Gaoyang Pinghu

　　   Gaoyang Pinghu is situated in Gaoyang Town in the northwest of Yunyang, approximately 24 kilometers from the county town, spanning an area of 135 square kilometers. Here, natural landscapes and cultural attractions complement each other, creating a green garden-like scene where the city nestles among mountains, forests lie within the urban area, and water and land blend harmoniously.

　　   Gaoyang Town in Yunyang County is a major rural resettlement hub in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Covering an area of 25 square kilometers, Gaoyang Pinghu is the largest lake in the reservoir area connected to the Yangtze River, with a total shoreline stretching 70 kilometers. It has been designated by the Yunyang County Committee and County Government as the northern wing of the county’s tourism industry development plan under the “one core, two wings” strategy, and is being developed as a key eco-tourism project. The picturesque Gaoyang also boasts rich historical and cultural heritage, including the Lijiaba Cultural Site—one of China’s top ten archaeological discoveries—the Mingyueba Tang Dynasty small town architectural ruins known as the “Second Greatest Tang City in China,” and the Xiahuangshi Filial Piety Archway, among other cultural relics. Yunyang plans to develop the area into the largest wetland park scenic zone in the reservoir region.

　　   Gaoyang Lake is a vast, over 50-square-kilometer flat lake formed by the backflow of water from the Pengxi River due to the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The Pengxi River flows from north to south into the Yangtze River. With the Pengxi River as its main axis, and Huanglingba and Dongxihu as its eastern and western wings, Gaoyang Lake was initially planned to consist of five zones: the Dongxidam Leisure Resort Zone, the Mingyueba Eco-Leisure Culture Zone, the Huanglingba Water Sports and Leisure Zone, the Gaoyang Resettlement Culture Zone, and the Dailizi Canyon Tourist Zone. The terrain of the scenic area is basin-like, featuring distant mountains, nearby waters, and a harmonious natural composition of encircling hills, lakes, islands, and bays. The area is abundant in tourism resources, with elevations ranging from 100 to 1,100 meters. Nestled between rolling mountains lies a stretch of emerald water, dotted with 15 peninsulas and more than 4 islets. The lakeshore is crisscrossed with peninsulas and inlets, forming a beautiful integrated landscape of lake and mountain scenery. Among its cultural sites, six are listed on the National Cultural Relics Distribution Map and the National Cultural Relics Distribution List, possessing significant historical, artistic, and scientific value. According to tourism resource surveys, the area contains six first-class scenic spots, two second-class spots, eight third-class spots, and eight fourth-class spots. Cruising on the lake, visitors are treated to a breathtaking scene: emerald waters, singing cooking smoke, dreamlike mist, vibrant wildflowers, lush mountains, newly built immigrant towns with white walls and gray tiles, the towering Shibaica槽 Forest Park resembling a giant rooftop, and majestic ancient structures such as the Zushi Temple, Guanxing Fort, Yong’an Fort, Yunfeng Tower, and Wutong Bridge—all in diverse styles—blending together into a stunning landscape painting that inspires tranquility and endless reverie.