Qiandaohu - Lake of a Thousand Islands

Renowned for its crystal clear water, Qiandaohu or Thousand Island Lake (Chinese: 千島湖) is an artificial lake located in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. It appeared here relatively recently - in 1959, after the construction of a hydroelectric power station.

The lake got its name for a reason - there are 1078 islands here. At the same time, 81% of the island territory is covered with forests - the zone of unusually beautiful islands on the lake and around it is the largest forest park in China, where 90 species of birds and about 60 species of wild animals live.

Qiandaohu Lake is an artificial lake that appeared in the late 1950s as a result of damming a river to build a hydroelectric power station.

The first hydroelectric power station in China was built here. Peasants from 1,377 villages were resettled here, 20 thousand hectares of arable land disappeared at the bottom of a lake with an area of 573 square kilometers and 1,078 islands.

The water is so clear that even in the deepest places you can see the bottom.

The total area of the lake is 573 km², the volume is 17.8 km³. The total area of the islands is about 86 km².

The total area of the lake area is 573 square kilometers, which is the largest freshwater lake in eastern China.

The lake is an important tourist attraction in Zhejiang Province.

There are 90 species of birds and about 60 species of wild animals living on Qiandaohu Lake. Also, each of the islands has its own attractions and its own name, for example, on Castle Island there is a castle museum.

The surrounding hills offer a stunning panorama of the lake.

Qiandaohu is famous for its pure water, which is even the basis for the Chinese mineral water brand Nongfu Spring.

Amazingly, at the bottom of Qiandaohu Lake are the ruins of a mysterious ancient city with a thousand-year history.

In 2002, two ancient cities were discovered under the lake, estimated to be 1,800 years old.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the counties of Chun'an and Sui'an were located here, which were flooded when the reservoir was created.

During the dives, the city of Sui'an was found and explored, the buildings of which were preserved in good condition.