Ertan Scenic Area

Ertan Scenic Area

Ertan Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national forest park.

The Ertan National Forest Park is situated along the popular tourist route from Chengdu to Mount Emei, Xichang, and Kunming.

The park has a planned area of over 600,000 mu. Among this, the T-shaped lake surface formed by the Ertan Reservoir spans 150,000 mu, and the forested area exceeds 400,000 mu, with a forest coverage rate of over 50%. It encompasses the area above the Ertan Hydropower Station dam, the entire first range of mountains along the Yalong River system within the city limits, extending all the way to the Tengqiao River mouth in Yan Yuan County. After the dam was built, it formed an artificial lake that is 145 kilometers long, covers a total area of 102 square kilometers, and has a storage capacity of 5.8 billion cubic meters. The majestic hydropower station, the vast expanse of blue waters, the surrounding verdant mountain ranges, the dense primeval forests, the picturesque eight small islands on the lake, and the unique customs of the more than ten ethnic minorities living nearby, along with the tranquil environment, pleasant climate, and fresh air, make this an ideal tourist destination offering various functions such as sightseeing, exploration, inspiration-seeking, entertainment, vacationing, and convalescence.

The Ertan National Forest Park is located in the Hengduan Mountain Range, characterized by high and steep mountains with elevations ranging from 1,200 meters to 4,196 meters. It features a high-mountain gorge landform and a three-dimensional climate based on the South Asian tropical zone. The vegetation in the park is distributed vertically, from the bottom up, consisting of evergreen broad-leaved forests, Yunnan pine forests, oak-pine mixed forests, montane coniferous forests, and subalpine coniferous forests.

There are over 700 species of higher plants. The rich plant populations and superior geographical environment provide an excellent habitat for wildlife. The area is home to over 400 species of wild animals, including 19 rare species. The park consists of nine scenic areas: Tongzilin, Pusa Rock, High Gorge and Flat Lake, Baipo Mountain, Maluzhai, Laojun Temple, Lake Island Scenery, Natural Bridge, and Qinghe Immortal Cave. The interplay of lake and mountain scenery creates beautiful vistas, making it a shining jewel of tourism in southern Sichuan.

The Ertan Hydropower Station is located within Panzhihua City, 33 kilometers from the confluence of the Yalong River and the Jinsha River. It is the first cascade hydropower station developed in the lower reaches of the Yalong River and one of the major national key energy construction projects. The normal water level of the reservoir is 1,200 meters, with a total storage capacity of 5.8 billion cubic meters. It is a seasonally regulated reservoir. The spillway features a 240-meter-high parabolic double-curvature arch dam, which currently ranks first in Asia and third in the world. The hydropower installation includes six 550,000-kilowatt hydroelectric generating units, with a total installed capacity of 3.3 million kilowatts and an annual power generation of 17 billion kWh, both ranking first in the nation. The completion of the Ertan Hydropower Station marks a higher level of achievement in China’s hydropower construction.

The Ertan Scenic Area essentially consists of the Ertan Hydropower Station and its reservoir. It is mainly divided into four parts:

1. The Dam: This dam is the world’s third-largest and Asia’s largest double-curvature arch dam. It stands 240 meters high, with a crest elevation of 11 meters, a crest width of 56 meters, and a crest length of 778 meters. The total reservoir capacity is 5.8 billion cubic meters, and the maximum flood discharge capacity is 23,600 cubic meters per second. Each generating unit has a capacity of 550,000 kilowatts.

2. The Exhibition Center: Primarily displays photos and physical exhibits showcasing the construction process of Ertan and its beautiful scenery.

3. The Reservoir Scenery: The massive reservoir formed after the Ertan Hydropower Station dam was closed. This lake sits at an elevation of 1,200 meters, is 145 kilometers long, and about 700 meters wide, forming a Y-shaped artificial lake. It includes five small islands and over ten peninsulas that complement each other. The farthest point can be reached by boat to Yan Yuan County. Boating here offers scenery that is no less stunning than the famous Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, though it has not yet been extensively studied or developed.

4. The European Camp: The international tender for Ertan attracted a large number of foreign experts. A total of over 600 foreigners from 43 countries around the world participated in the construction of Ertan, jokingly referred to as a multinational force or a mini United Nations.