傑·文化-中國南疆之旅 2: 天山天池 Kit.Culture-Trip to Southern Xinjiang, China 2: Tianchi of Tianshan Mountains

天池位於新疆省會烏魯木齊市東45公里處的阜康縣境內，位處高5,445米的天山博格達峰半山腰，為著名的天山天池風景名勝區內的主要景點。

天池是一個湖面呈半月形天然的高山冰磧湖，南北長約3公里，東西最寬處1.5公里，總面積4.9平方公里，湖面海拔1928米，湖最深處105米。

天池古稱瑤池，唐太宗時曾在博格達峯下設立過“瑤池都護府”；天池之名應源自烏魯木齊都統明亮於乾隆四十八年（1783年）所作的《靈山天池統鑿水渠碑記》文中。

天池風景區以天池為中心，以完整的4個垂直自然景觀帶和雪山冰川、高山湖泊為主要特徵，以遠古瑤池西王母神話以及宗教和獨特的民族民俗風情為文化內涵，融森林、草原、雪山、人文景觀為一體，風光別具一格。

在天池東北岸的山坡上。有一座供奉王母娘娘的西王母祖廟，又被稱作“娘娘廟”。據現存史料記載，西王母祖廟始建於清代乾隆年間，當年廟宇建築規模宏大，香火極盛。1932年，西王母祖廟曾毀於戰火。九十年代初，台灣道教“慈惠堂”在原西王母祖廟遺址上籌款捐建了一座簡單的廟宇。2000年，當地政府通過招商引資重建了氣勢恢宏的西王母祖廟。

來源: 維基百科及百度百科

繼今年(2023)六月下旬北疆之旅初賞當地湖光山色及草原花開美景後，十月初又展開南疆11天之旅。旅程以新疆首府烏努木齊為起終點，途中沿着塔里木盆地西北邊緣到訪了多個綠洲歷史名城及地方，包括庫爾勒、輪台、阿克蘇、庫車、喀什及塔什庫爾干等，值得一提是旅程曾通蓋孜大峽谷到訪被譽為”世界屋脊"的帕米爾高原(古稱葱嶺)，沿途只見崑崙山脈雪峰處處，峰巒起伏的壯麗景色令人目不暇給。

這次旅程，最令我留下深刻印象的是大自然的神奇力量，廣濶的新疆大地由海洋經歷千百萬年受地球不同板塊擠壓，逐漸抬升而變成現今的戈壁荒漠，由於沙土疏鬆而富含鹽碱，大部份土地植被稀疏而林木稀少，加上內陸氣候乾燥少雨，日夜温差很大，酷暑嚴冬，對於世代居住這裏的眾多民族是極大的挑戰和考驗。有幸通過這次旅程，我目睹了到訪過的城市及地方，在現代科技發展及大力建設下，當地居民生活上得以大大改善。在此，我要對過去幾十年曾默默參與建設新疆這片西北邊陲重地，以及努力改善民眾生活的人們致以崇高敬意。

Tianchi is located in Fukang County, 45 kilometers east of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Province. It is located halfway up the 5,445-meter-high Bogda Peak in the Tianshan Mountains. It is the main attraction in the famous Tianshan Tianchi Scenic Area.

Tianchi is a natural alpine moraine lake with a half-moon shape. It is about 3 kilometers long from north to south and 1.5 kilometers at its widest point from east to west. It has a total area of ​​4.9 square kilometers. The lake surface is 1928 meters above sea level and the deepest point of the lake is 105 meters.

Tianchi was known as Yaochi in ancient times. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the "Yaochi Protector's Palace" was established under Bogda Peak. The name of Tianchi should come from the "Stele Inscription of the Drilling of Water Canals in Lingshan Tianchi" written by Mingliang, the capital of Urumqi, in the 48th year of Qianlong's reign (1783).

Tianchi Scenic Area is centered on Tianchi, with four complete vertical natural landscape zones, snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and alpine lakes as its main features. It takes the myth of the Queen Mother of the West in ancient Yaochi as its cultural connotation, as well as religion and unique ethnic folk customs. It integrates forests, grasslands, and snow-capped mountains. , cultural landscape are integrated into one, and the scenery is unique.

On the hillside on the northeast bank of Tianchi Lake. There is an ancestral temple of the Queen Mother of the West dedicated to the Queen Mother, also known as the "Empress Temple". According to existing historical records, the Ancestral Temple of the Queen Mother of the West was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, the temple building was large-scale and the incense was very popular. In 1932, the Ancestral Temple of the Queen Mother of the West was destroyed by war. In the early 1990s, Taiwan Taoist "Ci Hui Tang" raised funds and donated money to build a simple temple on the site of the original Xiwangmu Ancestral Temple. In 2000, the local government rebuilt a magnificent Ancestral Temple of the Queen Mother of the West through attracting investment.

Source: Wikipedia and Baidu Encyclopedia

Following the trip to northern Xinjiang in late June this year (2023), I first enjoyed the local lakes, mountains and grassland flowers blooming, and then started an 11-day trip to southern Xinjiang in early October. The journey started and ended in Unumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. Along the way, we visited many oasis historical cities and places along the northwest edge of the Tarim Basin, including Korla, Luntai, Aksu, Kuqa, Kashgar and Taxkorgan, etc. It is worth mentioning that during the journey, we visited the Pamir Plateau (named Congling in ancient times) being known as the "Roof of the World" through the Gezi Grand Canyon. Along the way, we saw the snow-capped peaks of the Kunlun Mountains everywhere, and the magnificent scenery of the undulating peaks was dizzying.

What impressed me the most during this trip was the magical power of nature. The vast land of Xinjiang was squeezed by different plates of the earth over millions of years, gradually rising up from the ocean and turning into the present-day Gobi Desert. Due to the loose and salt-alkali soil, most of the land has sparse vegetation and few trees. In addition, the inland climate is dry and rainless, with large temperature differences between day and night, and scorching summers and harsh winters. These are great challenges and tests for the many ethnic groups who have lived here for generations. Fortunately, through this trip, I witnessed the cities and places with the development of modern science and technology and vigorous construction, the living of local residents have been greatly improved. Here, I would like to pay the highest tribute to the people who have silently participated in the construction of Xinjiang, an important land in the northwest frontier, and worked hard to improve people's lives over the past few decades.