Tianshan Tianchi / The First Stop in Northern Xinjiang

If you don't visit Tianshan Tianchi once, you might never truly understand the real meaning of 'Tianchi'! It is said that 'Yaochi' refers to Tianshan Tianchi, the bathing place of the Queen Mother of the West! Tianshan Tianchi is located in the suburbs of Urumqi, Xinjiang. From May to October each year is the best tourism season for Tianshan Tianchi. 🗺Recommended attractions: 1️⃣ Maya Mountain Scenic Area - Overlook Tianchi and gaze at the snow mountain You can choose to take the cable car up the mountain, which takes about 20 minutes to reach the viewing platform. Climbing to the top allows you to overlook the beauty of Tianchi and gaze at the Bogda snow peak. With some luck, you might also see a sea of clouds. 2️⃣ Haixi - Wedding Photography Base Walk along the main road to the right of Tianchi towards the direction of the snow mountain. After about 15 minutes, a wooden plank road will appear. Following it will lead you to the sandy soil beach. This place is a wedding photography base with fewer tourists, allowing for a closer and quieter appreciation of the snow mountain, forest, lake, and other landscapes. East Little Tianchi - The hanging springs and waterfalls are breathtaking On the left side of Tianchi, follow the asphalt road. When you come to a fork with two roads, take the left plank road through the primeval dense forest. Continue straight at the crossroads and go down the steps to reach East Little Tianchi. Then, keep walking to the left to enjoy the view of the hanging springs and waterfalls. 3️⃣ Xi Wangmu Ancestral Temple - The only temple of the Queen Mother in the country You need to climb dozens of steps to get there. Once at the top, you can ring the bell at the entrance, buy a blessing wooden plaque to make a wish, light incense, and also overlook Tianchi. You can walk along the lakeside plank road for an hour or take a boat for 15 minutes. The distance is far, but the scenery along the way is beautiful. 4️⃣ Kazakh Ethnographic Park - Check in Kazakhstan without leaving the country Here you can find concentrated Kazakh history, culture, and food culture. Visitors can enter the yurts to fully experience the local customs and also taste the local specialty milk tea. 5️⃣ Tianshan Tianchi International Ski Resort - The main venue of the 13th National Winter Games 🧭It has seven independent ski runs with a total length of 15 kilometers, which are the longest professional ski runs in Xinjiang. There are also alpine skiing, U-shaped channels, freestyle ski jumping, snowmobiling, and other activities, with multi-level ski runs suitable for people of all ages and levels.