Sayram Lake (Sailimu Hu), north of Yining, is a beautiful, large lake area. It is a perfect place to go hiking or riding. The land around Sayram Lake stretches green and vast, overflowing with vigor.
Located in the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture between the Junggar Desert and the city of Ili, Sayram Lake is the largest and highest alpine lake in Xinjiang. On a high plateau ringed by formidable snow peaks is the Sayram Lake grassland, where graze the herds of differing Mongol and Kazak clans. Surrounded by verdant pastures and snow capped lofty peaks above the timberline, stepped on densely wooded forests, the lake area will definitely consume you rolls of films. The large lake area is also a great place for hiking or riding. There is also a ruin at the other side of the lake and it is a place where the Mongolian Emperor Chenkisikan called his army there.
There is a touching love story about Sayram Lake. It is said that the lake 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 winter, the cold wind stirs a boundless wave which splashes the bank, and the mist can even hide the snow-capped mountains. In spring, the mountain slope is covered with a green blanket dotted with colored blooming flowers. Summer and autumn are the best seasons to travel to Sayram Lake. The water in the lake is very peaceful, and the lake surface is as smooth as a mirror. From late July to early August, the Mongolian people celebrate the ‘Nadam Fair’. Kazaks also join in the festival, during which horse-racing, wrestling and folk songs and dance are performed.
