[2025 Dongzhi Attraction] Travel Guide for Shengjin Lake (Updated Apr)

Departing from Hefei Airport by rental car via Tongling-Chizhou-Anqing Sanhe Ancient Town is another reconstructed ancient town similar to many others. Entry is free, but separate tickets are required for memorial halls and former residences. Package tickets are available at the entrance. Datong Ancient Town Scenic Area, about a 40-minute drive away, truly embodies what an ancient town should be in my opinion. You need to take a ferry to enter and exit the town. There are no cars, only electric tricycles. Few residents remain, with most houses collapsed or abandoned. Only a few elderly residents still make their living by fishing in the Yangtze River. It was raining all day, and walking through the quiet town with barely anyone in sight felt wonderful and peaceful. Along the drive, the roadside rape flowers are in full bloom this season, creating a beautiful golden landscape. Chizhou is a very small city that combines the style and climate of both Jiangnan and Huainan regions. It's particularly pleasant when there's a light rain. Jindizang Temple, located at the foot of Qi Mountain in the northeast of the city, is a newly built temple currently under renovation. It's an exquisite place where locals come to worship. Navigate to Pingtian Lake National Wetland Park and you can drive through the entire scenic area. You'll pass by the popular "Sky Road on Water," though without a drone you won't be able to capture its true beauty. The drive offers lovely views with plenty of spots to stop along the way. The only downside was the weather. You can drive across Pingtian Lake, which brings you back near Jindizang Temple. It's less than an hour's drive from Chizhou to Anqing. Anqing is much more prosperous than Chizhou. The first stop was Yingjiang Temple and Zhenfeng Tower along the Yangtze River embankment. Admission is CNY 10. There is roadside parking but spaces are limited, so taking a taxi or public transportation is recommended. Not far from Yingjiang Temple is the historic Anqing No. 9 Dock Ferry Terminal. It costs CNY 4 per person (recently increased from CNY 3) for a one-way 10-minute trip, with ferries departing every 30 minutes. It has become an important transportation link between Anqing and Chizhou residents (as the Yangtze River Bridge toll is CNY 20 one-way). The ferry cabin only has benches by the windows, with the rest of the space reserved for electric bikes and tricycles. The strong diesel smell and passengers chatting and smoking in the cabin represent authentic local life. Daobaoshi Pedestrian Street is beautiful at night and gets crowded. It's nice to browse the shops here. Together with Guohuo Street, it forms a tourist commercial district that's best visited in the evening. Lastly, the famous Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve in Anhui is not a tourist attraction but a pure nature reserve. There are small villages by the lake with narrow roads. If the weather is good, it's worth visiting for the beautiful scenery. However, if the weather is poor, it's best to skip it.

Shengjin Lake Nature Reserve, also known as Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve, is described in detail below: Overview - Location: Located in Chizhou City, southern Anhui Province, bordering the Yangtze River, at the junction of Dongzhi County and Guichi District. The reserve is centered around Shengjin Lake, extending approximately 2.5 km outwards along the shore. - Area: The total area is 33,340 hectares, including a core area of 10,150 hectares, a buffer zone of 10,300 hectares, and an experimental area of 12,890 hectares. - History: In 1986, the Anhui Provincial Government approved the establishment of the Shengjin Lake Waterfowl Nature Reserve. In 1997, the State Council approved the establishment of the Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve. Natural Ecology - Wetland Ecology: The water source of Shengjin Lake mainly comes from surface runoff, Zhangxi River, Tangtian River, etc., with a water surface area of 1548.1 km². It is a transient lake with excellent water quality. Water chemical analysis shows that the lake water has a high calcium content, and the total nitrogen, silicate, phosphorus, and iron content are within the normal range, suitable for the growth of a variety of aquatic plants and animals. - Biological Resources: There are 27 species of phytoplankton and 125 species of aquatic vascular plants in the reserve, including nationally protected wild plants such as wild soybean, lotus, wild water chestnut, and water fern. There are 13 species of zooplankton, 23 species of benthos, 62 species of fish, 8 species of amphibians, 13 species of reptiles, 175 species of birds, and 32 species of mammals. Avian Resources - Species and Quantity: There are 142 bird species, including 66 wintering migratory birds. Five species are under first-class national protection, including the white-naped crane, Siberian crane, and black stork. Sixteen species are under second-class national protection, including the hooded crane and Bewick's swan. - Bird Habitat: It is one of the most important wintering grounds for cranes, storks, geese, ducks, and shorebirds in the Asia-Pacific region. It is also the largest wintering population of white-naped cranes in China and the habitat for 1/10 of the world's oriental white stork wintering population. The number of bean geese wintering here reaches about 30,000, accounting for 1/2-1/3 of the total global bean goose population. Conservation Measures - Management: In 2000, Chizhou City established the "Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve Management Committee" and the Management Bureau, responsible for the management and coordination of the reserve, and equipped with professional and technical management personnel. - Smart Supervision: At the end of September 2022, the Shengjin Lake Smart Supervision Platform, with an investment of nearly 20 million yuan, was put into use. Multiple high-definition PTZ cameras, dome cameras, panoramic cameras, and thermal imaging cameras were installed along the shoreline, realizing intelligent monitoring and management of the reserve.

Shengjin Lake is a famous freshwater lake in Anhui Province, China, located on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, spanning Guichi District and Dongzhi County. The lake covers an area of 132.8 square kilometers and is one of the important wintering grounds for rare migratory birds. Shengjin Lake is known as the lake of "rising gold value of daily fish production" due to its rich aquatic biological resources and beautiful natural scenery. Shengjin Lake is a shallow freshwater lake, formed by the connection of Xiaobai Lake, Shengjin Lake, and Huangpen Lake. The lake water comes from Zhangxi River and Tanbu River, and is connected to the Yangtze River through a waterway. The water level of the lake rises and falls with the water level of the river, with the water level reaching 2.5 to 3 meters in summer, and the water level drops in autumn and early winter, exposing large areas of marshland, grass beaches, and mudflats. The climate of Shengjin Lake is mild, with an average annual temperature of 16.5 degrees Celsius and a frost-free period of about 240 days. The annual average precipitation is 1517.8 mm, with the rainy season mainly from April to June, and the winter is relatively dry. The reserve has 55 species of aquatic and water-rich vascular plants, including Euryale, goldfish algae, bitter grass, water chestnut, bamboo leaf eye vegetable, moss grass, small leaf star shrink vegetable, etc. The lake area is rich in fish resources, including carp, crucian carp, catfish, green fish, grass carp, white carp, etc. In addition, there are 18 kinds of mollusks in the lake, such as Chinese round field snails, pleated crown clams, etc. Shengjin Lake is the only national nature reserve in Anhui Province with rare wintering water birds and their habitats as the main protected objects. There are 142 species of birds, including 66 species of wintering migratory birds. There are 5 species of birds under national first-class protection, including white-headed cranes, white cranes, black storks, etc., and 16 species of birds under national second-class protection, including white-crowned cranes, small swans, etc. Shengjin Lake has also seen the endangered animal Yangtze alligator. Shengjin Lake was listed as a national key waterfowl nature reserve in 1986, included in the "List of Important Wetlands in Asia" in 1988, and included in the "List of Important Wetlands in the World" on December 25, 2015, becoming the first nature reserve in Anhui Province to win an international title. This lake is not only a habitat for rare migratory birds, but also a symbol of the increasingly good ecological environment, showing rich animal and plant resources.