Liangzi Lake

Liangzi Lake

Liangzi Lake is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a provincial-level nature reserve.

Liangzi Lake is one of China's top ten famous lakes and the second largest freshwater lake in Hubei Province. It stretches 82 kilometers from north to south and 22 kilometers from east to west, with an average depth of 3 meters year-round. The lake covers an area of 420,000 mu, with the highest daily average water level at 20.57 meters and the lowest at 16.41 meters. The highest water temperature reaches 33°C, and the lowest is 1.2°C. Liangzi Lake has 99 branches, extending in all directions and bordering Wuhan, Xianning, Daye, and other areas. The lake's catchment area spans 2,085 square kilometers, with over 300 inflows and only one outflow through the Changgang outlet, which is regulated by the Fan Kou and Mo Dao Ji sluice gates. The outflow travels 90 li through the Changgang Channel before emptying into the Yangtze River.

Liangzi Island is a small, exquisite island in Liangzi Lake, shaped like a shoe and surrounded by water on all sides. The island covers an area of 2.2 square kilometers. To the north are Fanjia Mountain, Gongshan Mountain, and Niushan Mountain (from west to east), while the central part features mountains such as Dashan and Changshan. The western part is the residential area for island residents.

Liangzi Island has a long history. Legend has it that as early as the Three Kingdoms period, Guan Yu, a general of the Shu Han kingdom, trained his naval forces here. Historical relics on the island include Guan Yu’s Horse-Tethering Stone, Xia Ma Lake, and Mo Dao Ji to the east of the island.

Around the Tang Dynasty, the pottery industry here flourished significantly. To the west of the island, there are ruins of 48 tile kilns, and the slopes of Gongshan Mountain are covered with layers of discarded pottery fragments such as pots and basins. Experts have confirmed these date back to the Five Dynasties period, over 1,300 years ago.

During the Qing Dynasty, Liangzi Lake was considered an important town. According to the Wuchang County Annals, Liangzi Town was first established as a market during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, with around 200 households. It served as a hub connecting Jiangxia (now Wuchang), Xingguo (now Yangxin), and Daye.

Before the War of Resistance Against Japan, Liangzi Island was very prosperous and was known as the "Little Hankou." With a population of over 7,000, dozens of inns, and more than 100 shops, it functioned as a transit and distribution hub for goods and materials in southeastern Hubei.

During the war, Liangzi Lake served as an anti-Japanese base in southern Hubei. Wang Shoudao and Zhang Tixue led the 359th Brigade Southward Detachment and the 44th Regiment of the New Fourth Army in striking against Japanese puppet forces on Liangzi Lake (Island).

In the 1970s and 1980s, Liangzi Town thrived with a prosperous fishing industry and developed industries. Township enterprises such as cotton mills, wool mills, oil refineries, hardware and electrical appliance factories, standard parts factories, and towel factories were established on the island.

In April 2001, Liangzi Lake was renamed Liangzi Island Eco-Tourism Area, further clarifying the direction for the ecological tourism development of Liangzi Lake (Island).

The Liangzi Lake (Island) Eco-Tourism Area currently has a population of 9,554, encompassing 4 administrative villages and 2 neighborhood committees. The island itself has 2,568 residents, with 204 floating residents. The tourism area includes 8,864 agricultural household registrations and 690 non-agricultural ones.

Address: Donghu Avenue, Liangzi Lake District, Ezhou City

Type: Lake

Recommended visiting time: 1–4 hours

Opening hours:

9:00-20:00

Ticket information:

Gate price: 90.0 RMB

90 RMB (including boat ticket)

Source: Official Portal Website of Hubei Provincial People's Government