Qiandao Lake water carnival offers respite from the heat

By Lan Xiang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-22 11:46

Tourists throw water on each other during the Qiandao Lake carnival. Yang Zhuxiang

Qiandao - or Thousand Islands - Lake in Chun'an county of Hangzhou is renowned for its blue sky, surrounding lush mountains and crystal-clear water.

The 573-sq-km lake in Zhejiang province, 129 km from the center of Hangzhou, is also near several other tourism resorts: West Lake in Hangzhou, Taihu Lake on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, Huangshan Mountains in Anhui province and the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian.

The lake itself is famed for its more than 1,000 small islands. Its average water depth is 34 m with the visibility ranging from 9 to 12 m.

On the upper reaches of the Xin'an River, the lake is well-known for its ecology and stunning views. A town with the same name, Qiandao Lake, is located on a peninsula embraced by green hills and clear water and was honored as a "World Garden-like Town" in 2004 and "China's Best Preserved Ecological Town."

In hot weather, Qiandao Lake offers a summer retreat, a variety of water sports and its famed water carnival.

The Qiandao Water Park on Ostrich Island at the center of the lake is the main venue hosting various water sports.

Water sports like swimming, parasailing, boating, water cycling and fishing are all options for visitors from home and abroad.

The China Water Sports Training Base on the lake provides a facility for professional athletes. Two Olympic champions in 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Meng Guanliang and Yang Weijun, grew up in the town and trained at the base.

From July to September each year, the annual Water Carnival is held at the lake, where tourists and locals play in the water to sprinkle, throw and use water guns on each other, no matter if they are friends, acquaintances, or strangers.

Throngs of people carrying buckets of water or squirt guns gather together at the Xiushui Square, the major venue for the carnival.

When night falls, the carnival begins 8 pm, when all the lights are suddenly turned off.

Then the time to revel begins. People rush into the splashing area and slosh buckets of water on each other.

Entry to the carnival is free and services like bathing are provided.

The only thing the organizers want to tell the participants is that don't forget to bring extra clean clothes - in case you get soaked.

For more information, please contact:

Hangzhou China Travel Service:

Tel: 86-571-88398499,

13588476467 (24H)