Tian Chi: The "Heavenly Lake" in the "Heavenly Mountains"

The Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) is a mountain range north east of Urumqi in northern Xinjiang. The highest peak here is above 5000m and always covered with snow. There is a beautiful lake on 2000m called Tian Chi.

The Tian Chi lake is a typical place to visit when in Urumqi. There are busses going there giving you about an hour at the lake and then returning to Urumqi. That is enough time to take the picture of yourself in front of the lake, listening to some Chinese music and dances on a stage with huge loudspeakers and maybe even eating some lamb.

But I do not think that the foreign tourists like that. Most of them take a bus to the lake but then stay at least 1 night. If you hike around the lake you will get to a place with yurts. Rashit and his Kazakh Minority family lives there during the warmer seasons and lets you stay in his yurt for 50 RMB including 3 meals (yes the price has increased). This is recommended in all kinds of travel guides including the Lonely Planet.