Changshou Lake is located in Changshou District, Chongqing Municipality, 58 kilometers away from downtown Chongqing and 18 kilometers away from the urban area of Changshou. It is a national 4A-level scenic area and has been selected as one of Chongqing's Top 10 Tourist Resorts. Formed after the completion of the barrage dam of the Shizitan Hydropower Station, it is an artificial freshwater lake with a water area of 65.5 square kilometers (approximately 100,000 mu) and a storage capacity of 1 billion cubic meters, making it the largest artificial lake in southwest China. Within the scenic area, 203 islands of various shapes are scattered like stars, boasting unique natural resources renowned for its lake scenery, island shadows, fresh fish, and delicious fruits, as well as distinctive cultural resources.
History and Culture
Changshou Lake is one of the 156 key construction projects aided by the Soviet Union during China's "First Five-Year Plan" period. It was formed by damming the Longxi River for the construction of the Shizitan Hydropower Station, pioneering the cascade development in China's hydropower history. It has cultivated, nurtured, and provided a large number of construction and management talents for China's hydropower industry, and is known as the cradle of hydropower experts in New China. In the early 20th century, Marshal Liu Bocheng of the People's Republic recuperated by the shores of Changshou Lake after the bloody battle in Fengdu. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Party and state leaders such as Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Li Fuchun, and Li Xiannian all left their footprints here, forming a red culture represented by water conservancy.
Major Scenic Spots
Baishou Garden
Located at the entrance of the scenic area on the west bank of Changshou Lake, it covers an area of 190 mu. As the only theme park in China interpreting the "Longevity Culture", it integrates various art forms such as calligraphy, carving, stone appreciation, and literature.
Sister Lakes Garden
It was built after the first Cross-Strait Sister Lakes Industry Cooperation Annual Conference was grandly held at Changshou Lake on September 14, 2018. Divided into 5 areas, it embodies the themes of integration, harmony, return, blessing, and origin respectively. Viewed from the air, it resembles a sprouting bud, symbolizing the vitality of the sister lakes and implying that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same origin.
Donghai Temple
Integrating the Buddhist culture and fishing culture of Changshou Lake, it was first built in the Southern Song Dynasty. It suffered severe damage during the Cultural Revolution, and only the front hall remains today. After restoration, it basically retains its original style: one part reproduces the living scenes of families by the Longxi River, and the other part shows the restored temple appearance.
Romantic Magpie Bridge
The bridge is 100 meters long and 2 meters wide. Looking up from under the bridge, it resembles a colorful ribbon flying in the sky; looking down at Changshou Lake from the bridge, one can see the blue water reflecting the rainbow-like bridge. It is said that two people who walk across the bridge hand in hand will love each other forever.
Romantic Flower Field
It is an open floral landscape area centered on the theme of "romance and four-season flower scenery", covering a total area of about 150 mu. It is divided into two parts: the core flower field area and the supporting leisure area. The core flower field area adopts a combined planting layout of "terrace style + sheet style".
Lovers' Slope
It is the first choice for couples to date. From a distance, there is a seemingly extraordinary and lush "Wish-Making Tree". However, when viewed from under the viewing platform, it turns out that the roots of two trees are intertwined, like a pair of kissing lovers. It is said that if you throw colored ribbons to make a wish and hang red cloth strips on the Wish-Making Tree, your wish will come true.
Heaven-Sent Longevity Island
As the core landscape of Changshou Lake Scenic Area, it is surrounded by 19 islands of different sizes and 9 lake bays. It is about 1,299 meters long, 699 meters wide, and covers an area of about 499 mu, making it the largest natural "longevity" (shou) character-shaped landscape in the world. More surprisingly, when the "shou" character is viewed upside down, it strongly resembles the character "long" (chang) in "Changshou" (longevity), implying "both longevity and long life", which is known as a world wonder.
Changshou Lake Dam
The dam is 1,014 meters long, with a maximum height of 52 meters and a top width of 8 meters. It is a concrete gravity dam structure, mainly composed of three parts: the water-retaining dam section, the overflow dam section, and the power generation diversion dam section. Among them, the overflow dam section is 180 meters long, equipped with 10 flood discharge gates. Each gate is 15 meters wide and 12 meters high, with a maximum flood discharge capacity of 8,300 cubic meters per second. It has multiple functions such as flood control, power generation, irrigation, and navigation.
Baihua Island (Hundred-Flower Island)
Located in the middle of the core lake area of Changshou Lake, adjacent to Love Island, it is an island featuring "four-season flower seas and ecological sightseeing", covering an area of about 0.3 square kilometers. It gets its name because flowers bloom on the island throughout the year, with different colors in each season.
Tour Route
Tourists can start from Changshou Lake Square, take a boat from Changshou Lake Tourist Wharf to various islands. First, visit the Heaven-Sent Longevity Island to experience the magic of the world's largest natural "longevity" character; then go to Baihua Island to enjoy the romantic flower scenery; next, head to Lovers' Slope to experience the romantic atmosphere; after that, visit Baishou Garden to learn about the Longevity Culture; later, take a leisurely walk in the West Bank Park, and finally leave through the scenic area gate. The entire tour takes approximately 4 to 6 hours, and the specific time can be adjusted according to personal visiting speed and interests.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to visit in spring or autumn, as the climate is pleasant during these seasons, with beautiful scenery, lush vegetation, and blooming flowers in the scenic area.
- If you want to experience water amusement projects, you can learn about the opening hours and charging standards of each project in advance to arrange your time and budget reasonably.
- Bring a camera or mobile phone, as the lake and mountain scenery, island landscapes, etc., in the scenic area are very suitable for taking photos as souvenirs.
- If you are interested in the history and culture of Changshou Lake, you can check relevant materials in advance to better understand the cultural attractions in the scenic area.
Precautions
- Abide by the scenic area regulations and do not damage the vegetation or public facilities in the scenic area at will.
- When staying by the lake or participating in water projects, be sure to follow the instructions of the staff, wear a life jacket, and pay attention to safety. Especially for tourists with children, please take good care of them.
- If you choose to camp, pay attention to protecting the environment, take away garbage when leaving, and keep the campsite clean.
- When visiting in summer, take measures to protect yourself from the sun and mosquitoes.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Depart from Chongqing, pass through Jiangbei Toll Station, take the G50 Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway, turn off at the "Changshou Lake" exit, and finally reach Changshou Lake (Shizitan Town). The entire journey is via expressway, taking about 1.5 hours. Depart from Shanghai or Wanzhou, take the G50 Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway, turn off at the "Changshou Lake" exit around the 1,690-kilometer mark, and go directly to Changshou Lake (Shizitan Town).
- High-Speed Railway: Go to the North Square of Chongqing North Railway Station, take the high-speed EMU of the Chongqing-Wanzhou Intercity Railway, and get off at Changshou Lake Station (the whole journey takes 33 minutes, with 10 pairs of trains per day, and the second-class seat ticket costs 35 yuan). After getting off the train, transfer to the tourist special line to Changshou Lake, which takes about 20 minutes, totaling about 50 minutes. Note that when buying train tickets, you should choose Changshou Lake Station as the destination instead of Changshou North Station.
- Intercity Bus: Depart from Chongqing Hongqihegou Bus Station, take the bus to Changshou Lake (there are two departures per day, with a ticket price of 35-38 yuan), and the whole journey takes about 2 hours.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are 08:30-17:00; the summer opening hours are 08:30-17:30. Please refer to the scenic area announcement for specific hours.
Tickets
Currently, the ticket price of Changshou Lake Scenic Area is 35 yuan. Tourists can take the sightseeing bus, trackless train, and water amusement facilities at their own expense.
You can search for the official WeChat public account of the scenic area "长寿湖旅游度假区" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.