Thousand Islands Lake offers discounts for visitors

Hangzhou's Chun'an County is hosting the "2024 Thousand Islands Consumption Season" in an attempt to attract more visitors. Admission to the islands' southeast scenic area will be half price from September 1 through December 31, excluding Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday.

Visitors can reserve through the WeChat mini-program "wanzhuan qiandaohu (玩转千岛湖)" in advance for the chance to win free admission. The local department promises to release 1,000 free tickets each Thursday during that period.

The Thousand Islands Lake has 1,078 islands dotting a lake that covers 567.4 square kilometers. Due to the lake and the abundant forest, it boasts a comfortable climate, a favorable natural environment and abundant sightseeing opportunities.

The entire scenic area consists of five parts, the central, southeast, southwest, northeast and northwest lake zones.

Huangshanjian in the southeast zone provides a panoramic view of more than 90 islands. It reaches an altitude of 266 meters, and is listed as the highest among the group of islands called the Pearl Islands.

The summit is accessible via a cable car. From the viewing platform, visitors can spot small islands scattered on the greenish-blue lake that form the Chinese character "公," which means "public."

Part of the platform is made up of glass, allowing visitors standing on it to see the lush vegetation below. Overlooking the lake, people can see faraway hills partly hidden in haze, layer by layer, and yachts sailing between islands.

Tianchi is also situated in the southeast lake zone, and it is easy to travel between Huangshanjian and Tianchi by speedboat. Tianchi means "heavenly pond" in Chinese. When Hangzhou was made the capital in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), the royal court collected rocks from Tianchi to build the imperial palace and longtime quarrying formed the pond.

Today, the pond is used as a fish viewing spot, where schools of carp glide back and forth. Visitors can buy food to feed them. A large school of fish will chase after food, leaping out of the water and creating a splash.

Tianchi is also a bird sanctuary, with an estimated 3,000 birds on the island. The attractions include a viewing platform, parrot corridor, waterfowl garden, bird art show, cormorant fishing and swan lake.

Seeing all the islands of the southeast lake zone in a single day is difficult, so picking several spots to focus on is a wise choice. You can take a speedboat from the wharf.

Once on board, numerous tiny islands zip by, and the combination of the brilliant colors, fresh air and waves offers a rare sensory experience and an opportunity to get closer to nature.

For those who love hiking, jogging or cycling, the Thousand Islands Lake is an ideal destination. The local government constructed Chunyang Road, which stretches from Jiangbu Bridge to Fenkou Town. It traces the Thousand Islands Lake and contains a popular bike path. The route winds through several ancient villages and towns. The area has become popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

In addition to sightseeing and biking, sampling the local fish dishes should also be on a must-do list, as eating fish from the lake is considered a treat here. The fish is considered tastier and more tender because of the lake's favorable and unpolluted environment.

The signature dish of the area is fish head soup, using the head of a large bighead carp. Salt is the only seasoning used in making the soup. After hours of braising, the soup turns white and gives off a mellow smell.

The tail and fins of the bighead carp are turned into another dish. They are fried in oil and prepared with soy sauce, then topped with pickled vegetables.

How to get there:

More than 20 trains run daily between Shanghai and the Thousand Islands Lake, with the quickest journey taking just 100 minutes. Tickets can be purchased through the 12306 app or at train stations.