Other sites worth visiting in Lishui

Located beside a lake, Dinghu Peak resembles a giant bamboo shoot reaching for the sky. The 170-meter-high peak stands somewhat isolated from surrounding mountains, creating quite unusual landform scenery.

Tales go that the Yellow Emperor, one of the Chinese deities and ancestors, practiced alchemy on the peak.

After he crafted an elixir of life with a giant or ancient sacrificial vessel, he summoned a red dragon and ascended to heaven. The he left became a lake and thus the peak was named Dinghu, which literally means the lake of

The landform is actually a form of karst. Similar stone pillars can be found in nearby mountains, accessible by a hike of one or two hours.

Visitors can take a highspeed train to Jinyun West Station on the Jinhua-Lishui-Wenzhou Railway, and from there take a bus to the scenic area.

The first thing that visitors notice at the resort is the number of people sketching and painting. The local government has created a center for art students and photographers in the area.

The scenery in the resort is indeed worthy of artworks. Built around an ancient weir more than 1,500 years old, the area itself resembles a Chinese ink wash painting: small rafts drifting on clear waters, an ancient camphor tree shadowing the river bank with its huge crown, and morning mist shrouding tranquil villages of old houses.

Unless you can stand crowds, it’s best to avoid peak seasons. Otherwise, the tranquil scenery of the resort may be marred by jostling rafts full of tourists. Or put another way, it can feel like a painting splashed with extra, unnecessary ink.

Visitors could take a bus from Lishui Railway Station to the resort.