Girls' Lake Tourist Area

Girls' Lake Tourist Area

The Girls' Lake Tourist Area is located within the Caimushan Nature Reserve in Duolun County, 48 kilometers from the county town. Situated on the edge of the Hunshandake Sandy Land, it is an ecological tourism area centered around Girls' Lake. The lake is a naturally formed crescent-shaped body of water. With clear waters that neither silt up nor overflow, it is home to fish species such as carp, crucian carp, and catfish, making it a great spot for fishing. The tourist area boasts abundant natural secondary forest resources, including poplar, birch, and elm trees. It is also rich in wildlife such as roe deer, river deer, and foxes, making it one of the areas in Duolun County with a relatively concentrated presence of natural forests and wildlife.

The Mongolian name for "Girls' Lake" is "Huheng Nur," and its origin comes from a beautiful and touching local love story. Legend has it that after the Duolun Nor commercial port was established, Hong Changshun, the young master of the Shanxi merchant firm Heshengkui, followed the firm’s second-in-command and some employees to "venture beyond the grasslands." They set up tents near a herder’s settlement not far from here. Among the herder tents, one white yurt stood out as particularly neat and clean. It was home to a Mongolian herding family, and in the household lived a girl named Wulan Tuoya. With her strikingly bright black eyes and charming appearance, she could speak some basic Chinese. Delighted by the arrival of Hong Changshun and his group, she offered to help set up the tents, fetch water, and organize their belongings. The young master, in the prime of his youth, grew fond of her through their interactions, and the two fell in love. Though both families disapproved of the relationship, they did not outright oppose it. But alas, trouble struck just as their love was at its peak. It turned out that the steward of the Doulun local magistrate (a government official title) had long lusted after Wulan Tuoya, but she had always ignored him. When he learned of her romance with Hong Changshun, he became insanely jealous and sought revenge. He reported the relationship to the magistrate. At the time, the Qing government strictly forbade Han Chinese merchants from marrying Mongolian women. The magistrate was outraged that Hong Changshun would dare defy the ban, so he had the young master imprisoned. The steward secretly tormented him with brutal torture in hopes of breaking his spirit, but Changshun remained devoted to Tuoya and refused to yield no matter how cruel the torture. Seeing her beloved beaten and bruised, Tuoya was heartbroken and thought that if they could not be together in this life, they would reunite in the next. With no other options left, Tuoya rode her horse to the lake and, filled with deep love for Changshun, threw herself into the water. After many trials, the young master was eventually rescued by his family, but upon learning that Tuoya had died for him, he became distraught and wished only to join her in the afterlife. One day, as he visited the lake, he suddenly saw the girl’s figure emerge on the water’s surface, waving to him. Without hesitation, he too jumped into the lake, never to be separated from his beloved again. Since then, people have called this crescent-shaped lake "Girls' Lake."

Green Dragon’s Back: To the north of Girls' Lake lies Green Dragon’s Back, a landmark well-known in Duolun Town. Legend has it that the name was bestowed by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. In 1691, during a meeting with the leaders of forty-eight tribes, Emperor Kangxi came to Duolun. While patrolling the border on horseback, he grew tired and stopped to rest here, captivated by the winding mountain ranges and beautiful scenery. As he dozed off, he dreamed he was riding a green dragon that began to twist and try to rise. Startled awake, Kangxi believed the dragon symbolized the rebellious Galdan, who sought to establish his rule here. Thus, he declared, “Let this place be called Green Dragon’s Back!” — symbolizing that the dragon would never rise again. The name stuck. There is also another strange phenomenon here: within a 40-li radius of Girls' Lake, there are no snakes to be found, and the frogs do not croak. It remains an unsolved mystery to this day.

Tulonggen River Ten-Thousand-Meter Meandering Rafting Area: Rafting along the Tulonggen River lasts about 70 minutes. The river flows gently, with enchanting scenery along both banks. Countless winding river sections make the rafting experience even more thrilling. The delicate-scaled fish, which became part of the imperial cuisine during the Yongzheng era, inhabit these waters.