On the morning of Jan. 13, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 's Bureau of Surveying and Mapping started to remeasure the altitude of Aydingkol Lake, which is located in the lowest land region in China.

Forty kilometers away from the south of the city Turpan in Xinjiang, Aydingkol Lake is well known for its clear, clean, tranquil and translucent water. Its lowest point was set out to be 154 negative meters in altitude in 1979.

During nearly three decades, the conditions in the lake area have changed a lot, and China's surveying and mapping skills have been improved greatly as well. In order to grasp more precise geographic information, the local surveying and mapping bureau determined to remeasure the lowest altitude of the lowest land in China. The figures are to be exact to the centimeter, or even millimeter.

(chinanews.cn January 15, 2007)