The evening breeze blows over mountains and lakes, spreading the warmth of Qiandao Lake in the air.
At that moment, you’ll feel that Qiandao Lake is small, so small that a scooter can carry you from the south to the north of the city. But sometimes, you’ll feel that Qiandao Lake is large because it carries the dreams of hundreds of thousands.
People stay in this small city that they are sentimentally attached to for different reasons. Some choose to stay because of its breathtaking mountain and water scenery, while others do so because of its style, the fascinating charm exuding from the unique culture of the city.
The reason why I choose to stay is perhaps that Qiandao Lake is a place with warmth, height, depth, and speed.
The Warmth of Qiandao Lake
How many degrees Celsius should the temperature of a city be?
The warmth of Qiandao Lake lies in each square meter of the land that you have walked on, each kind of scenery that you have seen, each person that you have met, each bite of food that you have taken, and every detail whether silent or voiced in Qiandao Lake.
17℃
The Annual Average Temperature of Qiandao Lake
The annual average temperature of Qiandao Lake is 17 degrees Celsius and it has 1,078 green islands.
The green of Qiandao Lake presents different types of shades. They are well-arranged, secluded, and beautiful. The green permeates the mountains, lake water, forests, and islands.
80 ℃
The Taste of Qiandao Lake
The warmth of a city should be more than just about the mountains and water. It should also be about the people and the city itself. Cooked at around 80 degrees Celsius, the delicacies in Qiandao Lake are to awaken your taste buds.
Qiandao Lake Fish Head, Thick Rice Soup (pinyin: mi geng; simplified Chinese: 米羹), Corn Cake (Pinyin: yu mi guo; simplified Chinese: 玉米馃), Immortal Tofu (pinyin: shen xian dou fu; simplified Chinese: 神仙豆腐), Hot Pot (pinyin: nuan wan; simplified Chinese: 暖碗)... Each of these special foods shows the attitudes of Qiandao people towards life, and each of these tastes ignites Qiandao people’s passion and hope for life.
The Height of Qiandao Lake
Every time I travel to a new city, I’d like to overlook the city from high.
While Qiandao Lake, this familiar city, presents a different charm when viewed from high.
1,450.8 Meters
The Height of Jinzi Peak
The Jinzi Peak (金紫尖) has a height of 1450.8 meters and is surrounded by many peaks. The county annals stated that because "the peak shows gold and purple colors in the bright sunshine", hence the name Jinzi (gold and purple). The peaks and ridges are continuous, with great disparity in elevation. The lowest point is the Qingshan Pavilion (青山亭) in Ganping Village (甘坪村), Wangfu Township (王阜乡). At the top of the mountain, one can have a panoramic view of Qiandao Lake, which is truly spectacular.
1,486 Meters
The Height of Qianniu Mountain
Qianniu Mountain (牵牛岗), the northernmost part of Chun'an County, is 1,486 meters above sea level. Because of its outstanding height, the scenery along the way is different from that at the mountain foot and shows the colors of high mountains. It is an excellent resort for hiking, cycling, self-driving, and enjoying the sunrise and sunset.
1,523 Meters
The Height of the Moxinjian
Moxinjian (磨心尖) is the highest peak in Chun'an County, with a height of 1,523 meters. It is named after the shape of the mountain tip and is the main peak of the Qianligang Mountains (千里岗山脉). It offers unique scenery along the way, especially the good camping environment on the top of the mountain, which is an ideal place to watch the sea of clouds and the sunrise.
The Depth of Qiandao Lake
Qiandao Lake has a long history and splendid culture.
Whether it’s the heavy and profound history and culture, or the mountains and rivers full of poetic images, all show the temperament and charm of Qiandao Lake culture.
Over-500-Year-Old
Fenkou Straw Dragon, a Unique Business Card for Local Rural Tourism
The over-500-year-old Fenkou Straw Dragon is the province's intangible cultural heritage, and the custom of dragon dancing in Chichuankou Village (赤川口村) has been passed down from generation to generation and has never been interrupted for over five hundred years.
600-Year-Old
Weiping “Red Girl”, the Best of Its Kind
Weiping (威坪) has a special kind of persimmon that is called "Red Girl (红姑娘)". The soil, climate, and other conditions in Weiping are very suitable for the cultivation of seedless persimmons, and "Red Girl" has 600 years of cultivation history. In Qiduyuan of Weiping (威坪七都源), you can also see many millstone-shaped persimmon trees that are more than 100 years old. The seedless persimmons on these ancient persimmon trees are made into dried persimmons. They taste very delicious.
800-Year-Old
Qinchuan Ancient Village, an Ancient Hui-Style Building in the Ming and Qing Dynasties
The Qinchuan Ancient Village (芹川古村) is a typical Hui-style ancient village. Most of the buildings in the village are built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The stream runs through the village and divides the village into two. Therefore, what the village has the most are all kinds of small bridges. The landscape of “water flowing under little bridges and residential houses standing by water” instantly pulls people away from the cumbersome urban life. The leisurely Jiangnan ancient style of life is fascinating.
Over-1300-Year-Old
Fuwen Local Liquor, the Accumulation of History and Craftsmanship
The craftsmanship of Fuwen Local Liquor (富文土烧酒) originated in the Tang Dynasty and has been passed down for more than 1,300 years. As a county-level intangible cultural heritage project, the "Fuwen Local Liquor" technique relies on the Fangjiafan Winery (方家畈酒作坊) to actively transform the intangible cultural heritage into an industrial project. Fuwen Local Liquor is a special drink created by local people, and it has been there for hundreds of years.
The Speed of Qiandao Lake
The speed of Qiandao Lake is woven into the charm of Qiandao Lake.
The Speed of Qiandao Lake is a Ride.
The most beautiful 150-kilometer-long greenway around the lake passes through the countryside and over the mountains and forests. Matches such as marathon and cycling races around the lake are staged in turn, creating the reputation of "Qinghai Lake in the north and Qiandao Lake in the south".
The Speed of Qiandao Lake is a Kayak.
Qiandao Lake is a lake of sports and a glorious lake. One person with one oar in a boat charges forward with all his strength in the lake. He uses the perseverance and speed of an athlete to tell you: Sports needs to be done instead of being dreamed of.
The Speed of Qiandao Lake is a Swim.
The Qiandao Lake Open Water Swimming Open is a national key event introduced by Chun'an County in 2006. As of 2019, it has been held for 14 consecutive years and has been widely praised by swimmers both at home and abroad. The popularity and excitement accumulated in classic events for more than ten years is a show field for swimmers to struggle and compete.