Nangong Lake Wetland Park

Nangong Lake Wetland Park

The predecessor of Nangong Lake was an ancient pond, frequently documented in historical records. The Republican-era Nangong County Annals state that this body of water once connected into a vast expanse known as the "Ancient Pond," where "waters from the Hengzhang rivers converged into a deep pool," spanning "several li, often used for boating, with nets cast to catch fish." The Ancient Pond formed between the Xia Dynasty and the Shaoxi era of the Song Dynasty, when a branch of the Yellow River’s main course passed through Nangong, then flowed via Xinhe and Wuqiang to the sea at Tianjin, forming the vast continental marsh between Julu, Renxian, Longyao, and Ningjin, which converged to create the "Ancient Pond" within Nangong.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, Bai Yue, a Ministry of War official and native of Nangong, wrote "A Record of Visiting the Old City Pond" during a hometown visit, describing the Ancient Pond as having "sandbars and willows along the banks, with egrets and herons soaring and dancing," and lamenting that it was "truly a scene reminiscent of a river town."

Historically, the Ancient Pond also endured hardships and nearly perished. In June of the 14th year of the Ming Chenghua era, a major flood destroyed Nangong County, prompting the relocation of the county seat to a new site. Thereafter, the Ancient Pond became known as the "Old City Pond." Subsequently, not only did the water surface gradually shrink, but it also lost the depth characteristic of a "pond." By the Republican era, the water in the Ancient Pond had diminished even further, with its supply relying solely on over ten drainage ditches within Nangong, barely maintaining a certain volume of water. It was then renamed the "Old City Depression."

After the catastrophic floods of 1963, Nangong suffered consecutive years of drought, and the water in the drainage ditches nearly dried up. As a result, the Ancient Pond had "some water storage in wet years, but none in dry years."

The reconstructed Ancient Pond was divided into three lake areas—south, north, and west—forming an "L" shape. The maximum length from north to south is 2,560 meters, the maximum width from east to west is 1,500 meters, the water storage area exceeds 3,000 mu, the average depth is 3.5 meters, and the maximum water storage capacity is 10 million cubic meters, making it the largest above-ground water storage lake in the plain area of Xingtai City. During its construction in the 1970s, the project was named "Qunying Reservoir" due to the gathering of exceptional talent, and was later renamed "Qunying Lake."

Due to historical and geographical reasons, and without a stable long-term water supply, the lake water gradually decreased. By the 1990s, the lake was almost completely dry, with only a small amount of water remaining in the southern depression. Even at the southern end of the southern depression, a channel for discharging urban domestic sewage appeared. Consequently, the remaining small amount of water in the southern depression was also polluted by sewage, and fish resources plummeted to their lowest point in history.

Since 2007, the Nangong Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have planned the Qunying Lake development project with unprecedented ambition, listing it as a top-priority urban construction project ("Tianzihaogongcheng") for 2008. Following the principles of "unified planning, phased implementation, focused breakthroughs, and supporting construction," and adopting a phased and step-by-step approach, they undertook large-scale and intensive overall development. First, they integrated historical and cultural resources, positioning the project as a strong magnet for tourism-driven urban development. They vigorously excavated the resources of China's first pagoda temple—the Putong Pagoda Temple—on the southern shore of Qunying Lake, developing the Putong Temple Memorial Plaza and a series of ancient site restoration projects. They constructed the "Eight Historical Scenic Spots of Nangong," including "Wind Pavilion and Wheat Rice, Pan Water and Fragrant Lotus, Bian Que’s Former Fief, Towering Scarlet Pagoda, Dan Lost Ancient Tomb, Stone Buddha’s Exquisite Furnace, and Verdant Micro-Hills," as well as a children’s playground and a zoo, covering a total area of 7,337 mu, with a planned total investment of 750 million yuan. Second, they meticulously crafted new scenic landscapes on the lake to create an ideal leisure and vacation destination. They built the South Reservoir Water Park, covering approximately 600,000 square meters, and an open park on the eastern shore of the lake, covering 360 mu. These form the main areas of the entire scenic touring zone. Currently, projects such as reservoir area consolidation, embankment reinforcement, lakeside driving paths, central island construction, and waterfront platforms are underway, with completion expected by the end of the year. Third, they ensured an adequate water supply for the lake area. The city has invested 1.84 million yuan to divert over 4 million cubic meters of water from the Yellow River and plans to drill five shallow wells around the lake area, capable of pumping 2,000 cubic meters of water into the lake daily. Meanwhile, the urban sewage treatment plant is under urgent construction and will soon begin operations, supplying 4,000 cubic meters of treated water to the lake daily.

Today, all three depressions of Qunying Lake are filled with water, with water storage area and volume reaching their highest levels since the reservoir was built, restoring the sight of shimmering blue waves. The western shore is home to the Putong Temple, where worshippers flock during festivals. Inside the temple stands the Putong Pagoda, the first Buddhist pagoda built after the introduction of Buddhism to China, which has a history of over 2,000 years. The eastern shore features the Nangong Lake Park, covering more than a thousand mu, with vast greenery and a complex network of artificial waterways connected to the reservoir, offering breathtaking scenery. The reservoir boasts abundant fish, not only species brought by the Yellow River water diversion but also various fish released by the temple on the western shore, sometimes totaling hundreds of pounds, making it a renowned fishing spot. In 2009, Qunying Lake was renamed Nangong Lake. In the same year, it was listed as a provincial-level wetland park.

Transportation Guide

Scenic Area Address: West of Nangong City, Hebei Province

Transportation: Within Nangong City, take a taxi or walk west along Beicheng Street to reach the park.