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中|CHINANETZ

Lake · Xinjiang

Tianchi and Bogda Peak

天山天池 (Tiānshān Tiānchí)

A mountain lake beneath the glaciers of the eastern Tianshan

Tianchi, the “Heavenly Lake” of the Tianshan, is a long alpine lake at about 1,900 metres in the Bogda range, north-east of Urumqi in Fukang. Above it rises the glaciated Bogda Peak, about 5,445 metres high. The lake, its spruce forests and the Bogda massif form the Bogda component of the Xinjiang Tianshan World Heritage site, inscribed in 2013.

Key facts

Lake elevation
about 1,900 m[1]
Bogda Peak
about 5,445 m[1]
UNESCO World Heritage
2013, Xinjiang Tianshan[1]
Location
Fukang, Changji prefecture, Xinjiang
5,445 m above sea level · highest point: Bogda Peak (博格达峰)

Overview

Bogda is the easternmost high massif of the Tianshan, and its three snow peaks can be seen from Urumqi on clear days. On its northern slope, where the land drops towards the Dzungarian Basin, a glacial valley holds Tianchi: a narrow lake some 3 km long, enclosed by steep slopes of dark Schrenk's spruce and meadows, with the snow of Bogda at its head.

The World Heritage property covers a vertical sweep from the desert edge at the foot of the mountain to the glaciers of the summit, showing within a short distance the sequence of landscape belts — desert steppe, meadow, forest, alpine grassland, rock and ice — that is characteristic of the Tianshan. Kazakh herders graze the high pastures around the lake in summer.

How the landscape formed

Tianchi lies in a glacial trough dammed by a moraine left by a Quaternary glacier; the lake is the water trapped behind it. Streams from the Bogda glaciers feed it, and it drains north through a gorge towards the basin. The Bogda massif itself is built of Palaeozoic volcanic and sedimentary rock uplifted with the rest of the Tianshan by the continuing collision of India with Asia. More than a hundred glaciers cling to the peaks and are retreating.

Highlights

  • Heavenly Lake

    天池 (Tiānchí)

    The main lake, about 3 km long, with boats and a lakeside path.

  • Bogda Peak

    博格达峰 (Bógédá Fēng)

    The highest summit of the eastern Tianshan, about 5,445 metres; the name is Mongolian for “holy” or “sacred”.

  • Little Western Lake

    西小天池 (Xī Xiǎo Tiānchí)

    A small pool with a waterfall below the main lake, in legend the Queen Mother of the West's foot-washing basin.

  • Sea-calming Needle

    定海神针 (Dìnghǎi Shénzhēn)

    An old elm on the lakeshore that legend says keeps the lake from flooding.

Plants and wildlife

The northern slope of Bogda catches moisture from westerly winds and is heavily forested between about 1,500 and 2,700 metres, in sharp contrast to the desert below. The spruce forests, meadows and alpine zone support wildlife typical of the Tianshan.

Plants

  • Schrenk's spruce

    雪岭云杉 (xuělǐng yúnshān)

    Picea schrenkiana, the tall, narrow spruce of the Tianshan forests.

  • Snow lotus

    雪莲 (xuělián)

    Saussurea involucrata, a flower of scree slopes high on the mountain, prized in Uyghur and Kazakh medicine.

Wildlife

  • Siberian ibex

    北山羊 (běishānyáng)

    Lives on the cliffs and ridges above the tree line.

  • Snow leopard

    雪豹 (xuěbào)

    Recorded in the high parts of the Bogda range.

Culture and legend

Chinese legend identifies the lake with the Jade Pool (瑶池) of the Queen Mother of the West, Xiwangmu, where King Mu of Zhou was said to have visited her on his journey west; Daoist temples once stood by the shore. For Mongols and Oirats the peak was sacred, as its name records. Kazakh families still bring their herds to summer pastures near the lake, and their yurts are part of the landscape.

明月出天山，苍茫云海间。

Míngyuè chū Tiānshān, cāngmáng yúnhǎi jiān.

“The bright moon rises over the Heavenly Mountains, through a vast and misty sea of clouds.”

— Li Bai, “The Moon over the Mountain Pass” (关山月); the poem's Tianshan may refer to the Qilian range

  • Jade Pool

    瑶池 (Yáochí)

    The mythical lake of the Queen Mother of the West, identified with Tianchi.

  • Fushou Temple

    福寿观 (Fúshòu Guàn)

    A Daoist temple on the lakeshore, rebuilt in modern times.

History

  1. Zhou dynasty (legend)

    King Mu meets the Queen Mother of the West

    The ancient story of the king's journey west later becomes attached to Tianchi.

  2. 1982

    National scenic area

    Tianshan Tianchi is listed among the first national key scenic areas.

  3. 1990

    Biosphere reserve

    Bogda Peak joins UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

  4. 2013

    UNESCO World Heritage

    Bogda is inscribed as one of the four components of Xinjiang Tianshan.

Through the seasons

  • Spring

    The lake thaws in April or May; snow lingers in the forest and on the paths.

  • Summer

    The main season: green meadows, Kazakh herders on the pastures and cool air compared with the heat of Urumqi.

  • Autumn

    Birches and poplars turn yellow against the dark spruce in late September and October.

  • Winter

    The lake freezes; snow and cold make it a quiet winter landscape, with some winter sports.

Routes and ways in

  1. Lakeside walk

    A path along the eastern shore and up to viewpoints above the lake, with views of Bogda.

  2. Hiking to the Bogda base camp

    A multi-day trek from the head of the lake over high pastures to the glaciers below Bogda Peak, for experienced and equipped walkers.

Practical notes

  • The lake is about 1,900 metres high and the air is cool even in summer; take a warm layer.
  • Treks towards Bogda cross remote high country; go with a local guide and register as required.
  • Urumqi is the base, and the lake is usually visited as a day trip.

Cities to start from

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Xinjiang Tianshan — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. Tian Shan — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. Heavenly Lake of Tianshan — Wikipedia (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  4. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People's Government — Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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