Jingpo Lake

Background

Jingpo Lake lies in Ning'an City, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, on the upper reaches of the Mudan River. It stretches 45 km from north to south and is up to 6 km wide, covering about 95 square kilometres; long and winding, it is known as the "Hundred-Li Long Lake". About 10,000 years ago, lava from volcanic eruptions blocked the Mudan River and formed this lava-dammed lake. "Jingpo" means a lake like a mirror; its earlier names include Huhan Sea, and Qing-dynasty records also call it Bilten Lake ("lake" in Manchu). In 2006 Jingpo Lake was listed as a Global Geopark. Inside ancient volcanic craters northwest of the lake grows a primeval forest known as the "underground forest"; near the lake area there are also historic sites such as the ruins of Shangjing Longquanfu of the Bohai kingdom.

Local customs

• Take a boat on the lake to see Dagu Mountain, Xiaogu Mountain, Pearl Gate and others among the "Eight Views of Jingpo"
• watch the diving show at the Diaoshuilou Waterfall at the northern end
• visit the underground forest to see woods growing inside volcanic craters
• in winter, see the frozen waterfall and the activities on the ice.

Travel tips

• The scenic area is large, so allow a full day
• the lake is windy, so bring a windproof jacket. In summer the water is plentiful and the waterfall is at its most spectacular
• in winter the waterfall freezes into an icefall, and on-ice activities should stay within designated areas
• spring and autumn offer pleasant lake and mountain scenery.
• First travel to Mudanjiang City, then go by road to the Jingpo Lake scenic area
• buses to the scenic area leave from near Mudanjiang railway station, subject to local arrangements.