Chinese name: 宝峰湖 (Bao Feng Hu)
Location: The Baofeng Lake is located on the south side of Suoxiyu Village, Wulinyuan District, Zhangjiajie city.
Opening time: 06:30-18:00 (entrance fee: RMB 74 yuan.)
Best time for a visit: Spring
Recommended time for a visit: 2-3 hours
How to get there:
- Tourism Bus: Take the shuttle bus at the Zhangjiejie bus station to Wuling yuan town (武陵源), the ticket fee is about RMB10 yuan, and the driving time is about 40 minutes.
- Taxi: After arriving Wuling yuan, take a taxi to the entrance gate of the Beofeng Lake. Or get off from the mentioned shuttle bus at the turnplate of Wuling yuan, then walk for about 10 minutes to the scenic area.
Introduction of the Baofeng Lake:
It is a natural attraction and recommended for a visit if you like taking photos. The scenic area was firstly developed by chance: It was a peaceful gorge many years ago and the local people built a reservoir (72 meters tall) within the rocks, only with the purpose of storing water for irrigation. People never expected that after the project, a beautiful scenery was created and now has become the famed Baofeng Lake. The well-known TV series 'a Journey to the West' (first version) was once shoot here.
Baofeng Lake is an artificial lake created by blocking gorge and building dam. The shape of the lake is a square, with a length of 2.5 kilometers and a width ranged from 200 to 1000 meters. The average depth of the water is 72 meters. The water of the Baofeng Lake is absolutely clean and without pollutions as it is an alpine lake. Looking down at the lake from the hills, the lake is like a Jade surrounded in the mountains. Sailing to the centre island on the green lake, boarding on the lakeshore for a visit to the stockade village of the Eagle’s nest (Yingwo Zhai) becomes a agreeable experience for tourists.
Baofeng lake not only attracts the tourists all over the world but also attracts the natural animals. Every October of the Lunar calendar, a mass of Yuanyang bird (mandarin duck) will fly to the lake from the north to avoid the chilly winter. The birds would like to choose here as their habitat as the water in the lake is of high quality and the water temperature is warm; the lake will not freeze in the winter. The three islands in the lake center are called the island for the mandarin ducks.
Introduction of the Baofeng Lake:
Top attractions in the Baofeng Lake scenic area:
- The Baofeng Waterfall (宝峰飞瀑): The water fall is located right in front of the entrance gate, flying down from one hundred meters above with a thunderous sound and is regarded as an attraction of spectacularity.
There are over 20 famous attractions in the Baofeng Lake scenic areas including the mentioned Baofeng Waterfall, a Thread of Sky (Yi xian tian 一线天), a plank road built along the face of a cliff named the Cloudy Cliff Plank Road (Yun ya zhan dao 云崖栈道 ) , the Stockade Village of the Eagle’s Nest (Ying wo zhai, 鹰窝寨), the South Sea, etc. The Stockade Village built on the mountain is over 1000 meters’ height; therefore it was named as the nest of the eagles. An ancient temple was built there; it is a mysterious place for the devout men and women.
Cruise Ship Experience at the Baofeng Lake:
The entrance fee for the scenic area includes the cruise tickets and entrance ticket fee will cost you RMB110 yuan, visitors need taking a cruise ship visiting Baofeng lake. The most impressing thing tourist may see during the cruise is the local girl’s singing of the folk song, you can sing with them. The cruise is the highlight of the visiting of the lake. Guest may also pay extra fee to see the shows in the scenic area, including the evening shows.