Chinese landscapes----Qiandao Lake

The Fuchun River-Xin’an River-Qiandao Lake scenic area is a picturesque waterway. As long as 300 kilometers, it covers more than 1100 square kilometers. With numerous tourist attractions, its scenery is especially enchanting.

The Xin’an River is in the upper reaches of the Qiantang River, flowing through cities like Chun’an and Jiande. Flanked by a thick forest of trees, the clear river, with many shoals and rapids, winds its way through hilly areas. It is blocked by a big dam within Jiande --- the dam for the Xin’an River reservoir and power station. The reservoir boasts 1078 islets; hence the name 1000-Islet (Qiandao) Lake. This 573-square-kilometer lake, over 100 meters in depth, is 109 times the size of the West Lake in Hangzhou. It has a storage capacity of 17.8 billion cubic meters. Surrounded by verdant mountains, the crystal-clear lake is dotted by islets with luxuriant vegetation, like plenty of jadeite in a big mirror. While going boating on the lake, one finds “a lake within hills and a hill within lakes”. One can not only enjoy the boundlessness of Taihu Lake (one of China’s 4 biggest lakes) but also appreciate the gracefulness of West Lake. The water temperature remains about 14

Photo credits: Sang Lei.