Mesmerizing Ice Waves on Frozen Chinese Lake Break Internet (Video)

The waves, although miniature, mimic a righthand pointbreak as they crash along the sloped shoreline. Surfing them, however, would be impossible – the water is filled with chunks of ice the size of hubcaps. Nonetheless, an impressive sight.

Reposting the original video, StreetArtGlobe wrote:

“We’re at Sayram Lake (赛里木湖), in Xinjiang, China. This stunning alpine lake is known for its dramatic natural beauty, high elevation, and cultural significance.

“In winter - especially from December to March - the lake’s surface can freeze and produce remarkable natural, raised ice chunks and shards that catch the light like crystalline sculptures.”

They added: “Is it AI? Here’s a hint… we don’t post AI.”

The original videos were posted on TikTok by user mumiangu16, showing more scenes of the frozen lake, and racking up millions of views.

For more about the lake, which is the largest and highest in China’s Xinjiang autonomous region, here’s the lore behind its formation from a tourist operation:

“In the legend, there was no lake but only grassland with beautiful flowers in the Sayram Lake area. A beautiful girl and boy are in deep love but a greedy devil kidnapped the girl. When the boy came to rescue the girl but found she had jumped into an abyss. In enormous sorrow, he jumped into the abyss as well to meet her. In an instant, billowing water gushed out of the abyss and formed Sayram Lake. Though it is just a fictional loving story, it adds more mysterious atmosphere to Sayram Lake.”