Park of China
Overview
| Designation | AAAAA tourist attraction (2007, “Anxin Baiyangdian Scenic Area”) |
| Province | Hebei |
| Location | Anxin County, Baoding, Hebei; in the Xiong’an New Area, central North China Plain |
| Latitude, longitude | 38.85, 116.00 Google Maps |
| Highlights | The largest freshwater lake on the North China Plain; reed beds, lotus ponds, villages on the water |
| Top sights | Lotus Garden, Baiyangdian Culture Park |
| Nearby cities | Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang |
| Nearby sites | The Temple of Heaven, Beijing 120km, The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing 123km, The Summer Palace, Beijing 129km, Ming Tombs 162km Search nearby |
| Themes | Lake, Wetland, Flower fields, Old villages & vernacular houses, Revolutionary sites, Rafting & boat trips |
About
Baiyangdian, in central Hebei, belongs to the Daqing River system of the Hai River basin and is the largest freshwater lake on the North China Plain; most of it lies in Anxin County. It is not one open sheet of water but a mosaic of many small lakes linked by channels, separated by large reed beds. Some villages are surrounded by water and reached only by boat.
During the War of Resistance against Japan, local fishermen formed the Yanling (Wild Goose Feather) Brigade and fought from the reed beds. Sun Li’s story “Lotus Lake” and Xu Guangyao’s “Little Soldier Zhang Ga” are set here. The Xiong’an New Area, established in 2017, includes the lake.
Baiyangdian covers 366 km² and is made up of 143 lakes of various sizes linked by more than 3,700 channels; it is fed by the Tang, Zhulong, Fu and other rivers upstream.
Travel tips
Getting there: drive or take a coach from Beijing, Tianjin or Baoding to Anxin town, then board a boat at one of the piers near town. High-speed trains run from Beijing to Xiong’an Station, from where you continue by road to Anxin.
What to do: take a boat through the channels, reed beds and lotus ponds, stopping at the Lotus Garden, the Baiyangdian Cultural Park and other sites; boats also call at the lake villages.
Season: lotus flowers bloom in July and August, the busiest time; the reeds turn golden in autumn.
Time: one day.
Where to stay: Anxin town, or farmhouse inns around and in the lake villages.
Map
Photo credits: Lotus pond on Baiyangdian: kaurjmeb (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Western Qing Tombs 80km, Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian 83km, The Temple of Heaven, Beijing 120km, Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital 122km |
| National parks | Stone Flower Cave 106km, Yesanpo 108km, Badaling–Ming Tombs Scenic Area 165km, Mount Pan 177km |
| Detailed guides | Shidu 90km |
| AAAAA attractions | Western Qing Tombs Scenic Area 80km, Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal Cultural Tourist Area 106km, Tianjin Ancient Culture Street (Jinmen Guli) 108km, Baishishan Scenic Area 119km |
| AAAA attractions | Liulingzui Scenic Area 35km, Zhili Governor-General’s Office Museum 44km, Hejian Prefectural Office 46km |
| UNESCO Global Geoparks | Yanqing UNESCO Global Geopark 176km |
| Historic cities | Baoding 45km |
| Cities | Tianjin 111km, Beijing 122km |
| Historical sites | Sangezhuang Site 7km, Yabazhuang Site 14km, Bianguan Tunnel Site 18km, Nanyang Site 21km |
| Nature reserves | Baihuashan National Nature Reserve 117km, Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve 142km |
| Historic villages | Nanwangzhuang Village 48km |