In January, the northern country is already a world of ice and snow, but Guizhou, which is located in the hinterland of the southwest inland, still has warm weather, flowers are still in full bloom, and there are beautiful mountains and rivers everywhere. Among them, Wanfeng Lake in Xingyi City, Guizhou Province is a tourist destination I yearn for. Finally in the winter of January, I embarked on the journey to Wanfeng Lake.
Xingyi City, the capital of the prefecture-level administrative region of Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou Province, is located at the junction of Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. Xingyi has a well-developed karst landform, the usual karst landform, and its main features are many karst caves and tiankeng fissures. However, the karst landform of Xingyi City is the opposite. Countless large and small "cone-shaped mountains" grow on the flat land. The peaks form forests, and the forest of ten thousand peaks is the symbol of Xingyi.
The Nanpan River, which runs across Xingyi, zigzags through peaks and forests. The Tianshengqiao first-class power station dam built in 2000 cut off the original Nanpan River in the middle. After the dam was impounded, a large lake was born. The lake has a surface area of 176 square kilometers and a water storage capacity of 10.26 billion cubic meters, which is equivalent to the area of 76 West Lakes in Hangzhou. Because the lake is surrounded by peak forests, the lake is called "Wanfeng Lake".
The surrounding area of Wanfeng Lake is surrounded by the three provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi respectively. But the best place to enjoy Wanfeng Lake is Xingyi City in Guizhou, where there is a national 4A-level Wanfeng Lake scenic spot. Starting from downtown Xingyi, it takes about an hour to drive to Hongchun Wharf in Wanfeng Lake Scenic Area. When you are about to enter Wanfeng Lake in the depths of the peak forest, the road is basically a winding road all the way, which is not too dangerous, but you have to be careful when driving.
Wanfeng Lake does not require tickets. You can stop and go along the lake, or drive into the parking lot on the roadside at will. Most parking lots are unattended and do not require parking fees. Then you can walk to the corner of the lake to see the scenery. Of course, to go to Wanfeng Lake, you must go to Hongchun Wharf, because here you can take a cruise to enjoy Wanfeng Lake.
Wanfeng Lake Scenic Area is dominated by the inner lake landscape of Hongchunpo Yangkou, with a landscape area of 50 square kilometers. Its main scenic spots include Hongchun Wharf, Jilong Fort, Poyang Lake Mouth of Maling River, and Buyi Cottage on the Water, etc. The pier is composed of dozens of steps. In winter, due to the dry season, the steps need to go down; in the rainy season, the lake water rises, and the steps on the pier will be much less.
The cruise ships on Wanfeng Lake belong to the sightseeing type. The cockpit is on the first floor, and the second floor is an open-air viewing deck. People can climb up to sightseeing at will. Even in winter, the temperature of Wanfeng Lake during the day is around 20 degrees. When you go up to the second deck, you don’t feel cold at all, but it’s more comfortable than sitting in the cabin.
The cruise ship departs from the pier and will circle clockwise along the "cone-shaped mountain" on the shore. The sharp hills on the shore are reflected in the blue water of the lake. When the boat passes by, the reflection will be cut into pieces by the blue waves, and then circle after circle of ripples will rise. The peaks and forests in winter are still full of green, the mountains are blue, the water and the sky are blue, and you feel comfortable at a glance.
In the entire Wanfeng Lake, there are 30 small islands protruding from the lake. In the past, these small islands were all cone-shaped mountains on flat ground. There are also 58 peninsulas connected to the shore of the lake. These peninsulas have become good places for "wild fishing". Wanfeng Lake is the largest wild fishing place in China. Many people who like to fish even drive hundreds of miles to Wanfeng Lake to fish. Every year, Wanfeng Lake Scenic Area will hold a large-scale fishing competition to attract more people to Wanfeng Lake.
When the cruise ship comes to the "Swan Castle" in Wanfeng Lake, it will start to turn back. Swan Castle, built on the peninsula by the lake, the Western-style church steeple building, with red tiles and white walls reflected in the lake, will amaze tourists. It is said that Swan Castle is a resort-style hotel. If you can stay there for a few days, the beauty of Wanfeng Lake will definitely make people experience more deeply.
After the boat turns back, it is necessary to enter a canyon called "Little Three Gorges" in Wanfeng Lake to continue the tour. In this canyon, the two sides of the canyon are the same mountain walls that have been cut by a knife and axe, standing straight on the lake. At the narrowest part of the canyon, only one ship can pass. The wide place is like a small lake, and the scenery is like the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, but the water flow is not fast. It is said that the water here is the deepest in Wanfeng Lake.
The local people of Wanfeng Lake said that when looking at Wanfeng Lake, there are three views in one day, that is, the views in the morning, middle and evening are different. It's a pity that due to time constraints, we couldn't stay in Wanfeng Lake for a few more days. After the cruise ship docked, we hurriedly bid farewell to Wanfeng Lake. I want to say to the beautiful Wanfeng Lake that I will come back eventually. About the author: Lu Jianhua Photography (photographer, traveler, self-media person)