Qiandao Lake, or The Thousand Island Lake, is about three hours from Shanghai, and a great getaway if you want to enjoy beautiful scenery, fresh air, and good food. I teamed up with Pannabai, a travel blogger in China, to view the area and enjoy the sights.
Due to the construction of a hydraulic dam, the lake was created by flooding a city, Shicheng, known as the Lion City. Underwater, the town still remains, pristinely maintained due to the fresh, still water and dark conditions. One Shanghai diving company runs diving tours underwater.
Just beside the lake is an entire replica of the Lion City, including the city’s intricate gate, dating back to the Han Dynasty. The replica village is bustling with activity, from a colorful shadow puppet show to a heart-pounding lion dancing performance where the drummers pound on their instruments and the two men wearing a lion costume jump from stilt to stilt in unison. Walk twenty meters more and a group of musicians are performing traditional Chinese opera next to a vendor selling the regional delicacy: stinky tofu.
The same day we visited the replica Lion Town next to Qiandao Lake, we drove about 45 minutes away to visit QinChuan Village, where residents still wash their clothes in the creek that runs through the middle of town. Ducks and chicken stroll through the shallow stream and many of the residents were busy preparing meals for the evening.The streets are too narrow for cars, and stone bridges connect the two sides along the stream.
Many of the buildings show years of decay. That’s because some of them were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties! The village is truly living history, and a huge contrast to the newly constructed Lion Town replica we saw earlier that afternoon.
Of course the highlight of my trip to Hangzhou was a cruise along the Thousand Island Lakes. Beautiful blue water, sunny skies, green islands, a cool breeze. Oh, and great company.
At one point, a friend pulled out his portable speaker and the boat turned into a party. When My Hear Will Go On came on, we took turns doing our best Rose/Jack impressions at the front of the boat. :)
After our tour of the Lion Town the previous day, the cruise made me wonder at the beauty of the lake above, and what mysteries and treasures were lying below the water’s surface.
Along different stops on various islands, you can feed gigantic karp, see museum exhibits, do some zip-lining, ride a chair lift, and of course take panoramic photos. For meals around the Thousand Islands, I recommend taking a seat by the waterfront and eating some local fish dishes — delicious!
When we were done with our cruise, we cycled along the water’s edge, finished up our meal, and wrote postcards to the friends we made on our trip. A great weekend, and a wonderful getaway from Shanghai!
