Weishan Lake Ecotourism Scenic Area

Weishan Lake Ecotourism Scenic Area

The Weishan Lake Ecotourism Scenic Area in Tongshan District is located about 20 kilometers north of Xuzhou City within Tongshan District. Its main area lies within the Weishan Lake West Wetland Protection Zone in Xuzhou, stretching along 60 kilometers of lakeshore with a width of 1–2 kilometers, covering an area of 100 square kilometers. It includes six adjacent towns—Mapo Town, Yanhu Farm, Liuxin Town, Maocun Town, Liuan Town, and Liguo Town—as well as low mountainous and hilly islands such as Tongshan Island, Guishan Island, Huangshan Island, Taoli Island, and Huangzhuang Island, with several natural villages within the region.

The Weishan Lake Ecotourism Scenic Area is part of Weishan Lake, one of China’s renowned lakes and a shallow, river-formed barrier lake. Stretching like a vast river, it resembles a silkworm lying across the border of Jiangsu and Shandong provinces. Weishan Lake consists of four interconnected lakes from north to south: Nanyang, Dushan, Zhaoyang, and Weishan, collectively known as the "Southern Four Lakes." It spans 5–22.8 kilometers in width and 122.6 kilometers in length from north to south, with the narrowest section in the middle. The total water area exceeds 1,200 square kilometers, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs along the western shore. Currently, the lake surface is managed by Shandong Province, while the western lakeshore wetlands (wetland areas) are under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.

The Weishan Lake West Wetland Protection Zone is located within Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, bordering Tongshan District to the southeast, connecting to Pei County (the hometown of Han Dynasty founder Liu Bang) to the west, and adjacent to Weishan County, Shandong Province, to the north. The wetland protection zone is home to over 300 species of wild vertebrates, including nationally protected first-class species such as the scaly-sided merganser and the great bustard, as well as second-class species like the whooper swan and grey crane. Key protected animals in Jiangsu Province include hedgehogs, herons, geese, cuckoos, and woodpeckers. The wetland area features approximately 8,418 square kilometers of forested land, with around 7,117 square kilometers of actual forest coverage, resulting in a forest coverage rate of 27.2%. A 200-meter-wide, 125-kilometer-long green corridor has been established west of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

II. Tourism Resource Features of the Weishan Lake Ecotourism Scenic Area

1. Beautiful Natural Environment

Weishan Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northern China. Its scenic beauty is enhanced by the water, the serene mountains, and abundant natural resources such as lake views, mountain landscapes, islands, forests, lotus fields, and reed marshes. The charm of Weishan Lake lies in its blend of wild natural beauty and gentle elegance. From June to September each year, vast expanses of wild lotuses bloom across the lake, creating a spectacular sight that has earned widespread praise from visitors, such as “No need to see other mountains after Huangshan; no need to admire lotuses after Weishan Lake,” earning it the title “The Number One Lotus Field in China.”

2. Rich Cultural Heritage

Weishan Lake boasts a long history and numerous historical sites. Underwater ancient city ruins hold significant archaeological and cultural value. During the modern era, Weishan Lake was a notable site of revolutionary struggle. In the War of Resistance against Japan, revolutionary forces such as the “Weishan Lake Brigade,” “Canal Detachment,” and “Railway Guerrillas,” based around the lake, operated in the vast reed marshes and along railway lines, accomplishing many heroic feats. The famous “Lake Transport Line” during the war safely escorted key leaders such as - , Chen Yi, Luo Ronghuan, Xiao Hua, and Zhu Rui between East China and Yan’an. Marshal Chen Yi, after traveling through Weishan Lake, composed the poetic verse: “Traversing seven hundred li across rivers and lakes, the hues of Weishan Lake soothe the journey. The peaks of southern Shandong stand majestically, as the crescent moon and boat glide into the painted scene.”

The southern shore of Weishan Lake, in Maocun Town, is a hub of Han Dynasty cultural relics, featuring the Huan Mountain Cave Temple. During his tenure as governor of Xuzhou, Su Shi visited Huan Mountain multiple times and wrote “A Record of Visiting Huan Mountain.” Liuan Town is home to the ruins of Emperor Qianlong’s temporary palace. Liguo Town features the remains of the Fengsheng Temple, the Yuan Dynasty Baisha Bridge, the ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Liguo, poems inscribed by Xuzhou’s top imperial scholar Li Pan, and the Monument to Chinese Laborers Who Died in the Liguo Mines.

3. Unique Geographic Advantages

Weishan Lake is located in northern Jiangsu, spanning the cities of Jining, Zaozhuang, and Xuzhou in both Jiangsu and Shandong provinces. It lies at the junction of eight counties (or districts), bordered by Zaozhuang to the east, the ancient Han city of Pei County to the west, and the ancient Pengcheng (Xuzhou) to the south. It serves not only as a vital economic corridor between Jiangsu and Shandong but also as a key hub for both waterway and land transportation in China.

4. Abundant Natural Resources

Weishan Lake is often praised as a place where “a harvest worth a thousand gold pieces emerges with each sunrise.” The lake is home to 78 fish species, 74 species of aquatic economic plants, and 87 bird species. It is particularly renowned for its Weishan Lake soft-shelled turtles, hairy crabs, four-nostril carp, snakehead fish, local ducks, bitter herbs, as well as delicacies like Weishan Lake century eggs, salted eggs, lotus-scented young duck, spiced braised duck, and more. The region has been developed into the “Hometown of Chinese Weishan Ducks,” the “Hometown of Chinese Snakehead Fish,” and the largest crab farming base in northern China. Weishan Lake fish banquets are celebrated across China, featuring over 100 traditional and newly developed signature dishes such as Auspicious Longevity, Floating Soup Fish Balls, Eight-Treasure Turtle Soup, Ducks Resting on Snow, Nanyang Roast Duck, Tube Fish, Turtle by the Riverbank, and Qianlong Jade Noodles, all beloved by visitors.

Aquatic vascular plants are widespread throughout the lake, with 74 species, including wild rice stems, reeds, gorgon fruits, lotuses, water caltrops, and their processed products, which are specialties of Weishan Lake. There are 182 cultivated varieties of major crops and 56 main tree species. The region also hosts various high-quality local breeds of livestock and poultry, such as Weishan ducks, hundred-egg geese, Luxi yellow cattle, and small-tailed Han sheep, along with a rich diversity of bird species. The advantage of biological resources forms a crucial foundation for production in the lake area.