Sayram Lake-----the Largest Alpine Lake in Xinjiang

Sayam is enchased in the hinterland of TianshanMountain．It is 93.6 kilometers southwest of the Bole City, on the north side of the Urumchi-Yining Road．Sayram in Kazak means “blessing” while in Mongolia means “lake on the mountain ridge”．The lake is the largest alpine lake in Xinjiang and lies at the highest altitude，with a height of 2,072 meters above sea level．It is about 29.5 kilometers long from east to west and about 23.4 kilometers wide from north to south, occupying an area of 458 square kilometers．The lake，about 90 meters deep at the greatest depth，holds 21 billion cubic meters of water.

Thc Sayram Lake is on the northern Silk Road，and present Urumqi-Ili highway runs along the Southern bank．Beside the lake and on the mid-lake island，historic spots like the Longwang Temple (Dragon King Temple)，the Hai Temple，and other constructions once were bunt．but now all have unfortunately disappeared.

 

There is a touching love story about Sayram Lake. It is said that it was composed of the tears of a couple of Kazak young lovers. A beautiful girl and a young man were deeply in love. One day, a cruel devil was captivated by the girl's beauty. He captured the girl and confined her to his residence. The girl took a chance to escape, but the devil found out very soon and went after the girl. She was forced to jump into an abyss. Later, her boyfriend heard of this and he was so sad that he jumped into the abyss to be reunited with his lover. Their painful tears flooded into the abyss and formed Sayram Lake.

The scenery is quite varied in four seasons. In the spring，summer and autumn the sapphire water of the lake seems to meet the sky in the distance．The pasture is a charming scene of flourishing trees，waving grass，and wildflowers that are reflected in the clear water of the lake．In the winter, snow falls and the water of the lake turns to ice．Only a Small portion of the lake can be seen in the vast whiteness of the ice and snow.

In July and August, local 'Chahra' Mongolian and Kazakh herdsmen converge onto the pasture to hold a grand festival, known as the Nadam Festival. Mongolian people celebrate the "Nadam Fair" for six days beside the lake. Nadam means recreation or games in Mongolian. During the Nadam Fair, competitions are held in horse-racing, wrestling and archery, which are considered the three basic skills of men. Mongolian, Kazak, Han Chinese and people of other ethnic groups in Xinjiang participate in the festival. Mongolian herders from nearby regions attend the fair and dress in traditional ethnic costumes. In addition to the competitions, there is singing, dancing and the age-old competition of "girl-chasing". The Kazak horse back games of "Buz Kashi" and "Girl-Chasing" promise a rich cultural experience of the well-preserved traditions unique to this remarkable region. The fair is great fun for tourists and very entertaining. It is rewarded with lasting impressions of a cultural continuum that has its roots in the beginning of Central Asian history. During this time, Sayram Lake is blessed with a double portion of good fortune in water and pasture.

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