May in Xinjiang's Sayram Lake is a flowing feast

## May in Sayram Lake: When swans meet blue ice in the rain Early May in Sayram Lake is a flowing feast. In the morning mist, the last piece of blue ice in the lake reflects the light of diamonds. At noon, when the sun penetrates the clouds, flocks of swans fly over the reflection of the snow-capped mountains. In the evening, the drizzle falls, and the wild tulips on the meadow sway with water droplets. As the most magical season in Xinjiang, every cloud here hides a surprise. ### 1. Time slice: 24-hour viewing platform **07:30 Blue ice and morning mist** Enter from the east gate and drive 5 km clockwise to wait for the sunrise at Genghis Khan's Point. The lake in the morning mist is like liquid emerald, and the remaining blue ice floats like stars. Use a telephoto lens to capture the moment when the swan breaks through the mist. It is recommended to adjust the ISO to above 400. **12:00 Swan parade** Go to the wooden plank road on the north side of the waterfront beach and wait quietly with a 50mm fixed-focus lens. The herdsmen will feed at this time, and hundreds of mute swans will form an elegant fleet. When shooting, pay attention to using the snow-capped mountains as the background, and increase the exposure compensation by +0.7 to enhance the texture of the feathers. **19:00 Magic moment** The sunset on the West Sea Grassland dyes the clouds amber. Bring a tripod to shoot time-lapse. The double rainbow after the rain often appears in the direction of the pine tree head. Use a CPL polarizer to eliminate the reflection of the water surface, and the blue of the lake will show 7 gradient levels. ### 2. Secret coordinates: 3 hidden spots **1. Wind-eroded blue cave** (3 km from the south gate to Wenquan County) A natural viewing platform made of volcanic rock. In the morning mist, you can take a magical picture of swans passing through the blue ice tunnel. The wide-angle lens is recommended to be 16-35mm focal length. **2. Starry sky yurt** (grass slope on the west side of Keleyongzhu) The Milky Way in Sayram Lake at night hangs vertically on the snow-capped mountains. Use the StarWalk2APP to locate the direction of the Milky Way. After May 10, you can take a picture of the Milky Way arch bridge. **3. Rainbow bend** (72 km marker on the ring road) The S-shaped curve that appears after the rain. Use a drone to follow the track of the cyclist, and you can take a visual impact of the road cutting through the emerald lake. ### 3. Survival guide: Gentle warning by the high-latitude lake It is recommended to wear onion-style layers: quick-drying clothes + fleece + jacket. The water temperature in May is still below 5°C, and falling into the water is extremely dangerous. Bring plateau safety to deal with the altitude of 3,200 meters. There is a shortage of food and beverage in the scenic area, so you can bring your own meat buns and Kazakh baursak as road meals. When the last ray of sunset sinks into the Kogurchin Snow Mountain, the sound of bells passing over the lake when the herdsmen move. This is not an ordinary landscape painting, but a natural symphony carefully arranged by the Creator. Remember to throw a coin into the wishing pool of Keleyongzhu. It is said that the swan guardian will let travelers return to this blue-eyed god's domain.