Har Lake, which dried up more than 50 years ago, has reappeared in the Gobi Desert in Gansu province.

The 24-square-kilometer body of water is 33 kilometers from Dunhuang, once a major stop on the Silk Road and famous for its Mogao Grottoes, according to a report by Science and Technology Daily.

"The spectacular view has not occurred overnight. Several years' efforts in dredging and repairing local river channels, in addition to a high level of precipitation last year, have brought the lake back to life," said Sun Zhicheng, head of the research department at Gansu Dunhuang West Lake National Nature Reserve Administration.