Heavenly Lake of Tianshan

Tianchi (Chinese: 天池; pinyin: Tiānchí, Uyghur: بوغدا كۆلى) is an alpine lake in Xinjiang, Northwest China, situated at 43°53′9.7″N 88°7′56.6″E. The name (天池) 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 ("Mountain of God", Bogda is a Mongolian word meaning "God") range of the Tian Shan ("Mountain of Heaven"), about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Fukang and 45 kilometres (28 mi) east (straight-line distance) of Ürümqi. It is an alpine drift lake shaped in the Quaternary Glacier period.

For other uses, see Tianchi (disambiguation).
Tianchi
Bogda Peak in the distance
Tianchi is located in Dzungaria
Tianchi
Tianchi
LocationBogda Shan (Tian Shan), in Fukang City, Xinjiang
Coordinates43°53′9.7″N 88°7′56.6″E
Basin countriesChina
Surface area4.9 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Max. depth105 m (344 ft)
Surface elevation1,907 m (6,257 ft)

Formerly known as Yaochi ("Jade Lake"), it was named Tianchi in 1783 by Mingliang, the Qing Commander of Urumqi Command.

The lake is 1,907 metres (6,257 ft) above sea level, covering 4.9 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi), 105 metres (344 ft) deep at the deepest point.

In 2006, it was designated for four years of restoration work at a cost of 800 million yuan (US$100 million). 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.[1]

The lake is accessible by Provincial Highway 111 from Fukang.

Climate
Climate data for Heavenly Lake of Tianshan (Tianchi), (elevation 1,943 m (6,375 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.9
(55.2)		 14.4
(57.9)		 16.6
(61.9)		 22.9
(73.2)		 25.3
(77.5)		 28.4
(83.1)		 31.1
(88.0)		 29.5
(85.1)		 27.3
(81.1)		 22.1
(71.8)		 16.3
(61.3)		 12.2
(54.0)		 31.1
(88.0)
Average high °C (°F) −5.1
(22.8)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 1.3
(34.3)		 9.3
(48.7)		 14.7
(58.5)		 19.1
(66.4)		 21.2
(70.2)		 20.4
(68.7)		 15.2
(59.4)		 8.1
(46.6)		 2.0
(35.6)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 8.3
(47.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −11.6
(11.1)		 −9.8
(14.4)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 3.0
(37.4)		 8.6
(47.5)		 13.4
(56.1)		 15.5
(59.9)		 14.5
(58.1)		 9.5
(49.1)		 2.9
(37.2)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −8.6
(16.5)		 2.5
(36.5)
Average low °C (°F) −16.8
(1.8)		 −15.3
(4.5)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 4.0
(39.2)		 9.1
(48.4)		 11.2
(52.2)		 10.3
(50.5)		 5.7
(42.3)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 −6.3
(20.7)		 −12.7
(9.1)		 −1.9
(28.6)
Record low °C (°F) −33.2
(−27.8)		 −32.6
(−26.7)		 −26.5
(−15.7)		 −20.2
(−4.4)		 −8.6
(16.5)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −15.2
(4.6)		 −31.2
(−24.2)		 −28.2
(−18.8)		 −33.2
(−27.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 7.7
(0.30)		 9.9
(0.39)		 19.4
(0.76)		 57.9
(2.28)		 89.9
(3.54)		 101.4
(3.99)		 102.5
(4.04)		 86.4
(3.40)		 35.8
(1.41)		 27.5
(1.08)		 19.8
(0.78)		 13.5
(0.53)		 571.7
(22.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 5.5 5.7 7.0 9.3 10.2 11.8 12.6 9.8 6.4 6.1 6.5 6.6 97.5
Average snowy days 6.9 6.8 8.5 7.5 3.5 0.3 0.1 0.1 1.5 5.5 8.2 7.9 56.8
Average relative humidity (%) 63 63 65 61 59 60 61 59 58 61 62 64 61
Mean monthly sunshine hours 163.0 181.8 220.1 230.9 260.4 249.5 256.5 262.2 239.4 208.4 158.3 141.9 2,572.4
Percent possible sunshine 56 60 59 57 57 54 56 62 65 63 56 51 58
Source: China Meteorological Administration[2][3]

Media related to Tianchi Lake of Tian Shan at Wikimedia Commons

References
  1. "AAAAA Scenic Areas". China National Tourism Administration. 16 November 2008. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  2. 中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  3. 中国气象数据网 (in Simplified Chinese). China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
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