Baishan Lake Ecotourism Area

Baishan Lake Ecotourism Area

Baishan Lake is the largest artificial lake in Northeast China, nestled among the towering mountains of the Changbai Mountain foothills, located on the upper reaches of the Songhua River in Baishan Town, Huadian City. It features the largest underground hydropower station in the region, and the area above the dam forms a high-walled, serene lake. The lakeside is dotted with numerous scenic spots, including Dinosaur Peak, White Dragon Bay, Little Three Gorges, Golden Turtle Island, Five Tigers Peak, Three Summit Peaks, Graceful Lady Pine, Renyi Cliff, General Rock, River-Gazing Elder, and Golden Toad Carrying a Monkey. In addition, the continuously operating cave-style power station is also a sight many visitors are eager to see. Baishan Lake is also a frequent site of the natural wonder known as rime ice.

The lake area contains underground deposits of various minerals such as gold, iron, and silica. It is home to rare wild animals including Siberian tigers, black bears, river deer, roe deer, wild boars, foxes, and hazel grouse. The mountains grow valuable medicinal herbs such as ginseng, gastrodia elata, fritillaria, and ganoderma. Baishan Lake is a key commodity fish production base in Jilin Province, with an annual output of nearly 1,000 tons, including red carp, flower carp, silver carp, bream, amur carp, and long-arm shrimp. Equatorial smelt is exported abroad, with an annual processing volume of 500 tons. It can truly be called a natural treasure trove of ecological resources.

The ice cliffs of Baishan Lake are formed when the water level drops after power generation at the hydropower station. These pristine, uniquely shaped ice formations are a rare, natural spectacle. Some resemble couples whispering, others speeding chariots, some playful beasts, and others fish and shrimp at play. Many photography enthusiasts and tourists visit specifically for this sight. The Baishan Lake Scenic Area has been listed as a key development project at both the national and Jilin Provincial levels due to its unique geographical and ecological advantages. The “Feasibility Study Report on the Baishan Lake Sightseeing Tourism Area Construction Project in Huadian City” was designed by the Jilin Academy of Environmental Sciences and has been awarded the “Special Engineering Design Certificate” by the Jilin Greenfield Environmental Engineering Research and Design Center.

There are two passenger ships on the lake capable of carrying over a hundred people, along with some outboard motorboats and yachts. A tourist hotel has also been built. The tourism area opened to the public in 2003, receiving over 20,000 visitors annually.