A Heavenly (Lake) day

Wednesday 16 May


Frances is unavailable today, so she has recommended her friend Jesse, who is, like Frances, an English undergraduate in her 4th and final year at university in Urumqi, to accompany us to our trip to the Heavenly Valley.  Jesse is also a qualified tour guide.  And we've discovered why Frances, Jesse and Katherine all have English names - its because they've been told during their English studies to choose an English name for themselves - which I assume they only use at appropriate times, including when with English-speaking people!

Jesse is lovely and we all get on straight away.  Within a few minutes a sleek, very shiny black American Buick car, with air-conditioning, arrives to drive us to the half-way point - the colllection centre - where we will transfer to a coach to take us to Heavenly Valley.  This beautiful spot, a favourite with Chinese people as well as with foreign tourists because of its breathtaking scenery and cool air, is in total about 2 hours drive away.

The car driver speaks hardly any English, but once in the car Jesse chats away to us and tries hard to answer all our various questions about herself and Chinese life in general.  The kindness and thoughtfulness of the lovely students we have met is amazing.  Jessse has brought for us a menu of a whole variety of Chinese meals, written in Chinese with the English equivalent beside each item.  This will be very helpful when we have to order Chinese food in future! 

Frances had already told us that Urumqi is the city in China which is the furthest away from the sea.  Jesse tells us that she lives, like Frances and Katherine, at the Urumqi university, but her home town is about 2 days rail travel away from Urumqi and she has never seen the sea.  She has an older brother who has a jewellery business back in her home town.  Frances had told us that people who live in the country are allowed to have 2 children; those in the cities, only one child.  We remember that Frances, whose parents are pear farmers, has a sister, also at university in Urumqi.

At the passenger collection point centre, halfway into our journey, we say goodbye to our Buick driver - he will collect us from here later.  Jesse, Reg and I make our way into the centre, which is immaculately  clean, as was the museum in Urumqi, with shiny marble floors.  We use the toilets (those toilets again!) and are soon on a coach to take us the rest of the way to the Heavenly Lake.  We've been told to bring long sleeved warmer clothing because it can be chilly there.

We get chatting to a couple in front of us on the coach, who are from California.

The coach slowly and carefully (thank goodness) negotiates the many hairpin bends as it climbs up the mountain. On the way we see herds of mountain goats, and small communities of yurts, the round tented homes of the ethnic Uygur Turkic peoples, who have led a simple way of life, living off the land and their small numbers of mainly sheep and a few cattle, for hundreds of years.  We are told that they move from their current mountain location to a warmer climate when the winter sets in, and that they receive help from the government to maintain their chosen way of life.  

Finally we've arrived at the Heavenly Lake and the views of the lake, surrounded by mountains, are stunning.  We feel very relaxed as we wander around with Jesse, often stopping just to gaze at the view and take photographs.  Although it's been quite a journey to get here, we're so glad we came - it's wonderful to leave the heaving city behind and to enjoy a relaxing day in such a spectacular, peaceful setting.  We decide to take a boat ride across the lake, stopping off at a Taoist (also spelt Daoist) monastery on the way back.  

This monastery is high up above the lake and it means climbing quite a lot of steps when we get off the boat, half way around the lake.  The Taoist religion is an ancient one quite important in China and some other areas of Asia.  One of their main symbols is the ying-yang symbol, which stands for all forms of life, including air and water and fire, being in harmony with each other.

There are 3 priests sitting in small shady "sheds", to whom you can go if you need guidance in your prayer.  There are candles burning incense in a pot in the centre of a small open courtyard.  A woman is praying, moving her hands and arms in a gentle rhythm.  Inside the temple, there are 2 huge gold effigies of the founder of this religion and his wife, so legend has it.  There are numberous icons, and a fascinating painting of a goddess surrounded by lots of babies "swirling" around her - she's the Taoist goddess of fertility, to whom yoi pray if you want children, especially if you're having difficulty conceiving, Jesse tells us.

I tell Jesse that while it's all extremely fascinaating, as a Christian I feel slightly uncomfortable in these surroundings - I explain that Christians only worship one God - "You shall worship no other God but me".

Jesse asks about Mary, and I explain she's Jesus's mother, and Jesus is God's son, and there's also the Holy Spirit -but that's enough information for the time being I think! Jesse asks me if young people in England are mostly Christians.  I tell her that many will describe themselves as Christians, but won't regularly go to church or feel Jesus to be the focus of their lives.  I explain to Jesse that Britian is an multi-racial society, with several different religions -and all people are free to practise whatever religion they choose, or none.  I explain one of the main principles of "living" in Christianity - treat others as you wish to be treated - love God, and love your neighbour (ie other people) as yourself.  Jesse says treating others as you wish to be treated  is similar to the message from Confucius.

The boat takes us the rest of the way back around the lake; we notice a small Uygur community (a collection of yurts) high up above the lake, and this is where we go for lunch, one of the Uygur community driving us up the winding road by car.  It's an important income for this small community, to invite tourists to come into the cool of their yurks and have a traditional simple lunch.  We have muttton kebabs, which are delicious, and a traditional Uzbekistan dish which is also traditional for the Uygur people - plov - a fried rice dish with a smattering of grated vegetables.

It's relaxing and peaceful in the yurt and time has run away with us - the taxi driver phones Jesse to find out when we are coming back - it's already nearly 4 pm!

We  leave our beautiful. cool surroundings, and take the coach back to the "collection centre" where we meet our driver, and offer him an extra 100 yuan, because he wasn't expecting us to be gone so long!

The driver seems ok with this and we spend the journey back including him in our conversation - Jesse says she is quite happy to translate.  The conversation ranges from football to comparisons of various prices and taxes in China and in England.

Back at the hostel, we say our goodbyes; Reg and I buy icecreams, and sit in the little park near our hostel, reflecting on our brilliant day at the Heavenly Lake.