Dongqian Lake is located in the southeastern suburbs of Ningbo. Its area is three or four times larger than that of Hangzhou West Lake. However, various paid scenic areas have been developed along the shore of Dongqian Lake, which seems a bit more mercenary in comparison. To enjoy the beauty of Dongqian Lake, you can enter the scenic area by paying. Young people are more willing to cycle around the lake, taking pictures and enjoying the scenery, which is very pleasant.
There are multiple scenic areas such as Xiaoputuo, Taogong Island, Fuquan Mountain, the Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carving Ruins Park, and Youngor Zoo distributed along Dongqian Lake. There are also some natural villages and small parks. Usually, people will choose a few interesting ones to visit in one or two days on weekends and will not visit all the scenic spots. There are multiple bus routes around Dongqian Lake that can reach almost all major scenic areas, which is very convenient.
Popular scenic spots: Xiaoputuo is a long causeway in the lake and a highly popular scenic spot in Dongqian Lake. The Xiayu Buddhist Temple in the center of the lake always has many people coming to burn incense and pray. You can take an electric car directly to the Guanyin on the water, but it is more recommended to walk along the long causeway and enjoy the scenery of Dongqian Lake. Crossing the bridge from Xiaoputuo is Taogong Island on the west side of the lake. This is a popular barbecue place locally and is suitable for a group of people to come and do activities such as team building. If foreign tourists are short on time, there is no need to enter and visit specially.
If you bring children, the Youngor Zoo on the north side of Dongqian Lake is a good choice. In addition to lovely animals, you can also play amusement projects such as carousels and bumper cars.
Exploring Dongqian Lake: The scenic spots suitable for exploration in Dongqian Lake are concentrated on the East Lake Ring Road. The Southern Song Dynasty Stone Carving Ruins Park by the lake has the cemeteries of prime ministers from five dynasties in the Southern Song Dynasty. In addition to the imposing tomb passages and stone archways, there are more than 200 vivid stone statues. The museum in the park sorts out the history of the Southern Song Dynasty and the development history of stone carvings. You can also see many stone carving cultural relics from surrounding areas, which are worth savoring carefully. Not far to the south, on Fuquan Mountain, there are large tea fields with nice scenery. In peak season, you can taste tea in the tea houses on it. Private cars are not allowed to enter. At the ticket check at the foot of the mountain, there are buses going up the mountain, but they only depart when full. It is relatively difficult to wait in off-season, so be mentally prepared. If you walk up the mountain, it takes about 1 hour.
Cycling around Dongqian Lake: In addition to visiting scenic spots, cycling around Dongqian Lake can be said to be a very popular activity. You can leisurely enjoy the lakeside scenery and natural villages along the shore. There are dedicated bicycle lanes along the lake. The official scenic area also has recommended cycling routes suitable for different groups of people. At the tourist center, the water park on the south side, Mashan Wetland, and the Youngor Zoo on the north side, there are bicycle stations that provide rentals of various types of bicycles. In addition, there are multiple docks by the lake, with water buses, rowing boats, speedboats, etc. You can take a boat to and from the scenic spots along the shore or charter a boat to tour around Dongqian Lake.
Open all year round, accessible 24/7. Ticketed scenic spots generally operate from 8:00 to 17:00.
Service Facilities: Parking: There are marked parking spaces along the road from Hanling to Shangshui Village. Reference price: Free; Address: Along the road from Hanling to Shangshui Village; Spaces: 200
Luggage Storage: Reference price: Free
Transportation within the park: Reference price: 3 yuan per person
Restrooms: Multiple restrooms are available within the park, with clear signs posted in the scenic area.
Dongqian Lake
Dongqian Lake is located in the southeastern suburbs of Ningbo. Its area is three or four times larg[...]
