Culai Mountain-Wenhe Water Conservancy Scenic Area

Culai Mountain-Wenhe Water Conservancy Scenic Area

The Culai Mountain-Wenhe Water Conservancy Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a national water conservancy scenic area, and a national wetland park.

The scenic area is situated in the southeastern part of Tai’an City. It is developed around the Tianze Lake Provincial Water Conservancy Scenic Area and the Culai Mountain Forest Park, and is categorized as an urban river-lake type water conservancy scenic area. The area covers 293 square kilometers, including 185 square kilometers in the Culai Mountain section and 108 square kilometers in the Wenhe section, with 11 square kilometers of water area.

The Tai’an Culai-Wenhe Water Conservancy Scenic Area is located along a section of the Dawen River in the eastern part of Tai’an, approximately 15 kilometers from downtown Tai’an. It consists of the Tianze Lake Water Conservancy Scenic Area and the Culai Mountain Forest Park, with a total area of about 293 square kilometers, including 11 square kilometers of water surface. The Tianze Lake Water Conservancy Scenic Area has seen over 1 billion yuan invested to construct three water retention projects — Quanlin, Yanxie, and Yanzhang — creating a vast water landscape stretching 20 kilometers in length with 18,000 mu (approximately 1,200 hectares) of water surface and a static water storage capacity of 40 million cubic meters. The area features rippling blue waters, tree-lined banks, birdsong, and fragrant flowers, making it a new highlight for tourism in Tai’an. The Culai Mountain Scenic Area is surrounded on three sides by the Wenhe River; the northern section is called the Mouwen River, while the southern section is known as the Chaiwen River. The two converge on the western side of Culai Mountain at the ancient site of Dawenkou before flowing into Dongping Lake, resembling a green pearl embedded in the land of Qilu.

In accordance with the unified deployment of the Tai’an Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, the Culai Mountain-Wenhe Scenic Area was established by integrating the Tianze Lake Water Conservancy Scenic Area and the Culai Mountain National Forest Park. The Culai Mountain Scenic Area Management Committee was formed to oversee development and management, with a vision to create a destination that embodies the characteristics of “tourism, sports, leisure, and ecology,” offering a land where mountains are visible, waters are within sight, and nostalgia for one’s roots can be felt. The site of the Dasi Ruins, where the Culai Mountain Anti-Japanese Armed Uprising Monument stands, marks the location of the first shot fired independently under the leadership of the Shandong Provincial Committee in the War of Resistance. It holds significant importance in the history of the Chinese Communist Party and the military, serving as an important red education base. The scenic area also boasts over 30 temples, including the Temple of the Induction Marquis, Fayun Temple, Sichan Temple, and Guanghua Temple, as well as more than ten historical sites and attractions such as the Taishan Stone-Tiger Statue, the Tomb of Shi Jie, the Qiaogou Ruins, Zhongjunzhhang, the Six Idlers of Zhuxi, and the Book-Writing Workshop. As described by the Qing Dynasty poet Yao Nai in his work “Record of Climbing Mount Tai” — “Gazing at the evening sun casting light over the city, the Wenhe River and Culai Mountain are picturesque” — it is indeed a beautiful scenic destination.

In 2012, the Tianze Lake Scenic Area was approved as a provincial water conservancy scenic area, and in 2015, it was designated as the 15th national water conservancy scenic area. It is also recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark, a national forest park, and a 4A-level tourist attraction.