Huailai Guanting Reservoir National Wetland Park

Huailai Guanting Reservoir National Wetland Park

Huailai Guanting Reservoir National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Guanting Lake (Reservoir) has long been celebrated for its scenic beauty of lakes and mountains, and is now a preferred destination for leisure and summer escapes among both locals in the capital and domestic tourists. It is the first large-scale reservoir constructed after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. With its expansive waters, verdant hills, and clear blue waves, the lake offers a tranquil setting for boating among the fish, convenient transportation, and a pleasant climate—making it an ideal tourist spot beyond the Great Wall that attracts a large number of domestic and international visitors. It is hailed as the “Pearl Beyond the Great Wall.”

The waters of Guanting Lake (Reservoir) come from the Sanggan River and the Yang River flowing in from the northwest, and the Guishui River flowing in from the northeast. Four-fifths of the water surface lies within Huailai County, while one-fifth is in Yanqing County, Beijing. The lake covers an area of 232 square kilometers, with a maximum storage capacity of 4.16 billion cubic meters. A majestic dam stretches across the southern end of the reservoir, with a hydropower station built on the left bank downstream. Downstream flows the Yongding River Gorge. Surrounded by mountains, Guanting Lake is situated at the southern end of the Huailai Basin and was named after the nearby village of Guanting (which had been relocated before the reservoir was built).

The Sanggan River, which flows from Zhuolu County, and the Yang River, which comes from Xuanhua County, converge near Zhuguantun, southwest of Shacheng in Huailai County, and are then called the Yongding River. The river continues southeast where it meets the Guishui River, which flows from Yanqing County, before eventually heading south. For centuries, the lower reaches of the Yongding River were notorious for causing floods during the rainy season, with raging waters swallowing vast areas of fertile land and villages, posing a serious threat to the Beijing-Tianjin region. Historical records abound with tragic accounts of floods inundating eight counties east of Beijing and boats navigating the streets of Tianjin—a scene still vivid in the memories of many. To eliminate this persistent flood threat, construction on Guanting Reservoir officially began in October 1951. By the pre-flood season of 1953, the dam stood proudly, holding back the floodwaters. The reservoir was completed in May 1954, and the Guanting Power Plant was fully operational by April 1956, with a total installed capacity of 30,000 kilowatts. Since then, the flood menace has been eradicated. With the advent of reform and opening-up and the rise of tourism, the area has attracted significant investment in recent years, leading to the development of several major tourist attractions, including Woniu Mountain, the Yongding River Gorge Drift, and the Tiansha Park.

Scenic Area Address: Within Guanting Town, Huailai County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province

Transportation: Take a bus from Huailai County bound for Guanting Town to reach the site.