Qiandao Lake

Overview

About

The Xin’an River dam, built in the 1950s, is 105 m high and 462 m long; the reservoir is about 150 km long and over 10 km at its widest, about 580 km² at normal level. Its 398 islands, and hundreds of islets that appear and vanish with the water level, give it the name Thousand Island Lake.

Travel tips

Getting there: the Hangzhou–Huangshan high-speed line stops at Fuyang, Tonglu, Jiande and Qiandao Lake; from each station take a bus or taxi to the sights. Fast trains from Hangzhou West to Qiandao Lake take under an hour.

Qiandao Lake: boats leave from piers near Qiandaohu town. The Central Lake and Southeast Lake areas are the two main ones; boats stop at several islands and each area takes most of a day. Book ahead on holidays.

Around the lake: a lakeside road and cycle path circle Qiandao Lake, for driving or cycling.

Xin'an River: around Jiande the water comes from deep in Qiandao Lake and stays cool all year; on summer mornings and evenings mist often lies on the river.

Time: one or two days for Qiandao Lake; three or four days to follow the Fuchun and Xin'an rivers.

Season: spring and autumn are best; summer is hot, though Qiandao Lake and the Xin'an River are cooler. Qiandao Lake is crowded on holidays.

Nearby

Straight-line distances. Search nearby