Heaven Lake and the Forest

Heaven Lake and the Forest

Introduction On the southwestern slope of Heaven Lake, the snow spruce trees grow densely and in overlapping layers, truly forming a spectacular sight. Deep within the thick forest, the shade is lush and sunlight barely penetrates; fallen old trunks lie tangled and chaotic, while moss covers the withered branches and fallen leaves, along with cranberries and wintergreen.

In the mixed coniferous forests farther from Heaven Lake, shrubs such as roses, honeysuckles, and hawthorns, several meters tall, fill the space beneath the towering canopy, making the forest especially gloomy and dark. Xiao Xiong, a Qing Dynasty poet who spent over a decade wandering the frontier, once wrote: “From Bogda Mountain to its peak, in the densest areas, even a single horse cannot pass through, with so much deadwood and rot piled up—one can’t tell how many dynasties have passed.” This shows just how dense and pristine the primeval forest around Heaven Lake is.

Snow spruce, also known as Tianshan pine, is an evergreen tree that can live up to 400 years. Its trunk is straight and sturdy, usually around 30 meters tall with a diameter of about 50 centimeters at breast height. 　

Urumqi, Xinjiang