Tianshan Mountain

    Name in Chinese: 天山天池  Tiān Shān Tiān Chí  [tiæ sæ tiæ tsi]

    Duration of Tour: Six Hours

    Location: Fukang County, Changji Hui’s Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang

    Highlights: Photography, Hiking and Local Traditional Culture

    Reputations: A World Natural Heritage Site, a National Geo-park, a National Five-star Scenic Area, a Gorgeous Lake that only Exists in Fairyland

 

    The Heavenly Lake lies at the foot of Mount Bogda which is a part of Tianshan Mountain Range. It is an alpine moraine-dammed lake formed in the Quaternary Glacier Period(about two or three million years ago). The lake is well-know as Yaochi(the Jade Pool) in China due to its breathtaking beauty. Legend has it that the Jade Pool is the place where Hsi Wang Mu lives, a goddess who rules as the queen in Heaven. The name of the lake in Chinese is “Tian-Chi”, meaning “Heavenly Lake”. In other words, it is a lake that can be found in fairyland. The waters of the lake are in a rich shade of blue, looking like a sapphire set in snow-capped mountains. The lake is at an elevation of 1,907 meters(6,257 feet). It measures 490 hectares(1,211 acres) and 105 meters(344 feet) deep at the deepest point.

    Tianshan is one of the seven grandest and longest mountain ranges in the world. It traverses the Gobi desert in Northwestern China, extending to Central Asia with a total length of some 2,500 kilometers(1,553 miles). The west part of the mountain is in China’s Xinjiang. It is at the north of both Taklamakhan Desert and Tarim Basin. Tianshan Mountain meets the Altai Mountains in the northeast and the Pamir Mountains in the south. The summit of the mountain range is Jengish Chokusu(also known as Victory Peak). It altitude is 7,443.8 meters(24,422 feet) above sea level. The peak is situated on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan. However, Bogda Mountain has been regarded as the Heavenly Mountain by most of Chinese tourist for centuries. The name of the peak, Bogda is a Mongolian word, meaning “the mountain of gods”. Bogda is the eastern part of the mountain range. The highest peak of Bogda Mountain is at an elevation of 5,445 meters(17,864 feet). The Heavenly Lake is on its norther slope.

 

    Travel Tips:

    How to Get to the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountain

    The Heavenly Lake National Park lies 97 kilometers(60 miles) to the east of downtown Urumqi. The journey to the park from Urumqi is reckoned to take about one and a half hours by car. Urumqi Diwopu International Airport operates flights to most of major cities in Mainland China, such as Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

 

    How to Visit the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountain

    The highlights of the national park are the mirror-like lake, snow-capped mountains and virgin forests. The must-see sightseeing spots in the park are the Stone-Gate Path, the West-Heavenly-Pool Waterfall, the East-Heavenly-Pool Waterfall, the Heavenly Lake and Hsi Wang-Mu’s Temple. Tourists can ride the sightseeing shuttle buses from the Visitor Center to the lake and pay a visit to each of the spots along the road. It is highly suggested to take a boat cruise around the lake.

 

    Photography Tips:

    A tripod, a filter, telephoto lenses and wide angle lenses are needed. There are some viewing platform by the lake. The highest one provides a panoramic view of the lake.

 

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the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountain

the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountain