Panjiakou Reservoir Pinghu Scenic Area

Panjiakou Reservoir Pinghu Scenic Area

Panjiakou, anciently known as Lulong Pass, is a renowned section of the Great Wall and has long been a strategic military stronghold. Both General Li Guang’s northern campaign against the Xiongnu and Cao Cao’s eastern expedition against the Wuhuan passed through this pass. The Tang Dynasty poet Rong Yu once wrote in his poem “Frontier Ballad”: “Iron armor heavy with frost and dew, warhorses seasoned through the years. Since the days of Lulong Pass, dust and smoke have flown till now.”

In the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, a pass was first established at Panjiakou, located to the north of the current site. In the 41st year of the Jiajing reign (1562), a new pass was built at the present location, along with a fortress. The fortress walls stood two zhang and two chi high (approximately 7 meters), with a circumference of 219 zhang and six chi (approximately 730 meters), featuring gates to the southwest and once garrisoned by a military officer.

In October 1975, the construction of the Panjiakou Reservoir began as a national project. Water storage started at the end of 1979, and the entire project was completed by the end of 1984. It controls a catchment area of over 30,000 square kilometers of the Luanhe River basin, with a storage capacity of 2.9 billion cubic meters. The construction of the Panjiakou Reservoir greatly alleviated water shortages for industry and daily life in Tianjin, strongly supported national economic development, and also created a stunning landscape where high gorges give rise to a tranquil lake, offering a brand-new and ideal destination for tourism, sightseeing, and leisure.

Concrete dam. This dam resembles a rugged giant arm, connecting the cliffs of the eastern and western mountains and blocking the surging waters of the Luanhe River. Beneath the dam, the power station hums with machinery, while the bottom outlets of the spillway spout silvery-white waterfalls, their roaring sounds thunderous. Climbing to the top of the dam and looking northward, vast waves resemble a huge piece of jade inlaid among the peaks of the Yanshan Mountains. Taking a sightseeing boat into the reservoir area, white waves splash from the boat’s wake; emerald-green mountains rush toward you—some resembling galloping horses, others like tigers roaring at the sun, some like generals clad in armor and standing tall, and others like rockets poised to pierce the blue sky...

Soon, the grand Panjiakou comes into view. The majestic ancient Great Wall soars like a dragon, then dives into the azure waters, merging a powerful symphony into the beautiful lake and mountain scenery. Further ahead, the views become even more spectacular: the Bird Island where birds sing cheerfully, the “Little Three Gorges” flanked by steep cliffs, and the “Frontier Stone Forest” with its striking peaks… all like moving, colorful screens, gradually coming into sight, dazzling and overwhelming.

Admission Ticket

15 yuan

Location

Located 27 kilometers north of Qianxi County