Tianshuihai


Tianshuihai, alternately Tien Shui Hai, is the location of an army service station in the disputed Aksai Chin region of Kashmir administered by China as part of its Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is also claimed by India as part of Ladakh.

Toponymy

The name Tianshuihai means "sweet water sea" in Chinese, supposedly originating in local army folklore about a dying soldier whose last words before passing were that he wanted to taste sweetened water.

Service station

The service station is located at an elevation of. Due to this high elevation, there are few inhabitants in the remote area. Since the 1990s, there were numerous attempts by outsiders to establish restaurants or businesses in the area, but so far most have failed. While legally not permitted to accommodate outsiders, given the harsh environment, when not accommodating army personnel, the army service station would offer food and lodging to civilians for a relatively expensive price.

Lake

There is a lake by the same name nearby, Lake Tianshuihai. It has a depth of. All the lakes in the region are saltwater lakes. Geologically, the area is part of a terrane that was formed in early Mesozoic.

Transportation

, known as the Xinjiang–Tibet highway, passes nearby, connecting it with Lhasa and Kargilik County. The outpost is from the starting point of National Highway 219 in Kargilik County.
The service station was constructed in 1959. During the Sino-Indian War in 1962, Tanshuihai region served as the main communication artery for 3 fronts of the Chinese offensive.