China Daily Global Edition (USA)
PLEASURES BY A LAKE
An irrigation project southeast of Sichuan province is drawing visitors thanks to its natural beauty
Breeze greets us as we ride the tour bus along the bank of Guyu Lake in Longchang city, southeast of Sichuan province, in early August.
Lush trees surround the lake area, offering a natural shield from the smoldering summer heat.
Wooden pavilions and pedestrian lanes allow for a close look at the lake around which people are skating, cycling, or simply sightseeing.
“It’s a little bigger than the West Lake in Hangzhou,” says Huang Yong, director of the Longchang tourism bureau. But Guyu Lake holds much more water, he says.
The lake covers an area of 5.4 square kilometers, and contains 56 million cubic meters of water.
Its depth is 15 meters on average, going up to 27 meters at its deepest point.
Guyu Lake came into being when the local government decided to draw water from the Tuojiang river, one of the tributaries of the Yangtze River, back in the 1970s.
Then, Longchang was short of water, because it is at a higher level than the surrounding areas, and it did not have any big rivers or lakes.
“So, most of the time, we were dependent on the weather (to survive),” says Huang.
As the Guyu Temple is at the lowest point of the lake, the water body is named after it, says Huang.
The creation of the lake began in 1976 and it took two years to fill it up.
The lake helps irrigate roughly 100,000-mu (66.7 square kilomethat ters) land in Longchang, says Huang, adding that later the local government in 2003 allowed fish breeding in the lake.
“The fish breeding took place in roughly one fifth of the lake’s area,” Huang says, adding that it carried on for more than a decade before being stopped due to water shortage issues as the population of the area grew from 50,000 to 200,000 in the 1980s.
In 2009, work on improving the lake’s environment began and more than 3,000 mu of farmland around the lake has since been changed into a green zone where trees have been planted.
As a result of the improvements the lake has now begun to attract visitors. And the numbers could hit 400,000 a year.
“They go boating in the summer and watch migrating birds in the winter, besides enjoying local food,” says Huang.
Tens of thousands of birds fly to the lake over November-April, creating quite a sight.
Then, one can see 90 varieties of birds, including white and gray cranes, as well as egrets and cormorants.
Now, the local authorities have set up dozens of birds feeding and observation sites for the public.
Guyu Lake was designated a national 4A scenic spot in 2016. And growing tourism has helped the local agri-tainment businesses to flourish.
Currently, more than 35 agri-tainment facilities are up and running, and they cater to 2,000-3,000 visitors per day, says Huang, adding some of the facilities earn as much as 200,000-300,000 yuan ($29,279-43,918) a year.
Tang Wenyi was the first local to open a restaurant in the area, 500 meter from the lake, in 2000.
“Business has been good, especially in recent years,” says the 43-year-old.
“More visitors now come to see the lake and the surrounding environment is improving.”
Tang, who can serve 400 people at a time, has employed 11 locals, each of whom receives a salary of 2,000-5,000 yuan a month.
Like Tang, many other locals are also engaged in the tourism business with homestays and boating facilities.
For now, there are approximately 40 sightseeing boats. And a total of 100 beds are available for those who want to spend the night.
Meanwhile, the local government is planning to further develop the area. And a water town costing 3 billion yuan — a few hundred meters to the south of the lake — is to be set up within five years.
“We plan to use 3 million cubic meters of water from Guyu Lake (for the water town) and recycle it,” says Huang.
Separately, Longchang is to work with top cosmetic and healthcare facilities and encourage them to open outlets in the water town.
A film facility is also likely to take shape in the area.
As for transport, high-speed rail connects Longchang to Chengdu and Chongqing within an hour. So, Guyu Lake could soon see even more visitors.