Xinjiang - There's a shade of blue called Sayram Lake Blue

We entered Sayram Lake on June 26 at 6 PM, but the weather was poor, and both the sky and the lake were gray. On June 27, there were a few hours of clear skies, allowing us to see the blue of Sayram Lake. On June 28, the weather was excellent, and after revisiting a few scenic spots, we left Sayram Lake around noon. Sayram Lake Travel Guide: 1. Scenic Spot Overview (Counterclockwise): 1) Moon Bay, Santai Grassland, and the Ten-Mile Embankment section offer views of the lake and snow-capped mountains (though currently without snow). Santai Grassland has a spot for capturing portrait reflections. If the weather is bad, the lake water appears gray and the mountains are hard to see, so you might consider skipping this section. 2) Dianjiangtai and Swan Water Play didn’t offer any additional scenery. Dianjiangtai seems to be built based on the shape of Sayram Lake, and you can feel the vastness of the lake surface here. 3) West Sea Grassland, Kele Yongzhu, Golden Flowers and Purple Blooms, and Pine Tree Head are worth focusing on: - West Sea Grassland is closer to the snow-capped mountains, and if it has rained heavily in the past few days, you might see snow. - Kele Yongzhu is a spot for viewing swans and has areas for capturing reflections. You can see snow-capped mountains and the lake together in one frame. The grasslands on both sides of the boardwalk are filled with marmots. About 500 meters before Kele Yongzhu, Lingxiu Bay offers beautiful scenery, and we saw swans flying towards Kele Yongzhu. - Golden Flowers and Purple Blooms has a lighthouse, but by late June, there wasn’t a sea of flowers. - Ruhuai Zhiyuan features the iconic stone tablet and an S-shaped curve. - Pine Tree Head offers great views of the lake and is worth climbing, especially when the weather is clear. From the back, you can see the Guozigou Bridge, though there isn’t a sea of flowers. 4) From Pine Tree Head to the East Gate, stop at any scenery you like. This section has a stretch where the water and sky meet, resembling the sea. Near the East Gate, you can see the sailboats at Moon Bay. On the right side of the East Gate, there are scattered poppy flower fields. 2. Navigation: All scenic spots along the route can be directly navigated using Gaode Maps. For poppy flower fields, navigate to "Poppy Flower Fields" on the right side. After viewing, you can return to the route or leave the scenic area. For the popular S-shaped curve, navigate to "Ruhuai Zhiyuan." The parking spot is a short walk towards Kele Yongzhu, but the crowd and vehicles might affect the viewing experience. 3. Sunset: Moon Bay to the Ten-Mile Embankment offers views of the lake surface at sunset. At the Ten-Mile Embankment, the sunset position is slightly off from the lake surface. Dianjiangtai and West Sea Grassland sunsets are not in the direction of the lake. 4. Sunrise: Scenic spots from Dianjiangtai to Pine Tree Head face east and are suitable for viewing the sunrise. 5. Camping: Official camping spots include Santai Grassland, Qingshui Beach, North Gate, Dianjiangtai, West Sea Grassland, and Swan Water Play. We stayed one night each at Dianjiangtai and West Sea Grassland. Both had hot water, but West Sea Grassland had better facilities. Other parking spots also had people camping. 6. Flower Fields: Apart from the poppy flower fields at the East Gate, we didn’t see other flower fields: - Along the route from Dianjiangtai to West Sea Grassland, there are many blue flax flowers with yellow buttercups scattered among them. - Along the route to Golden Flowers and Purple Blooms, there are also blue flax flowers, buttercups, and red wildflowers. - Lingxiu Bay has patches of red wildflowers. 7. Weather: Adjust your viewing route flexibly based on the weather. Refer to the weather guide for details.