Tian Chi (Tianchi) is a stunning, high lake in the northwest Xinjiang Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China. Better known as Heaven Lake, the UNESCO World Heritage site lies to the east of Urumqi (the region’s capital) on Bogda Peak.
While only 45kms from Urumqi as the crow flies, the S111 highway goes up and around for 110kms to Tian Chi. The lake resides on the northern flank of Bogda Peak (God Peak in Mongolian) amid the Tianshan Mountains and is an ancient alpine drift lake.
Tian Chi was listed by UNESCO in 1990. It lies at an altitude of 2,000m above sea level and is over 100m deep at its deepest point. It is a tough slog to get to, which is part of the appeal. Tian Chi is surrounded by lush, forest-clad mountains and has been well developed by the Chinese government.
Tourists can spend the night near the lake in Kazakh yurts (domed tents), or camp out. Hiking in the mountains around Tian Chi is really good, although anytime outside summer is generally not very good.
Getting There & Away
It is a 2-hour shuttle bus ride to Tian Chi from Urumqi by way of G216/S111 highways. Buses go from various guesthouses as well as from the People’s Park of Urumqi. Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi receives flights from many major cities, including from Beijing in around 4 hours. The train journey to Urumqi takes 44 hours from Shanghai.