Songyuan is a small city by the beautiful Songhua river in northern Jilin province.
It borders the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the west and Heilongjiang province
in the north. Songyuan is richly endowed with hundreds of rivers and lakes, and
distinguishes itself for its charming water landscapes.
The Chagan Lake, covering an area of 400 square kilometers in the Qianguo Mongolian
Autonomous County, is one of the ten largest freshwater lakes in China, and also home
to some 70 species of fish. Its name is derived from a Mongolian word meaning 'white
lake', as Chagan is densely covered with lush translucent reeds. The lake area is not
only a major fishery and reed production base in Jilin, but also one of the most famous
scenic destinations in the region. The lake is surrounded by a vast sea of pasture and
wetlands, which provide a paradise for many wild animals and plants. In recent years, the
local government has installed a wealth of modern tourist facilities around the lake area,
and turned it into a pleasant and attractive tourist resort. It is an hour's ride to Chagan
Lake from Songyuan city. The whole area is divided into several parts, including a fishing
village, an ethnic Mongolian village and a botanic garden. So visitors can entertain
themselves with beautiful scenery and interesting activities, and dampen their slavering
taste buds with fresh aquatic food. But I think the best time to go there may be in July
and August, when the annual Mongolian Folklore Tourist Festival is held along the lake.
From Chagan lake you can also take a cruise to enjoy the idyllic grasslands and rice
fields along the 54-kilometer-long Yinsong Canal, which was dug 20 years ago and links
Chagan lake with the faraway Songhua River.
Fifteen kilometers northeast of Chagan lake are the ruins of the 1000-year-old Tahu city,
which was a thriving city during the Liao and Jin dynasties. The city is square in shape
and surrounded by 6-meter-high earth walls. Today we can still find many historical remains
at the site, such as the city moat, watch towers, terraces, workshops and tombs. As one of
the best-preserved city ruins from the Liao and Jin periods, Tahu city attracts historians
and visitors alike.
Dabusu lake in Qian’an county is another famous tourist site in Songyuan. The saline lake
is called a treasure bowl by the local people, because it is abundant in a wide variety of
minerals and offers a wide range of revenue-generating sources for the locals. Dabusu is
also covered with thick reeds and water plants, which attract numerous birds to the area.
The lake region is a haven for some 100 species of fowl, including wild geese, barks, swans,
red-crowned cranes and many other birds whose names can only be remembered and pronounced by
ornithologists. When visitors arrive they are approached by thousands of birds, chirping happily
over your head as if extending you a warm welcome. Enjoying their singing and dancing, you
can’t but be deeply impressed by the harmonious bond between man and nature.