Nuquan Gou Water Conservancy Scenic Area

Nuquan Gou Water Conservancy Scenic Area

The Nuquan Gou Water Conservancy Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a national water conservancy scenic area.

The Nuquan Gou Water Conservancy Scenic Area is a comprehensive provincial-level water conservancy scenic spot integrating sightseeing, recreation, leisure, and summer retreat. It was developed based on the comprehensive management project for ecological and clean small watersheds in the Nuquan Gou basin. Located at the source of the Fen River — the mother river of Shanxi and a second-level tributary of the Yellow River — the area spans a total of 47.7 square kilometers. The region features rolling peaks and a string of lakes, where the shimmering water complements the mountain scenery. It boasts the grandeur of northern grasslands as well as the charm of southern water towns, making it a vibrant gem within the Ningwu County tourism landscape in northwestern Shanxi. Visitors can not only admire the scale and benefits of Shanxi’s largest and best soil and water conservation ecological project but also enjoy the tranquility and delight of recreation and summer retreat.

The Nuquan Gou Water Conservancy Scenic Area is a comprehensive provincial-level water conservancy scenic spot integrating sightseeing, recreation, leisure, and summer retreat. It was developed based on the comprehensive management project for ecological and clean small watersheds in the Nuquan Gou basin. Located at the source of the Fen River — the mother river of Shanxi and a second-level tributary of the Yellow River — the area spans a total of 47.7 square kilometers. The region features rolling peaks and a string of lakes, where the shimmering water complements the mountain scenery. It boasts the grandeur of northern grasslands as well as the charm of southern water towns, making it a vibrant gem within the Ningwu County tourism landscape in northwestern Shanxi. Visitors can not only admire the scale and benefits of Shanxi’s largest and best soil and water conservation ecological project but also enjoy the tranquility and delight of recreation and summer retreat.

The scenic area is part of the Guancen Mountain Tourist Zone, represented by the "Ten Thousand Year Ice Cave," which is among China’s fourth batch of national geoparks. It offers ten major types of natural and cultural attractions, including mountains, rocks, forests, grasslands, caves, lakes, springs, valleys, temples, and passes — over a hundred sites in total — that embody the essence of nature and showcase some of the world’s most spectacular scenery. It lies just 1.0 kilometer away from the Guancen Tianchi (Heavenly Lake), one of China’s three major alpine lakes, which has a water surface area of over a thousand acres and is hailed as the “sister lake” of Tianchi.

After nearly five years of development and construction, the area now features 13 European-style villas built using reservoir resources, offering more than 70 beds; a luxurious hall capable of accommodating over 60 visitors at once; 20 kilometers of hardened scenic roads; 2,910 acres of planted ornamental forests; one cruise dock and one fishing platform; one large luxury cruise ship, one speedboat, and 30 small boats; as well as facilities for freshwater aquaculture, special species breeding, and eco-farming. The area produces 12,000 kilograms of high-quality freshwater fish annually, raises 186 sika deer, and over 5,000 free-range chickens. With support from the national sports authorities, a training base for canoeing and kayaking of the General Administration of Sport of China has been established, along with a newly developed and increasingly popular “agritainment” tourism project. According to plans, within the next two years, additional recreational activities such as rafting, bungee jumping, skiing, grass skiing, and sand sliding will be introduced, expanding the recreational area to 7.0 square kilometers. By then, the Nuquan Gou Soil and Water Conservation Ecological Scenic Area will become a dazzling pearl within the Guancen Mountain Tourism Zone of Ningwu. In October 2007, the Nuquan Gou Water Conservancy Scenic Area was rated as one of the first provincial-level water conservancy scenic areas.