from 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. Changbai Mountain’s high elevation and the convergence of two air currents from Siberia and the Pacific create a high humidity level around the Heavenly Lake compared to the foothills.
Scientists’ Doubts
The Heavenly Lake holds more than 2 billion tons of fresh water, which is enough to supply the entire population of Beijing for 22 months. Many visitors to the Heavenly Lake have noted that its water is among the clearest in the world, almost as transparent as crystal, yet remarkably, it hosts virtually no aquatic life.
Water flows out of the lake to the north, where a 70-meter waterfall is located. However, what is even stranger is that they cannot find the source of the water flowing into the Heavenly Lake. This is because the Heavenly Lake is surrounded entirely by mountains, and it seems that the water mysteriously flows into the lake.
Surrounded by mountains, the Heavenly Lake’s water source remains unknown. (Photo: Baidu)
The annual rainfall in the Heavenly Lake basin is 43 million m3, while the average annual water yield is 123 million m3. This means that over 65% of the water in the Heavenly Lake does not come from rainfall. Moreover, the Heavenly Lake continuously absorbs sunlight and evaporates, yet it has remained full for an extended period without diminishing.
Located at an altitude of over 2,100 meters above sea level, it seems that only the surrounding mountains can pump water into the lake. It is essentially impossible for water from other areas to flow into the Heavenly Lake. So, where does the remaining 80 million m3 of water in the Heavenly Lake come from?
An Unexpected Revelation
From this puzzlement, scientists sought to find answers. Ultimately, they hypothesized that the water in the Heavenly Lake primarily originates from a very special place. Chen Jiansheng, a professor at Hohai University, China, proposed that most of the water in the Heavenly Lake comes from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Tibetan Plateau).
However, this hypothesis has faced much opposition, as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is thousands of kilometers away from Changbai Mountain and the Heavenly Lake, with no surface water flow connecting them. Even if there were underground rivers, they couldn’t possibly be that long!
Nevertheless, Professor Chen Jiansheng proposed the theory of deep circulation of groundwater. He theorized that the Earth’s crust expands when volcanic lava erupts and contracts when it cools. This expansion and contraction create cracks underground. These cracks can reach depths of up to 15 km below the surface. According to him, water from the mountains or plateaus can flow through these cracks to lower areas due to the force of gravity.
A diagram simulating the groundwater flow from the Tibetan Plateau to the Heavenly Lake. (Photo: Baidu)
In July 2021, Professor Chen Jiansheng and several scholars from West Lake University, the University of California, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology published a study titled “Disappearing Water from the Kangdian Basin on the Tibetan Plateau” in the Earth Science Journal. According to this research, the team discovered that the water from many rivers flows through cracks in the Kangdian Basin from south to north, with a portion disappearing. They estimated that the annual water loss could reach 54 billion m3, equivalent to the annual flow of the Yellow River.
They also confirmed that after the groundwater in the Kangdian Basin flows into the cracks leading to the northern and eastern regions of the Tibetan Plateau, another portion flows into the Heavenly Lake in the Changbai Mountains.
By studying the groundwater in the basalt layer, the research team found natural water flows in the basalt connecting to the volcanic crater. These flows were formed by the lava flow that caused the Earth’s crust to expand and contract after cooling. Water seeping from the surface also flows through these cracks, and under the influence of capillary action, groundwater from higher areas flows to lower regions.
The Heavenly Lake is situated at an elevation of nearly 2,200 meters, yet it is still significantly lower than the elevation of the Kangdian area of Tibet. According to the research team, it is entirely plausible for the Heavenly Lake to source water from the Tibetan Plateau.
Rumors of a Mysterious “Water Monster” in the Heavenly Lake
The Heavenly Lake is also famous for the mysterious stories of “water monsters” that pique curiosity. According to oral tales, on August 23, 2003, a group of over 40 tourists at the Heavenly Lake saw a black creature, about 3 meters long, swimming from the south shore to the north shore before diving out of sight. A month earlier, around 20 “monsters” from the Heavenly Lake had made a 50-minute parade.
Two years later, on July 7, a man named Zheng Changchun, residing in Fuxin County, Jilin Province, discovered a strange black shadow rising to the surface of the lake while sightseeing at the Heavenly Lake and took a photo. Although some claimed it was merely a floating log, Mr. Zheng insisted he captured an image of a strange creature in the Heavenly Lake.
The image of the “water monster” captured at the Heavenly Lake. (Photo: Baidu)
On July 21, 2005, a “monster” reappeared on the northern shore and once again disturbed the calm waters of Tianchi Lake more than ten days later. According to Mr. Hoang Tuong Dong, a person fortunate enough to witness the “monster” of Tianchi Lake, the head and neck of the “water creature” protruding above the water surface was over 2 meters high.
In 2013, several low-quality photos circulated on social media, allegedly depicting the monster of Tianchi Lake, reigniting interest in the existence of this creature. There were also many speculations surrounding the being referred to as “the water monster”. However, scientists noted that while Tianchi Lake receives abundant rainfall, the low oxygen levels in the water, combined with the arid surrounding environment and sparse vegetation, mean that it does not provide adequate conditions for fish to thrive. Results from a survey also indicated that Tianchi Lake has no vertebrate animals. Therefore, the tale of the “water monster” at Tianchi Lake may simply be unfounded rumors.
