Tianchi — Heavenly Lake — is the single best day trip from Ürümqi, and one of the most beautiful landscapes in Central Asia. The lake sits at 1,910 metres altitude in the Tian Shan range, 115 km east of the city, surrounded by dense spruce forest that gives way above to bare rock and permanent snow on the higher peaks. The water is the particular blue-green colour that glacial lakes share the world over, and it reflects the surrounding peaks on still mornings in a way that rewards arriving early.
The lake is accessible by organised tour or by public bus from Ürümqi (services operate in summer). Kazakh families set up yurts at the shore and rent them for overnight stays, which is by far the best way to experience Tianchi — arriving after the day-tour coaches have left, eating in the yurt, watching the alpenglow on the mountains, and waking to the lake in the early morning. The hike around the lake takes a few hours; more ambitious trails lead up to the ridgeline above. The site is a national park with an entrance fee. Go on a weekday if you possibly can.