The lake, called the South Gelaqiu Mountain Celestial Pond and located in the Wudalianchi Showplace scenic region in northernmost Heilongjiang province, is beginning to refill with water.

Lush-green vegetation is re-emerging around the lake and numerous rare, invaluable species of birds like egrets and red-crowned cranes are coming back.

At an altitude of 596.9 meters above the sea level, the lake was formed when volcanic magma erupted over 3 million years ago. Elderly people living nearby say the lake was once 19 meters deep and its surface never froze. And rainfall is its only water source.

Wetlands adjacent to the lake are home to ancient forests and wildlife such as wild boar and foxes.

In the 1970s, locals blew up the lake to channel its water to farmlands to the detriment of the environment, and it then dried up.

Relevant local authorities have spent 8 million yuan (US$965,000) on the restoration project. They explore refilling the lake from groundwater sources or by diverting water from nearby lakes, which will restore its original sight within a year.

Wudalianchi Showplace is reputed for a world-famous cluster of volcanoes, dammed volcanic lakes and limpid cold mineral springs over an area of 1,060 sq km. The restoration of the Gelaqiu Mountain Celestial Pond, said an official in charge of the scenic region, was vital for making scientific researches into the earth's development and local ecology as well as the maintenance of the lake as a tourist attraction.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2002)