Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake)

Location

Chun'an County, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

Stories and legends

The submergence of the lake-bottom old towns (Hecheng and Shicheng) is a real historical event; folk tales attached to the underwater cities are a separate matter.

History and context

In 1959 the Xin'an River Hydropower Station was completed and impounded the lake, covering about 573 square kilometres with an average depth of over 30 metres and high visibility (said to reach 7 metres or more on clear days). The two county towns of Chun'an and Sui'an (Shicheng and Hecheng) and more than 290,000 residents were relocated; the old city walls and streets are preserved underwater, and exploration reports in the 2010s drew wide attention. Visiting underwater is a matter for professional diving / scientific expeditions — ordinary visitors must not dive on their own. The lake's water meets the national Class I water-body standard and is an important drinking-water source for Hangzhou (the Qiandao Lake water-distribution project began supplying water in 2019).

Local life

Qiandao Lake's temperament is "the second life of a lake of migrants": old Chun'an people's memories of dialect, piers and the drowned towns overlap with the new lakeside resort hotels and the cycling greenway around the lake (a greenway network hundreds of kilometres long). Lake fish and beer (a Chun'an beer brand borrows the lake's name) are the standard of hospitality, and the trajectory of fishing families shifting from a catch economy to a sightseeing economy is plain to see.

Customs

Cycling around the lake, lure fishing (limited to licensed waters and seasons) and boat tours to the islands of the central lake area (climbing Meifeng Island for the panorama is the set piece) are the three main ways to enjoy it.

Beliefs

No specific religious association; its main cultural attributes are hydraulic-engineering history, migrant culture and water-source protection.

Local etiquette

Wild swimming, littering and illegal fishing are strictly forbidden in the water-source protection zone (the closed fishing season is strictly enforced); drones are restricted around some islands and the dam area; do not trust unlicensed "one-day dive to the underwater city" operations.

Visiting notes

Best on clear spring and autumn days (best visibility and cycling comfort); take the first boat to Meifeng Island to beat the groups; for a lake-view room, staying in the central-lake town is more convenient than remote resorts; Qiandao Lake high-speed-rail station has shuttle connections to the lake area.

What to eat nearby

Qiandao Lake fish head (organic fish head; Chunpai is a well-known geographical-indication product — fish head in a casserole with tofu); Chun'an rice soup (migeng); Anshang fenpi / corn cakes and other Chun'an snacks; lake fish (mandarin fish / white fish, in season); Qiandao Lake beer

The fish-restaurant quarter in Chun'an county town (Qiandaohu Town), the Qilong Lane snack street, and around the central-lake piers

Fish head is priced by weight and often served "one fish, two ways" (head soup + braised tail section) — agree on processing and total first; during the closed season some lake fish is farmed or brought in, so ask about origin when ordering

A fish-head meal 100–200 yuan (for reference only)

At fish-head restaurants, look for posted prices and public weighing; for cycling rentals, town shops are cheaper than hotels.