Tianchi (Heavenly Lake)

Tianchi, or Heavenly Lake in English, is a high-mountain lake located in the central part of Tianshan Mountains, which was inscribed on the list of World Heritage by UNESCO in 2013.
Located 90 km away from Urumqi, Tianchi covers only 5 skm with altitude of 1980 meters in the valley of snow-covered mountains where Kazaks live here generation by generation, so there are Kazak yurts near Tianchi. Since ancient time, Chinese legend believed that the Western Mother Queen who is the goddess of Taoism lived around Tianchi. That is why there is a Taoist Temple of Western Mother Queen on the east bank of the lake where you can climb up and visit.You can take a boat on the nice lake.
Tianchi opens all year around, and different landscape during different seasons. It is wonderful skating rink in winter and there is skating competition held in Tianchi every winter.