Red Maple Lake in Qingzhen County is a vast body of water a half hour's drive from Guiyang. Almost 10 times larger than the famous West Lake in Hangzhou, at an area of 57.2 sq km. It is the largest artificial lake on the Guizhou Plateau.
Red Maple Lake was built in 1958 after the establishment of a power station. The lake gets its name from the dense population of red maple trees surrounding it that blaze red in late autumn.
Scattered throughout the lake are 178 islands, some of which resemble huge reefs, while others are just small rocky outcrops. Adjacent to the lake stands a Dong Drum Tower with a roofed bridge leading away from its front and the Miao Village Museum opposite. A cluster of ethnic villages near the lake includes the newly built Buyi Village, Fengye (Red Maple Leaves) Villa and Golden-Dream Garden that combine to form sweeping garden not far from the Drum Tower.
Red Maple Lake is divided into four parts, the North, the Middle, the South and the Rear Lakes. The North Lake is known for its islands like Bird Isle, Snake Isle and Turtle Isle. The lake's surrounds also are scattered with tombs. An old military site of a king of the Miao people in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664), along with Han tombs dating back to 250 B.C. are popular with history buffs. The South Lake is famous for its karst caves, among them the General's Cave, the fishing Cave, the Underground Cave and the Big Mouth Cave. The General's Cave has such a high volume of water that you have to take a boat to explore this 1400-m-long cave and enjoy exquisite natural formations while listening to fascinating legends from your tour guide. The Middle Lake, which connects the North Lake to the South Lake, is surrounded by precipitous mountains and covered with dense pine and cypress trees. |
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