Ayding Lake

Aydingkol
Stele at Aydingkol
Location	Turfan Depression, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Coordinates	42°39′27″N 89°16′14″E / 42.65750°N 89.27056°E / 42.65750; 89.27056Coordinates: 42°39′27″N 89°16′14″E / 42.65750°N 89.27056°E / 42.65750; 89.27056
Basin countries	China
Surface elevation	−154 m (−505 ft)

Aydingkol (Uyghur: ئايدىڭكۆل, Айдиңкөл‎, ULY: Aydingköl), Aydingkul (Mongol) or Ayding (Chinese: 艾丁湖; pinyin: Àidīng Hú) is a lake in the Turpan Depression, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, PR China. At 154 m below sea level, it is the lowest point in China, and also lower than anywhere on Earth outside the countries of Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Djibouti. This lake is now totally dried, and very muddy and salty.

In ancient times, Ayding Lake was known as juéluòwǎn (觉洛浣). The Uyghur derived name Aydingköl means "moon lake", due to the lake having a layer of white salt along its edge, giving the appearance of a shining moon.