Hengshan Reservoir

The Hengshan Reservoir Water Conservancy Scenic Area is located in the southwest of Yixing City, Jia[...]

The Hengshan Reservoir Water Conservancy Scenic Area is located in the southwest of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, within the Yili Taihua Mountain Area, relying on the Hengshan Reservoir. The Hengshan Reservoir is a large-scale (Class II) water conservancy project of the Taihu Basin’s Xixi River system, with a catchment area of 154.8 square kilometers and a total reservoir capacity of 112 million cubic meters. Construction of the reservoir began in 1958 and was essentially completed by September 1969. From October 2001 to April 2004, the reservoir underwent risk elimination and reinforcement, designed for a 100-year flood event and verified for a 2000-year flood event, primarily for flood control and water supply. The main components of the project include a homogeneous earth dam, 4,090 meters long, with a dam crest elevation of 42.1 meters, a dam height of 24 meters, and a dam crest width of 8.1 meters. There is also a three-hole spillway gate with hydraulic arc-shaped steel gates, designed for a maximum discharge of 557 cubic meters per second, equipped with a stepped dissipation pool and associated flood discharge channels below. Two east and west water conveyance tunnels are connected to the water supply pipelines. Hengshan has three wonders: the great dam, green water, and blue mountains. The sunset is particularly remarkable. The three-hole spillway gate in the middle of the dam can be considered a spectacle of the reservoir, towering proudly over all directions. When discharging floodwaters, three water dragons rush out of the gate, with a momentum like a tide and a sound like thunder, pouring into the dissipation pool. The swirling water flows like boiling water, and the dense water mist rolls like clouds, filling the banks, with sunlight reflecting, presenting a seven-color rainbow, as if after a rainstorm has just cleared. The vast reservoir is as clear as a mirror, with clouds and mountains reflecting in it all year round, presenting scenes like ink paintings. The vast green water is home to numerous fish, some over a meter long, and small fish gather in clusters. Birds often come to splash and play, including the fish-catching ospreys, the high-legged herons, the neck-stretching swans, and the numerous wild ducks, all more attached to these green mountains and clear waters. When floating on the water, they are densely packed; when flying, they cover the sky. The mountains are also incredibly green, with dark green pine shadows swaying and emerald bamboo waves filling the air, creating an interesting contrast that captivates visitors. The nearby mountains are clear and seem close at hand, while the distant mountains are hazy, as if in the mist, like three-dimensional paintings and flowing poetry. Each mountain resembles a natural sculpture, with various shapes and innate beauty, named after their forms, and each landscape has a unique charm. The area is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day.