Lake Pipa

Lake Pipa

Lake Pipa is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Dahongshan Reservoir is one of the eight major reservoirs in Suizhou City, located 4 kilometers from Hongshan Town. The water originates from Lingguanya on the western side of the main peak of Dahong Mountain. When the sky has good visibility, you can clearly see the main peak of Dahong Mountain and Lingguanya from here. The Yuanshui River stretches 321 kilometers in total, with 194 kilometers within Suizhou. Before the Song Dynasty, the entire river basin was called Shui, flowing through Anlu and Xiaogan, and entering the Han River at Xingou in Wuhan. In 1959, to control flooding, the downstream course was rerouted to flow into the Yangtze River at Chenjiaji.

After the Ming Dynasty established the De’an Prefecture to govern areas including present-day Xiaogan and Anlu, people in the middle and lower reaches of the river began to call it “Fuhe” (Prefectural River), while it remained known as Shui within Suizhou.

The dam of the reservoir was built to block Shui. Because the river flows around a small hill east of the town, forming a shape resembling a pipa (a Chinese lute), it was named Pipazui (Pipa Mouth), and the reservoir was once renamed Pipazui Reservoir. Both sides of Pipazui are surrounded by mountains, and the riverbed consists of solid bedrock, making it an ideal site for a dam. In 1947, the Hubei Provincial Government sent the Second Provincial Water Conservancy Survey Team to conduct surveys here and drafted a report proposing the construction of a large-scale water conservancy project at Pipazui. The report was approved on March 9, 1948, but although construction was agreed upon, no funding was allocated to implement it.

In September 1965, Governor Zhang Tixue personally visited Pipazui for inspection and dispatched the Third Engineering Corps of the Provincial Water Resources Department to design and construct simultaneously. Construction began in September 1965, and the first phase of the dam was completed in October 1967. The project was finalized in May 1970, but due to the structure not meeting flood prevention standards, reinforcement work began in November 1976 and was fully completed by July 1978. The dam is 565 meters long and 43 meters high. The upstream area of the reservoir is the source of Shui, with a catchment length of 18.6 kilometers and a drainage area of 157 square kilometers. The upper reaches are covered with mixed forests and have good vegetation. The average annual rainfall is 933 millimeters. The designed total capacity of the reservoir is 126 million cubic meters, with an effective storage capacity of 69 million cubic meters. It generates an average of 3.399 million kWh of electricity annually. The reservoir has a fish farming area of 7,000 mu, producing over 40,000 kilograms of fish in 1985.

The lake here features crystal-clear waters, vast blue waves, surrounded by mountains, with hundreds of islands, lush vegetation, green hills and clear waters, undulating tea gardens with distinct layers, creating beautiful landscape paintings. As described in a poem by Bai Juyi: “Spring on the lake is like a painted scene, with rugged peaks encircling the level water. Pine trees line the mountain faces in layers of emerald, and the moon dots the heart of the waves like a single pearl.” Drifting across the reservoir makes you feel as though “every turn of green mountains is a painted screen, every bay of blue water is a musical string.” The early mornings and evenings on the lake are the most enchanting. Especially in the sunny days of March, when tender green leaves sprout from all the trees, dyeing the lake water as jade-like. The morning glow filters through the soft white mist on the lake surface, as if admiring its own beautiful reflection in the mirror. Red and green blend together, peaks layer in verdant hues, birds chirp and fly. When the red clouds disperse, gentle breezes stir the water, churning up golden fragments that sparkle and dot the surface, captivating the soul.

There are many tea plantations around the lake. The tea produced here is not only fragrant and mellow but also rich in trace elements such as selenium, zinc, and germanium. In 1993, testing by the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment revealed that the tea here contains two to four times more trace elements than tea from other regions. Selenium, zinc, and germanium are essential elements for preventing cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, boosting immunity, and delaying aging. Particularly, selenium and germanium are among the rarest elements on Earth. The tea from this area has won awards for quality at both the provincial and national levels. Major attractions in the reservoir include volcanic relics, tea garden scenery, Rentou River, and Sansheng Temple.

Pipa Lake Villa The resort villas feature diverse styles, situated near the water and close to the mountains, offering tranquility and freshness. Fishing and recreational activities bring joy and relaxation. Here, you can taste fresh fish from the reservoir and enjoy rustic farm-style cuisine, truly returning to simplicity. The park is planted with over 2,000 local ornamental tree species, covering a forested area of over 85%, making it a uniquely styled botanical garden. In spring, hundreds of white magnolia and purple magnolia trees bloom, competing in beauty with red plum, cherry blossom, crabapple, winter jasmine, and azalea. In summer, hundreds of crape myrtle flowers burst into bloom along the scenic paths, like elegantly dressed maidens welcoming guests. In autumn, osmanthus flowers fill the branches throughout the park, intoxicating with fragrance, while maple and tung trees turn fiery red, and vast ginkgo trees don golden “autumn attire,” creating a colorful scene like an oil painting. In winter, the subtle scent of wintersweet, snow-covered pines, and a world dressed in silver resemble the landscapes of northern China. Each season here is captivating.

Volcanic Crater

The most distinctive sight in the reservoir is the volcanic relics, also known as Piaoshijian (Drifting Stone Stream). On a slope, sedimentary rocks formed by volcanic activity have been eroded by floods over time, creating numerous small ridges and countless ravines, forming a spectacular sight known as the “volcanic waterfall.” This geological wonder, formed over tens of millions of years, is extremely rare and holds high aesthetic value.

There are about 2,000 extinct volcanoes and over 500 active volcanoes in the world today, mainly distributed along the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Mediterranean–Indonesian region. China has discovered over 600 volcanoes, most of which are extinct. The volcanoes here are also extinct. Ascending the “volcanic waterfall” toward the mountaintop leads to an ancient fortress, the age of which is difficult to verify. According to historical records in Suizhou, the Dahong Mountain area witnessed over 300 battles of varying scales, with the most famous peasant uprisings including the Green Forest Rebellion at the end of the Western Han Dynasty; the uprising led by Ming Yuzhen at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, which later joined the Red Turban Army; and the Zhao Bangbi peasant rebellion during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty. During the Anti-Japanese War, the anti-Japanese forces led by Zhang Zizhong engaged in fierce battles with Japanese troops in the Dahong Mountain area. This ancient fortress may be related to those conflicts.

According to local elders, this was the site where Zhao Bangbi, a leader of the peasant uprising at the end of the Qing Dynasty and a native of Suizhou, fought fiercely against Qing troops. Zhao Bangbi’s rebel army was a force that threatened the Qing Dynasty during the Taiping Rebellion. Relying on Dahong Mountain, they repeatedly dealt heavy blows to Qing forces, joining forces with Chen Yuging’s Taiping troops to capture Anlu Prefecture, Jingshan County, and over ten towns under Suizhou’s jurisdiction. In November 1856, they even took over Suizhou City, growing increasingly powerful. Zhao Bangbi was proclaimed “emperor” by his followers, establishing the “Later Song” dynasty. Within their controlled territory, they issued “Later Song Tongbao” currency and declared tax exemptions for civilians... How could the Qing government tolerate this small regime? They deployed heavy troops to launch a three-pronged attack on Dahong Mountain. After a week of intense fighting, the rebel army suffered a devastating defeat. The Qing army massacred large numbers of rebels and their families. Emperor Xianfeng was still unsatisfied and issued an edict: strictly controlling and disqualifying candidates from Suizhou from participating in provincial and metropolitan examinations for a period known as “AnTa ShiKe” (Ten Suppressed Exams – one exam every three years, ten exams equals thirty years), as punishment. This severely impacted the scholars of Suizhou.

In a circular deep pit within the mountain forest at the summit, geologists have confirmed the presence of a volcanic crater. Scattered throughout the area is a type of pumice stone, reddish in color with numerous tiny honeycomb-like pores. Some pieces of this pumice can float on water. In the past, it was used by butchers to remove pig bristles, and in some places, it has been developed into lightweight insulated wall panels.

Deposits formed by volcanic activity are visible everywhere, taking on various shapes. The rock formations resemble turtles, elephants, snakes, seals, screens, and more...

Rentou River Another attraction in the reservoir is Rentou River, where steep cliffs rise sharply, composed of gravel and resembling Danxia landform, evoking the ambiance of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. A round rock on the cliff, strikingly resembling a human head with all facial features, gives the place its name. It is said that in the past, many pregnant women would visit Sansheng Temple to pray, then come here to kneel and worship the “human head,” throwing small stones at it—hitting it meant having a son, missing meant having a daughter.

Sansheng Temple

Sansheng Temple was originally built during the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty. Initially called Sansheng Temple, it was later renamed when it became a nunnery. It originally had three halls. The main hall housed a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The temple courtyard had a osmanthus tree with a trunk diameter of over 70 centimeters, which bloomed fragrantly every August. Due to years of neglect, only parts of the walls remain, now converted into residential houses.

Which three saints does “Sansheng” refer to? In Buddhism, there are the Western Three Saints (Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva); the Eastern Three Saints (Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Suryaprabha Bodhisattva representing wisdom, and Candraprabha Bodhisattva representing compassion); and the Huayan Three Saints (Vairocana Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva). Their common feature is “one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas,” with the Buddha in the center and the Bodhisattvas on either side. In Taoism, there are also the “Three Holy Mothers.” It is believed that the temple enshrined the Western Three Saints, as Guanyin Bodhisattva enjoys particularly high prestige among the people. The former educated youth site area still preserves the “educated youth quarters” from the 1970s. For veteran educated youths, it serves as a museum reflecting that historical period.

The site accommodated two batches of 44 urban high school graduates who were sent-down youths. “Educated youth” became a term unique to that era. The slogans on the walls and furnishings in the houses preserve the atmosphere of the educated youth’s living period. The youths sent here were mainly involved in tea picking and processing. The scenic area plans to establish an “Educated Youth Museum” here.