Tianchi Lake at Mountain Tianshan

Tianchi Lake is situated on north side of Bogda Peak of Mountain Tianshan, 40-odd km in the east of Fukang County, and 110 km away from Urumqi City.

The name “Tianchi Lake” was named by Mingliang in 1783, the Qing Dynasty Commander of Urumqi Command. The lake surface of Tianchi Lake is over 1,900 m above sea level, more than 3,000 m long from south to north, 1500-odd m from east to west, and covers an area of 4.9 square kilometers, 105 m deep at the deepest point, and the lake holds 160 million m3 water.

Shaped as a lune, Tianchi Lake is as crystalline as jade and is reputed as “a bright pearl at Mountain Tianshan”. It is an alpine drift lake shaped in the Quaternary Glacier period. Northern bank of the lake is a natural dike that is a moraine ridge. It is a world famous alpine drift lake, which was listed by the State as one of the key scenic spots in 1982.

The Tianchi Lake Scenic Area can be divided into four natural view belts: lower mountain belt, mountain coniferous forest belt, alpine and subalpine belt, and ice and snow belt. The famous attractions include Blue Moon on the Dragon's Pool, Magic Needle Calming the Sea, Pines on the West Mountain, Flying Waterfalls from the Upper Springs, etc.

Riding a horse, one can, within one day, arrive at the foot of 5445-m high Bogda Peak that is the highest peak of the eastern Mountain Tianshan. The Bogda Peak was covered by ice and snow all the year round and thus like wearing a body armor, so ancient Mongolians thought that this was “God” and named it “Bogda”. It is one of the mountain peaks chosen by Chinese and foreign mountain climbers for climbing sports.

Publishes at : 07-08-29 23:02

Url : http://www.asiavtour.com/China_Xinjiang%20Uygur%20Autonomous%20Region_Urumqi_Tianchi%20Lake%20at%20Mountain%20Tianshan_Introduction_a828_s1_c6886.html