Baofeng Lake
Name in Chinese: 宝峰湖 Bǎo Fēng Hú [bau fen hu:]
Duration of Tour: Two Hours
Location: Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie Prefecture, Hunan Province
Highlights: Gorgeous Lake View, the Tujia People’s Culture, Photography and Hiking
Reputations: a World Geo-park, a World Natural Heritage Site, a Five-star Scenic Area
Baofeng Lake is a component of the world natural heritage site, Wulingyuan. It is a photographer’s dream. The lake is surrounded by cliffs, looking like a mirror with emerald rim. Waterfalls cascade down the cliffs into the lake. Hills are covered by dense forest in which birds are singing. Some local singers stand on their fishing boats singing too. Baofeng Lake is a wonderland that can not be found elsewhere in the world.
Baofeng Lake has been designated as a five-star scenic area since 2006. The scenic area is situated in Suoxiyu Nature Reserve. It covers an area of 273 hectares(675 acres). The must-see sightseeing spots in the scenic area include Baofeng Lake, Baofeng Waterfall and Yingwo Village.
The lake is 72 meters(236 feet) in depth and measures 30 hectares(74 acres). The cliffs rise sheer above the lake. The cliffs and some rocks in the lake are in various shapes, for example, the Camel Cliff, the Hawk-Beak Cliff and the Turtle-like Rock.
The water of the lake is discharged into a river through Baofeng Waterfall. The waterfall is located near the entrance of the scenic area. It cascades down with a forty-meter(131-foot) drop.
Yingwo Village used to be a nest of brigands in ancient times. It is situated on a precipitous cliff, hidden by trees and shrubs. The name of the village, Yingwo means a hawk’s nest in English. A path lies between sheer cliffs leading to the village. There is only a narrow gap between the cliffs. Therefore, walkers can only see a narrow beam of light above the cliffs when they look up. The path is called “Yi-Xian-Tian” by the locals, meaning “a long and narrow strip of sky”.
Travel Tips:
How to Get to Baofeng Lake
Baofeng Lake lies about 35 kilometers(22 miles) to the northeast of downtown Zhangjiajie. Tourists can fly to Zhangjiajie from major cities within Mainland China, such as, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an and Guangzhou. Some of the tourists also travel to Zhangjiajie by car from the Three-Gorge Dam which is located in Yichang, Hubei Province.
How to Visit Baofeng Lake
Some of the sightseeing spots are located along a road in the scenic area. Visitors can ride garden buggies to each of them. However, some spots are only accessible by foot, for example, Yingwo Village. It is highly recommended to take a boat on the lake, instead of hiking to the village.
Weather
Zhangjiajie Prefecture has a humid semi-tropical climate with distinct four seasons. The average temperature in Zhangjiajie ranges from 6℃(42.8°F) to 14℃(57.2°F) in spring, 19℃(66.2°F) to 28℃(82.4°F) in summer, 24℃(75.2°F) to 33℃(91.4°F) in autumn and 10℃(50°F) to 18℃(64.4°F) in winter. The best time to travel to Zhangjiajie is between April and October.
Photography Tips
A tripod, a filter, telephoto lenses and wide angle lenses are needed. Please do not miss the photographic golden hour at the lake. The opening hours of the scenic area lasts from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. between April and November.
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Author: Tina Luo
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