Озеро Ваньфэн

Wanfeng Lake is a large reservoir that spreads across the southwestern corner of Xingyi prefecture on the borders of Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi. The lake was formed by the damming of the Nanpanjiang River for hydropower in the 1990s, and its name — "Lake of Ten Thousand Peaks" — comes from the countless karst cones that rise from its shoreline and from the water itself. The result is a flooded karst landscape: think of a Yangshuo-style peak forest half-drowned in emerald water, with long fjord-like inlets winding between limestone islands.

The lake covers a vast area and has hundreds of kilometers of shoreline, much of it backed by steep karst walls dotted with Bouyei, Miao, and Zhuang minority villages reachable only by boat. Fishing settlements sit at the water's edge on stilts, and small temples and shrines cling to the cliffs. Because the water crosses provincial borders, parts of the lake lie in Yunnan and Guangxi as well as Guizhou, giving each inlet a slightly different character — some broad and open, others narrow and canyon-like.

Boat tours are the standard way to see the lake. Most depart from the main tourist pier or the smaller Hongchun Pier and follow a loop that takes in the "water stone forest" (a cluster of karst needles rising directly from the water), the Gothic-looking Jilongbao castle resort built on a small island, and the so-called "Little Three Gorges" stretch where the channel narrows between vertical cliffs. The cruise feels closer to a Norwegian fjord trip than to most Chinese reservoir tours.

Wanfeng Lake is also one of the better freshwater fishing destinations in southwest China, with local anglers targeting species such as grass carp and tilapia. The floating fish restaurants at the piers serve the day's catch grilled or in spicy sour soup — a regional specialty.

For independent travelers, Wanfeng Lake is best treated as a half-day add-on to a Wanfenglin and Malinghe Gorge itinerary. The combination of karst scenery, ethnic-minority shoreline, and good food makes the lake a quietly memorable stop in the Xingyi area.