Dalangdian Reservoir

Dalangdian Reservoir

Dalangdian Reservoir

Northeast of Nanpi, there are two large low-lying areas. Many years ago, it was waterlogged in summer and autumn, desolate and white in spring and winter, bringing endless disasters to the local people all year round. This is Dalangdian. Speaking of its origins, there is also a mythical legend.

It is said that long ago, the two princes of the Dragon King of the East Sea often came to the land around Cangzhou to play. Whenever they arrived, they would summon wind and rain, stirring up the sea into a rage, flooding crops and washing away farmland. After their frolicking, what were once fertile fields turned into vast waters, displacing countless people. The two brothers especially loved to play and cause chaos in the northeast of Nanpi, churning up mud and sand, sending towering waves crashing against the sky, blotting out the sun and moon. Over time, this stirred up two large depressions, which later generations called Dalangdian.

When the Jade Emperor learned of the misdeeds of the two brothers, he sent the Sea-Calming Beast to subdue them. The Sea-Calming Beast fought fiercely with the two dragon princes at Dalangdian. After forty-nine days of battle, the dragon princes were soundly defeated. Wounded, they fled back to the East Sea, but due to the severity of their injuries, both perished on the seashore. Their bodies turned into two mountains, which are now known as Dashan and Xiaoshan by the Zhangwei River.

Since then, the region around Cangzhou has been free from sea disasters, enjoying bumper harvests, prosperous people, and peace. To commemorate the Sea-Calming Beast’s contribution, the people cast its likeness in refined iron on the northern shore of Dalangdian to signify its eternal presence as guardian. Because its shape resembles a lion, it is commonly called the Iron Lion.

Legends are just legends. For many years, the vast Dalangdian area indeed brought countless disasters to the surrounding people. Fortunately, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the people of Cangzhou have transformed Dalangdian into a source of benefits for the people. They built it into a large reservoir, providing clean water for industrial, agricultural production, and daily life. Trees have been planted along the dikes, lotus flowers and reeds in the reservoir area, and fish are raised in the waters. Today’s Dalangdian has become a small Jiangnan in North China, where fish leap on the water’s surface, lotuses fill the air with fragrance, and rows of green trees stand tall.

Exact location: Northeast of Nanpi County