天堂般的湖泊--天池

　　Michael Mastronardi--Wednesday, March 09, 2005

　　At the end of last November, I enjoyed the singularly pleasurable experience of visiting The Heavenly Lake for my very first time. I already knew many of the geographical details about this place with its international reputation of unsurpassed natural beauty. I knew that the Heavenly Lake was also called “ Lake Tianchi” in Mandarin. And that it was located 110 kilometers from Urumqi and took two hours to ride from the city. And that Heavenly Lake was a high-mountain lake located in a valley on the northern part of Bogda Peak 1910 meters above sea level. But no travel book or Internet description could prepare me for the experience of actually being there. When I first glimpsed the snow-capped peak of Tianshan Mountain visually dominating the Lake, the entire landscape filled me with a feeling of immense awe. My breath was literally taken away by the unsurpassed beauty with the sky blue waters of the Lake; the surrounding forests’ towering firs and pines that reached into the sky; and, the winter night skies that revealed the universe of constellations and shooting stars. In a yerk at the dead of night, I was gently lulled to sleep listening to the wind blowing through the Lake and the surrounding forests. And in the light of the early dawn, my heart came to a stop as I watched a single majestic eagle soaring in the sky.

　　Heavenly Lake is truly a paradise here on earth.