Five-Room Water Island Amusement Park

Five-Room Water Island Amusement Park

Five-Room Water Island Amusement Park is located in Sheli Town, Da’an City, Jilin Province, in the northwest of Da’an. It lies 85 kilometers northwest of the city center, 20 kilometers from Baicheng City, and 5 li from the Tuwu Highway, offering convenient transportation. The park boasts a water area of 200,000 mu with 32 naturally formed islands. The surroundings are beautiful, shaded by green trees and home to various bird species, making it an ideal spot for enjoying natural scenery and aquatic recreation. Inside the park, green poplars reach for the sky, weeping willows brush the ground, and charming wooden cabins are nestled under the shade of trees. Sports facilities such as volleyball courts, tennis courts, horizontal bars, table tennis tables, cargo nets, and swings are readily available. Leisure amenities like hammocks in the trees and stone tables and benches can be found throughout. Snack bars, barbecue stalls, cold drink stands, video game arcades, karaoke rooms, and telephone booths cater to visitors’ needs. The island’s dance and song restaurant, which can accommodate a hundred people, sparkles with neon lights where guests can sing and dance. The park also offers unique fish banquets to delight visitors’ palates, along with activities such as fishing, swimming, boating, and experiencing Mongolian folk culture.

Vast waters cradle 23 islands of varying sizes. Among the uniquely shaped islands, three larger ones stand in a tripartite formation: Poplar Island, [Island Name Missing], and Magpie Island. Each island boasts distinct natural scenery and diverse recreational offerings.

Poplar Island earns its name from the thousands of towering poplars that grow here. These trees stand straight and strong, their branches lush and full of life. Winding paths through the woods lead to serene spots. In summer, strolling beneath the dense canopy offers cool shade and the refreshing scent of plants and grass, instantly dispelling the heat and lifting the spirits. Among the verdant foliage are rustic cabin-like treehouses, built by stacking logs around tree trunks. Simple and quaint, they are scattered harmoniously across the landscape. Climbing the wooden stairs and resting inside, you’re surrounded by green leaves and the chirping of birds. Over 30 bird species, including larks, swallows, magpies, and quails, call this place home. Outside the woods, on the flat ground, volleyball and tennis courts are set up, along with horizontal bars, table tennis tables, cargo nets, and most popularly, swing sets under the trees. Children especially love them. Walking east from Poplar Island, a uniquely designed zigzag bridge leads to [Island Name Missing]. Legend has it that Jin Wushu once fished here. On the island’s southern side, a fishing platform and hut have been built based on the tale of Jin Wushu’s fishing adventures. Anglers here can enjoy the tranquility of the blue waters and sky, far from the hustle and bustle of city life, finding peace and joy in the moment. The northern side of the island features a swimming area, with pavilions and flower beds surrounding three traditionally styled Mongolian yurts for visitors to rest in.

A short walk south from Poplar Island across an arched bridge brings you to the fragrant and lively Magpie Island. The island offers villas for tourists to stay in, with walls made of thick bamboo poles bound together and courtyards enclosed by bamboo fences. Though not luxurious, they exude a rustic charm. Deep in the island stands an elegant, classic-style Buddhist shrine, a place where many come to pray and fulfill wishes. Magpie Island was originally called Crow Island due to the large population of crows—nearly every tree had nests, with dark masses of them covering the branches. Outsiders often say, “Magpies bring good news, crows bring bad,” but the locals of Wufangfang don’t believe in such superstitions. If someone had warts and saw a crow, they would shout, “Crow cries, warts go!” And sure enough, the warts would soon disappear. Every spring, countless crows circle the island in large formations, prompting local farmers to joyfully say, “This year will be a good one—the crows are threshing grain!” When autumn brings a bountiful harvest, people credit the crows as omens of prosperity, believing they’ve come to deliver good news. Thus, the crows came to be seen as magpies. During the flood season of the Tao’er River, visitors can also take boat trips to other islands, such as Wild Duck Island, Clam Island, and Mandarin Duck Island. Gliding gently across the water, with swaying aquatic plants, flocks of ducks, and the constant calls of overhead waterbirds, the scene is truly enchanting—“Wild geese and gulls dance, stunning fairies; blue waters and white sands move the hearts of travelers.” It’s a place that captivates and lingers in the memory. The water island amusement park features a dance and song restaurant that accommodates a hundred people, as well as a floating restaurant and an all-night water city. While various snacks are available, visitors especially enjoy picnicking. The island provides cooking equipment and stoves for a hands-on culinary experience. Try stewing freshly caught fish, then pair it with golden, steaming cornmeal buns bought from villagers selling from baskets, along with crisp cucumbers still on the vine and fresh green onions—it’s sure to whet your appetite.

Established in 1975, Five-Room Water Island Amusement Park began storing water in the autumn of 1976. It is a medium-sized reservoir located on the right side of the lower reaches of the Tao’er River, drawing floodwater from the Xintao and Xingfu main canals. It lies in a plain area and controls a catchment basin of 37 square kilometers. The reservoir’s main structures include 31 earth dams totaling 12 kilometers in length, two inlet sluices, one control sluice, and three outlet sluices. The Five-Room Reservoir consists of an eastern and western section, connected by a control sluice in between. The maximum water surface area is 27 square kilometers, with a total storage capacity of 26.7 million cubic meters and a maximum depth of 2.5 meters. Designed to withstand a 50-year flood and verified against a 200-year flood, other design specifications include: - Eastern Reservoir: Design water level 141.7 meters, capacity 14.39 million cubic meters - Western Reservoir: Design water level 142.5 meters, capacity 12.31 million cubic meters - Dead water level: 141.0 meters, capacity 7.75 million cubic meters The reservoir serves multiple purposes: flood control, irrigation, water supply (for wetlands), fish farming, tourism, and wetland conservation.

Shuidao Amusement Park was built in 1975 and began storing water in the autumn of 1976. It is a side reservoir that diverts floodwaters from the Xin'tao and Xingfu main canals on the right bank of the lower reaches of the Tao'er River. Classified as a medium-sized reservoir, it is situated in a plain area and controls a catchment area of 37 square kilometers. The main structures of the reservoir include: 31 earth dams stretching 12 kilometers in total, two inlet sluices, one control sluice, and three outlet sluices. Wujianfang Reservoir consists of an eastern and a western section, connected by a control sluice in between. The reservoir has a maximum water surface area of 27 square kilometers, a total storage capacity of 26.7 million cubic meters, and a maximum water depth of 2.5 meters. It is designed to withstand a 50-year flood and verified against a 200-year flood. Other design specifications include: the designed water level of the eastern section is 141.7 meters with a capacity of 14.39 million cubic meters; the western section has a designed water level of 142.5 meters and a capacity of 12.31 million cubic meters; the designed dead water level of the reservoir is 141.0 meters with a capacity of 7.75 million cubic meters. The main benefits of the reservoir include: flood storage, irrigation, water supply (for wetlands), fish farming, tourism, and wetland conservation.