Park of China
Overview
| Designation | National Park of China (first batch) |
| Province | Guangdong |
| Location | Zhaoqing, Guangdong |
| Latitude, longitude | 23.1, 112.5 Google Maps |
| Highlights | An oasis on the Tropic of Cancer |
| Top sights | Seven Star Crags, Mount Dinghu |
| Wildlife | Silver pheasant |
| Highest point | 1,000 m (Mount Dinghu) |
| Nearby cities | Zhaoqing (Guangdong), Guangzhou, Hong Kong |
| Nearby sites | Seven Star Crags 8km, Mount Dinghu 9km, Mount Xiqiao 51km, Mount Baiyun, Guangzhou 80km, The Historic Centre of Macao 147km Search nearby |
| Themes | Mountain, Lake, Plant, Bird, Forest, Karst, Cave, Temple, Inscription, Stamp |
About
The Star Lake scenic area at Zhaoqing, Guangdong, comprises the Seven Star Crags north of the city and Mount Dinghu to the north-east; a rare oasis on the Tropic of Cancer, it is called “the emerald on the belt of returning deserts”.
It is in the first batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1982.
Map
Travel tips
Getting there: high-speed trains from Guangzhou South reach Zhaoqing East in a little over half an hour; there are also intercity trains to Zhaoqing station. Seven Star Crags is on the north side of the city and Mount Dinghu to the northeast; both are reached by bus or taxi.
Time: half a day to a day for each.
Where to stay: in Zhaoqing city; a day trip from Guangzhou is also possible.
For visiting each part see Seven Star Crags and Mount Dinghu.
Seven Star Crags
The Seven Star Crags north of the city are seven limestone peaks standing in Star Lake, arranged like the Plough. Shishi Crag has caves and more than 300 inscriptions carved over the centuries.
Mount Dinghu
Mount Dinghu, about 15 km north-east of Zhaoqing and about 1,000 m high, heads the four famous mountains of Lingnan. China's first nature reserve was set up here in 1956; on the mountain are Qingyun Temple and the Feishui Pool waterfall.
The Lesser Three Gorges of Zhaoqing
The Lesser Three Gorges of the West River near Zhaoqing are the Lingyang, Sanrong and Dading gorges; Lingyang is 13 li long between peaks of over 800 m, with the Longhua and Xiashan temples facing each other across its mouth, the Hanbi Garden and the Guiyuan hermitage. See also Lesser Three Gorges and Antelope Canyon, Utah.
Stamps
In 1995 China Post issued “Mount Dinghu”, four stamps: oasis on the Tropic of Cancer, ravine rainforest, monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest and the silver pheasant.
The 14th stamp of the 1981 definitive set R21 “Scenery of the Motherland” shows the Seven Star Crags.
Photo credits: Lake and forest in the Dinghushan Nature Reserve: Zhou Guanhuai (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Star Lake, Zhaoqing: Jasonjiang.1998 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Kaiping Diaolou and Villages 106km, The Historic Centre of Macao 147km, Mount Danxia 243km, Guilin and the Li River 293km |
| National parks | Mount Xiqiao 51km, Mount Baiyun, Guangzhou 80km, Mount Luofu 154km, Mount Wutong 182km |
| Detailed guides | Seven Star Crags 8km, Mount Dinghu 9km |
| AAAAA attractions | Changlu Leisure Park 83km, Chimelong Tourist Resort 84km, Kaiping Diaolou Cultural Tourist Area 95km, Sun Yat-sen's Hometown Tourist Area 127km |
| AAAA attractions | Sihui Strange Stone River Scenic Area 30km, Yingxiang Eco Park 32km, Sanshui Forest Park 36km, Sanshui Lotus World 40km |
| Historic cities | Zhaoqing 9km, Foshan 62km, Guangzhou 78km |
| Cities | Guangzhou 70km |
| Historical sites | Qixingyan Cliff Inscriptions 7km, Former Headquarters of Ye Ting's Independent Regiment 10km, Zhaoqing Ancient City Wall 10km, Mei Convent 11km |
| National geoparks | Fengkai National Geopark 95km |
| Nature reserves | Encheng National Nature Reserve 106km |
| Historic villages | Shuidong Village 36km, Songtang Village 42km |