Qingtongxia Reservoir

Qingtongxia Reservoir

Qingtongxia Reservoir is a national AAA-level tourist attraction, a national water conservancy scenic area, a national nature reserve, and a science education base.

The Qingtongxia Reservoir Natural Scenic Area is located at the upper end of the Qingtongxia Reservoir. Passing upstream through the ten-mile-long gorge via the dam of the Qingtongxia Hydropower Station, there lies an expansive high-gorge flat lake. The scenic waters are graced with beautiful mountain and water views. Within the reservoir area, there are over 20,000 acres of secondary forest and 50,000 acres of beach land. The beaches are covered in lush green grass, while the islands are shaded by towering trees. In the shallow waters, black and white birds with vivid contrasts dot the landscape. The area is teeming with migratory birds. Deep within the dense woods, reeds grow abundantly, and birds take off, land, and shuttle back and forth in various graceful forms, making it an ideal habitat and breeding ground for a variety of bird species — earning it the name “Yellow River Bird Island.”

Every year from March to April, tens of thousands of migratory birds arrive from the warm south to the awakening, green-covered river islets of the Yellow River. According to zoologists, over 180 bird species inhabit Yellow River Bird Island, with geese and ducks being the most numerous. Other species include cormorants, bean geese, greylag geese, ruddy shelducks, mallards, and demoiselle cranes. Rare birds such as the black stork, whooper swan, tundra swan, and mute swan can also be found here.

The Qingtongxia Reservoir area has become a nature reserve, attracting visitors from spring to autumn each year. Tourists come to boat, watch birds, compose poetry, paint, and enjoy the beauty of nature.