Heaven Lake of Tian Shan
People's Republic of China · Asia
About
Tianchi (Chinese: 天池; pinyin: Tiānchí, Uyghur: بوغدا كۆلى) is an alpine lake in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The name (天池) literally means Heavenly Lake and can refer to several lakes in mainland China and Taiwan. This Tianchi lies on the north side of the Bogda Shan ("Mountain of God", Bogda is a Mongolian word meaning "God") range of the Tian Shan ("Mountain of Heaven"), about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Fukang and 45 kilometres (28 mi) east (straight-line distance) of Ürümqi. It is an alpine drift lake shaped in the Quaternary Glacier period.
Formerly known as Yaochi ("Jade Lake"), it was named Tianchi in 1783 by Mingliang, the Qing Commander of Urumqi Command.
The lake is 1,907 metres (6,257 ft) above sea level, covering 4.9 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi), 105 metres (344 ft) deep at the deepest point.
In 2006, it was designated for four years of restoration work at a cost of 800 million yuan (US$100 million). The plan calls for the tourism area around the lake to be increased from the present 158 km2 to 548 km2. The lake is classified as a highest level scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.
The lake is accessible by Provincial Highway 111 from Fukang.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.