Qiandao Lake
| Qiandao Lake | |
|---|---|
 Thousand Island Lake or Qiandao Lake taken from atop a bell tower |
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| Location | Chun'an County, Zhejiang |
| Coordinates | 29°36′33″N 118°59′24″E / 29.60917°N 118.99000°ECoordinates: 29°36′33″N 118°59′24″E / 29.60917°N 118.99000°E |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | China |
| Surface area | 573 km² |
| Average depth | 26 m |
| Max. depth | 120 m |
| Water volume | 17.8 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 108 m |
| Islands | 1078 |
Qiandao Lake (Chinese: 千島湖, lit. Thousand Island Lake), a man-made lake located in Chun'an County, Zhejiang, China, formed after the completion of the Xin'an River hydroelectric station. 1,078 large islands dot the lake and a few thousand smaller ones are scattered across it. The lake covers an area of 573 km² and has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³. The islands in the lake cover about 86 km².
Qiandao Lake, known for its clear, and sometimes drinkable water, is used to produce the renowned Nongfu Spring brand of mineral water. It is also home to lush forests (over 90%), and exotic islands. Its more popular attractions include Bird Island, Snake Island, Monkey Island, Lock Island (featuring supposedly the world's biggest lock), and the Island to Remind You of Your Childhood.
The lake gives Zhejiang an important tourist attraction. Newer housing developments have sprung up since the late 1990s at a reasonable cost to buyers looking for lakeside residences.
The dam creating the lake is located at 29°29′01″N 119°12′48″E / 29.48361°N 119.21333°E and is 105 m (344 ft) tall with a crest length of 466.5 m (1,531 ft). Xin'an Dam was the first dam constructed in China with a height greater than 100 m (328 ft) and its power plant has an installed capacity of 845 MW.[1]
History
The valley was flooded in 1959 to create the lake for the Xin'an River Dam project.
At the foot of Wu Shi Mountain (or "Five Lion" Mountain) lies an ancient city known as Shi Cheng ("Lion City"). It was built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 200) and was first set up as a county in AD 208. This city acquired the name "Shi Cheng" from nearby Wu Shi Mountain, which is located just behind the city. At present Shi Cheng remains undisturbed at a depth of 26-40m. Big Blue, a dive operator based in Shanghai, runs year-round weekend trips twice a month to Qiandao Lake and has begun exploration of this submerged city.
In 1994, in a tragic event since named the Qiandao Lake Incident, three hijackers boarded a boat full of tourists and set it on fire, killing all 32 passengers on board. The passengers were mainly tourists from Taiwan.
In 2007, a Chinese-Italian consortium began planning the construction of a prototype of an archimedes bridge across the lake. The bridge is expected to span 100m, as a proof-of-concept for larger bridges.
Transport
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This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. (September 2012) |
There are hourly buses that connect Qiandao Lake with the provincial capital, Hangzhou, under which it is technically under jurisdiction. A railway development project to the area was ceased as it was considered damaging to the natural sights of Qiandao Lake. An expressway links Hangzhou, Qiandao Lake, and Huangshan, Anhui.
See also
- Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd., a company named after the lake, next to which its headquarters and brewery are located.
- Nongfu Spring (农夫山泉), Chinese mineral water company based in the area.
References
- ^ "Xin’anjiang Hydropower Station". eTeacher Group Ltd. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
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