Three Forks Lake

(www.chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2012-01-16

The Three Forks Lake is located in the eastern foot of Longquan Mountain at the western rim of Jianyang and is about 40 kilometers northwest of Chengdu.

Visitors from Chengdu may reach the lake via the South Renmin Road, the Hejiang town of Shuangliu county, or through a mountain tunnel.

The 27 square kilometer lake retains 227 million cubic meters of water from the Dujiangyan irrigation system. It is three times the size of the West Lake of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The wide expanse of mist-covered waters contains 113 islets and 160 peninsulas. It has 240 kilometers of winding lake shorelines. The mountains, lakes and islets enhance each other’s beauty.

The islets are shaded with flowers and trees and waterfowls perch in groves. The lake is surrounded with cliffs and secluded valleys, a grand sight of landscapes.

The lake enables urbanites to return to the natural ecological hills of central Sichuan.

It receives sufficient rainfall and has a pleasant climate. The beautiful lake with clear water looks like a giant jasper coral when seen from hills. The lakes wind in the southwestern part and are overshadowed by ranges of hills in the northwestern corner.

The eastern bank has 19 sections of long beach that decorate the lake landscape. On winter and spring days, the islets are inhabited by thousands of waterfowls that brim with vitality.