Barkol Tagh
The Barkol Tagh, also known as Barkol Shan, forms together with the Qarlik Tagh the easternmost end of the Tian Shan mountain range. It is located along an active thrust fault in the Kumul prefecture in Xinjiang province.
Barkol city and the hypersaline Lake Balikun are located at the northern flank of the mountain range. There, mean annual temperature is 1.0°C and mean annual precipitation is 210 mm.
Another branch of the Tian Shan, the Meiqinwula Mountains, is located north of the Lake Balikun basin.