Heavenly Lake


Heavenly Lake Natural Landscape Reserve (Tianchi) is located at the foot of 544-meter-high Bogda Peak,
the highest mountain in the eastern part of Tianshan Range.
about 110 kilometers to Urumqi of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The lake has a reputation of the
Pearl on Heavenly Mountain for its fascinating scenery and was listed among the first group of the national
key scenic spots in 1982.       

The Heavenly Lake was called "Divine Pool" in ancient times, legend has it that the Queen Mother of the
Western Heaven resided in the lake. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, the lake
was named in succession "Heavenly Mirror" and "Magical Lake".

Lied in the north-central part of the scenic area, Heavenly Lake is 1,910 meters above sea level, 3.3 kilometers long and one kilometer wide on
average. The lake stores 160 million cubic meters of water all the year round. Heaven Lake freezes up in late October and thaws in early May. In
the meantime, the lake's surface is covered with ice one meter thick. In summer, the temperature stays at around 20℃. It is a pleasant and
comfortable place, whose shore is carpeted by verdant grass at the backdrop of dense forest. It is not only a summer resort, but also a good
alpine skating rink in winter. Coming from a glacier, the water of Heaven Lake is pure and the ice surface is smooth. With a gentle breeze blowing
most of the time, it is an ideal place for skating competitions.

The lake water is crystal blue, just like a bright mirror. Lying at the mountainside of the snow-crowned Bogda Peak, the Tianchi Lake is surrounded
by numerous towering verdant dragon spruces, tall and straight. The lake also has various waterfalls with constantly changing cloud and mist,
forming a splendor and open plateau landscape.

The famous Heavenly lake comprises eight scenic spots including Narrow pass under Stone Gate,
Moon Reflected in the lake, Magical Needle, Three Towering Rocks, Snow Viewed at the southern Hill,
Pine Observed at the Western Hill, Precipitous Cascade, Twilight at the Peak. Nearby is another scenic
spot called "Queen Mother's Foot Washbasin" and "East Lesser lake".