Qiandao Lake
Encyclopedia
Qiandao Lake is a man-made lake located in Chun'an County
, Zhejiang
, China
, formed since the completion of the Xin'an River hydroelectric station. There are 1,078 large islands in the lake and a few thousand smaller ones. It covers an area of 573 km² and has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³. The total area of the islands in the lake is about 86 km².
Qiandao Lake is known for its clear, and sometimes drinkable water, such as that used to produce the renowned Nongfu Spring brand of mineral water
. It is also home to lush forestation (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 Island to Remind You of Your Childhood.
The lake is an important tourist attraction of Zhejiang. 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 and is 105 m (344 ft) tall with a crest length of 466.5 m (1,531 ft). It 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.
At the foot of the Wu Shi mountain (Five Lion Mountain) lays an ancient city known as Shi Cheng (Lions City), built in Dong Han period (25 - 200), first was setup as county in 208, it was named "Lion City" because of the Five Lion Mountain that sits just behind the city. The city remains undisturbed from the surface at a depth of 26-40m, Big Blue dive operator based in Shanghai, runs weekend trips twice a month throughout the year to the city and has started to uncover parts of the lost city.
In 1994, three bandits raided a boat and set it on fire, killing all 32 passengers on board, mainly Taiwan
ese tourists, in a notorious event named the Qiandao Lake Incident
.
In 2007, a Chinese-Italian consortium started to plan the construction of a prototype of an archimedes bridge
in the lake, spanning 100 m, as a proof-of-concept for larger bridges.
, 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 will be linking Hangzhou, Qiandao Lake, and Huangshan
, Anhui
by 2008.
Chun'an County
Chun'an County is a county under charge of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province of China. It has a land area of 4,452 square kilometers and a population of 450,000...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, formed since the completion of the Xin'an River hydroelectric station. There are 1,078 large islands in the lake and a few thousand smaller ones. It covers an area of 573 km² and has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³. The total area of the islands in the lake is about 86 km².
Qiandao Lake is known for its clear, and sometimes drinkable water, such as that used to produce the renowned Nongfu Spring brand of mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
. It is also home to lush forestation (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 Island to Remind You of Your Childhood.
The lake is an important tourist attraction of Zhejiang. 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 and is 105 m (344 ft) tall with a crest length of 466.5 m (1,531 ft). It 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.
History
The valley was flooded in 1959 to create the lake for the Xin'an River Dam project.In 1994, three bandits raided a boat and set it on fire, killing all 32 passengers on board, mainly Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese tourists, in a notorious event named the Qiandao Lake Incident
Qiandao Lake Incident
The Qiandao Lake Incident refers to the 1994 kidnap and murder of Taiwanese tourists and local guides and staff in the Qiandao Lake scenic area, in Zhejiang, People's Republic of China...
.
In 2007, a Chinese-Italian consortium started to plan the construction of a prototype of an archimedes bridge
Archimedes bridge
A Submerged Floating Tunnel, or SFT is a tunnel that floats in water, supported by its buoyancy ....
in the lake, spanning 100 m, as a proof-of-concept for larger bridges.
Transport
There are hourly buses that connect Qiandao Lake with the provincial capital, HangzhouHangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, 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 will be linking Hangzhou, Qiandao Lake, and Huangshan
Huangshan
Huangshan may refer to:*Huangshan , a scenic mountain range and UNESCO World Heritage Site*Huangshan City, a prefecture-level city centered on the Huangshan Mountains...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
by 2008.
See also
- Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd.Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd.Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd. is a brewery located in the town of Qiandaohu, in Chun'an County, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It produces several brands of beer, including Cheerday....
, a company named after the lake, next to which its headquarters and brewery are located. - Nongfu Spring (农夫山泉), Chinese mineral waterMineral waterMineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
company based in the area.