Qiandao Lake

Qiandao Lake

Qiandao Lake is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Qiandao Lake, also known as Xin’an River Reservoir, is located in Chun’an County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, with a small part extending to the northwest of Jiande City, Hangzhou. It is an artificial lake formed by the construction of the Xin’an River Hydropower Station to impound the upper reaches of the Xin’an River. Construction began in 1955 and was completed in 1960. Situated 150 kilometers from both Hangzhou and Huangshan, it is the backyard garden of the Yangtze River Delta region. The scenic area features extraordinarily clear blue waters, a hundred charming islands, picturesque natural scenery, and an outstanding ecological environment. It earned its name from the 1,078 emerald-green islands dotting the lake.

Known for its verdant mountains, pristine waters, mysterious caves, and peculiar rocks, Qiandao Lake is hailed as a “picturesque journey through jade-like waters among a thousand islands.” The lake covers an area of 573 square kilometers, with 1,078 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across its waters. The average depth is 34 meters, and visibility can reach up to 12 meters, classifying it as a first-class national water body. It was praised by Mu Qing, former president of Xinhua News Agency, as “the most beautiful water in the world.” The entire lake area is divided into five major sections: northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest, and central. With its vast expanse of blue waters, competing beauty of a thousand islands, lush mountain ranges, deep valleys, pristine streams, peculiar cave rocks, and diverse biological resources, cultural relics, and abundant local specialties, Qiandao Lake has become a world-renowned island-lake destination. In recent years, following large-scale renovation and development, it has formed six major scenic areas—Xianshan, Pingfeng, Meifeng, Longshan, Animal Wilderness, and Stone Forest—featuring fourteen attractions of high taste and rich cultural content.

The beauty of Qiandao Lake can be summarized in two words: “green” and “clear.”

Let’s start with “green.” The greenery of Qiandao Lake is layered, well-distributed, and exquisitely serene. At first glance, the lake appears to be a single shade of green. The rolling mountains surrounding the lake area are densely covered with lush greenery, while the forests on the islands are deep and vivid. One could say: it is the forests that paint the islands green, the forests that clarify the lake’s waters, and the forests that purify the air, making the mountains, waters, and islands here all green. Even the rain mist, fog, and drizzle are tinged with green. Green permeates the high mountains, the lake, the forests, and the islands. Vast stretches of forest and individual green islands resemble ink-wash landscape paintings, poetic verses, or lyrical songs. Hence, Qiandao Lake is also known as the “Green Thousand Island Lake.”

The lake and mountain spaces divided by peninsulas and islands create near, middle, and far landscapes with distinct layers and a strong sense of three-dimensionality. From near to far, the waters of Qiandao Lake shift in color from deep green to light green, gray-green, and even white-green. The surrounding mountains and islands also exhibit layered variations of deep, light, and gray-green hues.

The combination of greens in Qiandao Lake is also remarkably harmonious. The azure sky, green forests, and numerous scattered green islands, along with the sapphire lake waters, naturally blend together due to the spatial division created by peninsulas and islands. These originally similar tones merge seamlessly into various shades dominated by green, forming a composition so harmonious and beautiful that the green itself gains richer layers of depth.

Green evokes feelings of tranquility, peace, softness, moisture, comfort, and joy. Qiandao Lake allows people to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle of cities, the fast pace of life and work, and to find serenity amidst the greenery, forgetting the worries of work and worldly grievances, thereby purifying the soul. At the same time, green is also a healthy color—it nourishes the eyes, refreshes the spirit, and encourages you to embrace your individuality. Open your arms to this expanse of green at Qiandao Lake, breathe it all in deeply, and cleanse your inner self completely.

On the other hand, Qiandao Lake offers beautiful scenery in all four seasons and picturesque views everywhere you look.

The peninsulas and islands divide Qiandao Lake into five major sections: southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, and central. Viewed from above, the lake resembles a phoenix about to take flight, nestled amid green mountains and blue waters. As you travel by boat from one lake section to another, from one island to the next, and navigate around seemingly separate yet interconnected bays, you’re greeted with the feeling of “having lost all path amidst mountains and rivers only to suddenly discover a village beyond willows and flowers.” The lake’s width and the elevation of the space constantly change, making it feel as though there’s no end to the lake, creating a layered sense of islands beyond islands and lakes beyond lakes. Even more astonishingly, the serpentine shoreline formed by the fluctuating water levels resembles a flowing golden ribbon, reminding one of the “Dunhuang Flying Apsaras” from the performance “Silk Road Rain of Flowers.”

The lake water takes on different colors in different seasons. In spring, it is yellowish-green; in summer, it’s a vibrant green; in autumn, the water is crystal-clear; and in winter, it turns deep and profound. The water’s appearance also changes unpredictably with the weather. On sunny days, it is bright and beautiful; in foggy conditions, it is misty and hazy; and during rain, it is draped in a layer of white gauze.

Spring in Qiandao Lake is full of vitality, as if a new life is about to emerge, giving off a powerful sense of aliveness. Azaleas show off their beautiful smiles amidst the greenery, while vast fields of rapeseed flowers seem to wave and greet visitors. In summer, Qiandao Lake is lush and green, fully showcasing its vigor and vitality. In autumn, the forested mountains are painted in layers of color, with red leaves offering endless inspiration and dreams. Winter brings a sense of warm tenderness and deep, profound care. According to a professor from an agricultural university, he once led a group of students to Qiandao Lake for fieldwork during summer and autumn, where they witnessed a mirage on the lake surface between the central and southwest lake areas—evidence that Qiandao Lake exhibits some characteristics of a maritime climate.

Furthermore, when you are at the heart of Qiandao Lake, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride, as if you are the master of the lake. Humans come from nature and return to it, thus achieving harmony with the natural world. When boating on Qiandao Lake and gazing at the vast waters, numerous islands, dense forests, and winding shorelines, you often experience a wonderful sensation: despite being on such an expansive lake, you feel at its very center, as though you are the owner of Qiandao Lake. You feel truly embraced by nature, having reached the source of life and attained a state of self-forgetting or transcendence. A poet from the 1940s once wrote a poem containing these lines: “The lake and mountains are nature’s paintings; I am the person within this landscape.” Only at this moment do you realize how harmonious and unified humans are with the world. You’ll feel genuine gratitude for the many beautiful gifts bestowed upon us by nature—gifts worth cherishing with our labor, and even our lives. Such a place is worthy of being experienced with your eyes, nose, and soul to fully appreciate its beauty.

Qiandao Lake is an artificial lake formed in 1959 for the construction of China’s first self-designed and self-equipped Xin’an River Hydropower Station. It has since developed into a national-level lake-type scenic area primarily dedicated to sightseeing, water sports, leisure vacations, and convention industries. Over nearly fifty years of afforestation and soil conservation following the reservoir’s completion, Qiandao Lake now boasts lush forests, fresh air, and crystal-clear waters, forming a stunning natural landscape.

Qiandao Lake spans a surface area of 573 square kilometers, with a water storage capacity of 17.84 billion cubic meters—3,000 times that of Hangzhou’s West Lake. The average depth is 34 meters (note: data from the 1983 “Xin’an River Reservoir Fishery Resources Survey Report” by the Chun’an County Aquatic Science Research Institute states the average depth as 30.44 meters), reaching a maximum depth of 100 meters. The average annual transparency is 7 meters, peaking at 15 meters near the dam, with an average annual water temperature of around 20.0°C. The average sediment content is 0.007 kg per cubic meter of water, with a pH of 7.5, dissolved oxygen averaging 8.2 mg/L, organic matter oxygen consumption averaging 4.3 mg/L, nitrite nitrogen averaging 0.008 mg/L, ammonia nitrogen averaging 0.007 mg/L, phosphate averaging 0.006 mg/L, calcium ions averaging 13.12 mg/L, magnesium ions averaging 2.2 mg/L, chloride ions averaging 5.09 mg/L. Qiandao Lake water is classified as a first-class national water body and can be consumed directly without any treatment.

The rainy season in Qiandao Lake lasts from June to early July, while mid-July to late August is the dry spell, with relatively hot weather. The best travel period is from September to November, when the weather is cool, crisp, and sunny. Wintertime scenery may appear somewhat plain and quiet, but the lake water is at its clearest. Additionally, transportation and accommodation costs are lowest during this time, and the area feels especially peaceful and refreshing.

In 2001, Qiandao Lake Scenic Area was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

In 2002, Qiandao Lake Scenic Area was recognized as a National Model Scenic Area for Protecting Tourists’ Rights and Interests and a Zhejiang Provincial Model Civilized Scenic Area.

In 2010, Qiandao Lake Scenic Area was upgraded to a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

In 2015, it received honors such as Zhejiang Provincial Key Ecological Function Zone Demonstration Area and Beautiful Hangzhou Pilot Zone, earning recognition within the industry as the “Model of Chinese Lake Tourism.”

Travel Information

Route Information

1. By Car

Via Hangzhou: After leaving the city, enter the Hangzhou–Qiandao Expressway (also known as the Hang–Xin–Jing Expressway) from the Hangzhou South Hub.

Turn right at the Yangxi Hub onto the Qiandao Lake branch scenic expressway leading directly to Qiandao Lake Town—a total distance of 129 kilometers, about 90 minutes.

2. By Long-Distance Bus

1. Xiaoshan Airport Shuttle Bus: Ticket price 72 RMB

2. Hangzhou Huanglong Intercity Bus: Ticket price 38 yuan

3. Hangzhou West Railway Station: Ticket price 61 yuan

4. Hangzhou Passenger Transport Center: Ticket price 70 yuan

5. From Hangzhou East Railway Station Square to Qiandao Lake Passenger Transport Center: Ticket price 65 yuan

6. From Qianjiang Market to Qiandao Lake Sunshine Bus Station: Ticket price 38 yuan]

Ticket Information

Peak Season (from March 1 to November 30 each year): 130 yuan per person.

Off-Peak Season (from December 1 to the end of February each year): 120 yuan per person.