Baiyangdian Lake

National 5A Tourist Attraction; The Largest Freshwater Wetland On The North China Plain · Baoding, Hebei

The largest freshwater wetland on the North China Plain, and something close to a miracle in a region that has drained almost everything else - a shallow basin of about a hundred and forty linked meres, threaded by reed channels so dense that villages sit on islands reached only by boat. Reed cutting and fishing have supported people here for centuries; the reeds are woven into mats, and lotus covers whole bays in July and August. The lake has a fierce place in modern Chinese memory as the base of the Wild Duck Lake guerrillas, who fought the Japanese from among the reeds and are the subject of films and a well-known novella, and there is a memorial to them on one of the islands. Baiyangdian nearly died in the late twentieth century from drought and pollution; it is now the ecological centrepiece of the Xiong'an New Area, with water quality held at national grade three since 2021 and bird species back up to around 260. Access is by water bus on a single all-inclusive ticket, and the season runs from spring to mid-October.

Anxin County, Xiong'an New Area, Baoding, Baoding, Hebei, China

Seasonal. Operates roughly 1 May to 14 October, daily about 7:00-16:30, and closes for the winter from about 15 October. Real-name booking and purchase are required before touring.

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