Heavenly Lake of Tian Shan
Tianchi is an alpine lake in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The name 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 range of the Tian Shan, about south of Fukang and east of Ürümqi. It is an alpine drift lake shaped in the Quaternary Glacier period.
Formerly known as Yaochi, it was named Tianchi in 1783 by Mingliang, the Qing Commander of Urumqi Command.
The lake is above sea level, covering, deep at the deepest point.
In 2006, it was designated for four years of restoration work at a cost of 800 million yuan. 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.
The lake is the titular starting point of Vikram Seth's first book, From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet, which describes his hitchhiking journey through Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet and Nepal to return home to India, during a break in his studies at Nanjing University in 1981.