A glance at Sayram Lake, and your heart is intoxicated by that shade of blue

🌟 Sayram Lake: The Last Tear of the Atlantic Ocean This sapphire nestled between the Tianshan Mountains and the Junggar Basin is the highest altitude and largest alpine lake in Xinjiang. Geographers say Sayram Lake is the last place blessed by the warm and moist Atlantic Ocean air currents, earning it the title "The Last Tear of the Atlantic Ocean." When sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines on the lake, the water, a blend of sapphire blue and emerald green, instantly reveals what it means to see a "fairyland wherever the eye reaches." 【A Living Fossil of Nomadic Civilization】 Walking along the lakeshore in the early morning, you often encounter Kazakh herders driving their flocks during seasonal migration. These spirits of the grasslands still maintain the traditional lifestyle of four-season nomadism. Interestingly, a romantic local legend says that whenever moonlight fills the lake, the bottom of the lake echoes with ancient love songs sung by a princess of the Wusun Kingdom and a shepherd boy. The Wusun Kingdom, recorded in the "Book of Han," was once an important post on the Silk Road. 【Magical Encounters by the Lake】 On the grassland at the entrance of Sayram Lake Scenic Area, I was fortunate to witness a special ceremony—the Mongolian herders performing the "Ovoo Worship." Colorful prayer flags flutter in the wind, and elder Baturs (warriors) chant blessings in Mongolian. Locals told me that every year in the lunar May, herders from hundreds of miles around gather here for the Nadam Festival, where cheers from horse racing, wrestling, and archery last for three days and nights. Special Tips: 1. The lake ring road is about 90 kilometers; self-driving or chartering a car is recommended. Along the way, you will pass the wildflower-covered foothills of Kogurqin Mountain. 2. Don't miss scenic spots like Swan Happy Water and the General's Platform inside the park. The ruins of Genghis Khan’s General’s Platform still tell stories of his western campaigns. 3. Staying in the yurt guesthouses by the lake offers an authentic experience of Kazakh milk tea and Boortsog (fried dough snacks). When dusk dyes the snow-capped peaks red and golden ripples appear on the lake, I finally understand why poet Ai Qing wrote, "Your sapphire blue waters / are closer to heaven than the sky." Everything here remains in its most original form, just like the bowl of milk tea with floating cream at a herder’s home—simple yet unforgettable. Being here, you forget the existence of time.