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| Welcome to Tianshan Tianchi (UNESCO), Urumqi, Xinjiang |
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| Bogda Peak, Tian Shan Urumqi, Xinjiang |
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| Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake) Urumqi, Xinjiang, China |
D-3 Tuesday Aug 11 2026 (Urumqi, Xinjiang) - woke up early & after a breakfast, we made a visit to the High Speed Passenger Transport Centre, Urumqi High Speed Railway Station North Square to board a public bus departing 08.20 (bus tickets pre-booked a day earlier) to Tianshan Tianchi, a UNESCO World Heritage site (100km from Urumqi), my last visit to Tianchi was in May 2006 so I look forward to a refreshing re-visit to Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) after a lapse of 20 years ! Time flies !
Public Transport: 2 bus rides (CNY60 round trip, Tianchi) + shuttle bus (CNY30, senior) + Cable Car (CNY110).
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| Urumqi > Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) Xinjiang (approx 100km) |
1) Morning breakfast (vegetarian & pork bao CNY16) in a local restaurant nearby our hotel.
2) Urumqi Railway Station - morning walk from our hotel to Urumqi High Speed Bus Station to take a public bus ride to Tianchi (Heavenly Lake).
3) Bus ride (CNY60 = Rm36, round trip) departing 08.20 from High Speed Passenger Bus Station (near Urumqi Railway Station) > Tianshan Tianchi (approx 100km, 1.15 mins)
4) Arriving in Tianshan Tianchi Tourist Visitor Centre - security screening.
5) Tianshan Tianchi Tourist Visitor Centre - free admission for seniors above 70s + shuttle bus CNY30 + Cable Car CNY110
6) Queuing & boarding a shuttle bus (CNY30 for senior, round trip) from the Tianshan Tianchi Tourist Visitor Centre to Heavenly Lake.
7) Arriving in Heavenly Lake & a short walk to an elevated viewing platform.
8) The scenic Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) - Tianchi is an alpine lake in Xinjiang, Northwest China, the name literally means Heavenly Lake, this Tianchi lies on the north side of the Bogda Shan range of the Tian Shan, about 30km south of Fukang & 45km east of Urumqi.
9) Tianchi Scenic Area & a boat jetty.
10) Instagram Spot, Tianchi Scenic Area - one for the album & for remembrance !
11) Maya Mountain Cableway Check-in for sightseeing cars - bus ride to Maya cable car station
12) Cable car ride (CNY110 round trip) from Tianshan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) cable station to Mayashan (Maya Mountain) offering panoramic views of the alpine lake, dark green spruce forests, rugged valleys & Bogoda Peak.
13) Aerial views of picturesque Tianshan & Tianchi from the ascending cable car's windows.
14) No 1 Viewing Platform - a high altitude viewing platform at 3,056m above sea level, here you can look directly across at the massive snow-capped Bodga Peak (5,445m) & witness the entire deep blue footprint of Tianchi Lake tucked neatly into the Tianshan Mountains; we are on top of the world, all we need now is a little sightseeing, enjoying the cool mountain air, a short rest & a small eat / light snack as we stroll & admiring the surrounding !
15) The snowy Bogda Peak, Tianshan Tianchi, Xinjiang - the highest mountain in the Bogda Shan range in the eastern Tian Shan mountains, China at 5,445m, it is the northernmost summit of at least 5,000m in Eurasia, Bogda Peak is the 17th most prominent peak on earth, a challenging climb due to its steep relief.
16) A lone Alpine tree standing tall by the mountainside !
17) Exiting the No 1 Viewing Platform & taking a cable car ride downhill to the cable car base station for a connecting shuttle bus ride to the Tianshan Tianchi Tourist Visitor Center after seeing Tianshan Tianchi a second time (at age 56 & 76) in my LIFE !
18) Shuttle bus ride from the cable car station to the Tianshan Tianchi Tourist Visitor Center.
19) Exiting the Tianshan Tianchi Tourist Visitor Centre.
20) Return bus ride from Tianchi > Urumqi - thus ending our visit to this UNESCO World Heritage site, a great outcome !
21) Dinner in a local restaurant nearby our hotel in Urunqi, Xinjiang, savoured a plate of tomato egg rice & a bowl of wan tan soup (totalled CNY30 for 2). Good Night !
