Poyang Lake

( travelchinaguide.com, chinaculture.org )

Updated: 2011-08-29

Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China, covering an area of 2,933 square kilometers.

Located in the north of Jiangxi province to the south of the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China, covering an area of 2,933 square kilometers. The lake depends on surface runoffs and rainfalls for water supply. Rivers flowing into the lake include the Ganjiang River, Fuhe River, Xinjiang River, Raohe River, Xiushui River, etc.

As a famous scenic area, Poyang Lake has numerous sights such as the Fallen-Star Boulder and the Big Solitary Hill in the lake and Zhouyu Dianjiang Platform (the platform for Zhouyu, a famous senior official in the Three Kingdoms Period, to name his soldiers for particular posts) and Lake for Viewing Pavilion along the bank. At present, tourists can visit all the separate sights by boating along a special tour route.

Poyang Lake is also a migratory birds conservation area with a reputation of Kingdom of Rare Birds. Every year, from October to March of the next year is the low-water season of the Poyang Lake. During this period, masses of lake shoals and wetlands appear in the area and various fish and shrimps breed in a large quantity, attracting numerous migratory birds. The lake becomes a paradise for these birds, which are famous for their large number, living-time through the winter and rare species in the world. About 0.8-1 million birds of 148 kinds fly to the Poyang Lake each year, including over 10 kinds of national first-class protected rare birds such as write crane, write stork, black stork and swan. Several viewing spots are set up in the migratory birds conservation area for visitors to enjoy this great spectacle.

Poyang Lake is a migratory birds conservation area with a reputation of "Kingdom of Rare Birds".