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There's the huge pile of the large mound on the eastern shore, which is the antique house of the ancient nomadic tribe during the Han and Jin Dynasties. Chaiwobao Lake in the shape of a circle is the largest freshwater lake on the outskirts of Urumqi. The lake itself has dimensions of roughly 28 square kilometers, shaped like the walnut, with the mean depth of water about 4 meters, about 7 meters at the deepest part.
The lake water is salt, which is collected from the melting snow of Bogda Peak on the north of the lake and the melted snow of Gonggeer peak to the south of the lake. The surface of the lake water is as smooth as a mirror. Because of the low temperature of the water in Chaiwobao Lake, the lake is prolific in the production of carps, grass carps, silver carps and herrings; it also transplants the immense amounts of crabs.
The fishes and crabs of high quality are very delicious and tasty because of the long growth period. As far as the formation of Chaiwobao Lake is concerned, there's a beautiful legend in folklore. During the birthday of the Heavenly Queen Mother, the Jade Emperor dispatched the boy and girl attendants of fairies to send two glittering pearls as the gift.
A sudden gust of wind blew away these two bright pearls on the plate when they were halfway there. One was falling on the south of the mountain, and turned into the clear blue Lake of Heaven; the other was falling on the north of the lake, and became the Chaiwobao Lake. The scenery of Chaiwobao Lake looked more stunning and tranquil with the charming fairy tales.
Only 5 kilometers to the southeast of Chaiwobao Lake is the Salt Lake about 47 square kilometers in area. Since that the terrain of Salt Lake slightly has been below Chaiwobao Lake, the salt on the surrounding mountains and broad sunlit uplands was washed down the hillside by the river, flood and underground water, through the bottom of these two interlinked lakes, and gradually deposited in the Salt Lake, which was finally forming the wonder that the freshwater lake and saltwater lake lie close together.
Standing on the shore of the lake, visitors could take a panoramic view from some vantage view; the trees grow luxuriantly all the year round within the tourist area, the buildings stand in the midst of luxuriant trees. There are broad prairie, forest zone, the fields and the desert, even swamps and marshes, vast expanses of marsh all around the lakeside. The scenery of Chaiwobao Lake looked more stunning and tranquil with the gorgeous fairy tales.