Chini Lake, Natural lake in Pekan District, Malaysia

Chini Lake is a lake system in Pekan District consisting of twelve interconnected water bodies that form an expansive freshwater area. The shores are fringed with vegetation and scattered with small islands, creating a landscape of water channels and green banks throughout.

The sunken Khmer city is a legend of the Jakun Orang Asli, not an excavated find: they hold that an ancient city like those of old Cambodia lies at the bottom of the lake. A related fact drew linguists — the speech of one Orang Asli group on the shore is linked to Khmer, feeding a theory that Peninsular Malaysia's original peoples moved from north to south. In 2019 Pahang gazetted 4,498 hectares around the lake as permanent forest reserve.

The Jakun, an Orang Asli group, live in settlements such as Kampung Gumum, Kampung Cendahan, Tanjung Puput, Melai and Ulu Melai. Their language has been studied for its links to Khmer, supporting a theory that Peninsular Malaysia's indigenous peoples moved from north to south. Local legend speaks of the Naga Seri Gumum dragon and a sunken Khmer city beneath the lake.

Chini River, which drains the lake into the Pahang River, is dammed to keep the lake's depth during the dry season; the raised water has killed trees along the shore. The lake lies in Pekan District, Pahang, and its shores hold Jakun settlements including Kampung Gumum, Kampung Cendahan, Tanjung Puput, Melai and Ulu Melai. Access to the water is by boat from these villages.

Between August and September, the water surface transforms into a flower garden as thousands of white and pink lotus blossoms cover the lake. This brief seasonal display attracts visitors who travel specifically to witness this unexpected floral show across the water.