Khökh Nuur Mongolia

It was here at Khökh Nuur that Temujin (the future Chinggis Khaan) first proclaimed himself khaan (emperor) of the Mongol tribe. It's a great place for a coronation site. The imaginatively named Blue Lake nestles at the foot of a peak known as Heart-Shaped Mountain. Near the water's edge, you'll see carved wooden poles that represent Chinggis and the successive rulers of the Mongol empire.