Hongfeng (Red Maple) Lake
As a national scenic resort, Hongfeng (Red Maple) Lake is found in the suburb of Qingzhen, 33 kilometers from Guiyang. Built in 1958, Hongfeng Lake is the largest man-made lake in Guizhou Plateau, covering an area of 57.2 sq. km., resulting from the construction of a hydro-electricity station dam. A lot of maple trees grow around the lake on the mountain, and the lake takes its name since these maple trees' leaves turn red every fall.
The 170 isles, the numerous caves, the clear water and the quiet bays are well known. Folklore of the Dong and Miao people are demonstrated in the resort. It falls into four differently featured parts: the North Lake with a vast expanse of blue water, the Middle Lake with narrow water and unique mountains, South Lake with multiplied mountains and double-backed streamsand the Rear Lake with dotted islets.
The North Lake is famous for its various islands such as Bird Island, Snake Island and Tortoise Island. Along the shore there is a historic complex of ancient tombs left by the Western Han Dynasty. The South Lake is noted for its caves, including the General's Cave, Fishing Cave and Underground Cave. The Rear Lake is renowned for its picturesque countryside. The roads along the shore offer opportunities for leisure walks to admire the beautiful scenery.
Hongfeng Lake can be appreciated at four different seasons. In spring, visitors may enjoy the blooming of the flowers; in summer, visitors may play with the clear and clean water; in autumn, the trees will display various colors; and in winter, flocks of birds will make it a good place to visit.
A folk culture village on the lake bank demonstrates the lifestyles of different ethnic groups and offers lively performances of song and dance, including a DiaoJiaolou (Miao traditional house), a Buyi flagstone house and a Dong drum tower that has a roofed bridge. The drum tower can be reached by boat. In accordance with village custom, visitors will get a warm welcome; they may taste many special ethnic foods and snacks there too. It will be such an interesting experience that they may be reluctant to leave.
Little Gorges Stone Forests, Snake Isle, Monkey Isle, Bonsai (potted landscapes) Hill and Jiangjun (General) Rend provide tourists with a profusion of sights adding attractiveness to the lake. At Jiangjun Bend, there are two karst caves: Fishing Cave, a dry cave falling into seven stereoscopic parts and Jiangjun cave, a water cave with a lake on which tourists can take a boat ride and see exquisite stalactites.
