Wudalianchi Scenic Area

Situated in Wudalianchi City in northwestern Heilongjiang Province, the Wudalianchi Scenic Area is a famous volcanic field and tourist attraction with a unique and typical volcanic landscape. The scenery here is spectacular, with wonderful volcanic lakes, grotesquely shaped peaks, rocks, and caves, and the sites of 12 shield-shaped and 14 cone-shaped volcanoes.

There are many folktales about the springs. One says that more than a hundred years ago a young herder named Galasangbaiyin fell in love with a woman slave who was called Aqimeige. When the herd owner found this out, he thrashed Galasangbaiyin and threw him in the stables. Aqimeige stole a horse and, carrying her unconscious lover, rode away from the herd owner's house. But as they were making their escape, the herd owner shot a poisoned arrow which struck Aqimeige. She and Galasangbaiyin both fell from the horse into a spring. The cool water revived them and cured their wounds. To mark the spring, Galasangbaiyin inscribed the words "medical spring" on the rock beside it - this spring is thought to be what is known as South Spring today. After learning about the spring's magic power, Daur herders swarmed to the spring and erected tents around it so that they too could drink and bathe in its water. Today there are more than fifty sanatoria in the lake area, which can accommodate thousands of patients every year.

Volcanic Wonders

Within the Wudalianchi Scenic Area stand 14 old and new volcanoes, covering a life span of more than two million years. A famous circum-Pacific volcano group, the area boasts the world's best preserved and most concentrated, complete, and typical volcanic landforms, hence its reputation of a "Natural Volcanic Museum" and an "Open Textbook on Volcanoes."

As a result of the eruptions of two young volcanoes -- Mt. Heilong and Mt. Huoshao from 1719-1721 --, huge amounts of lava blocked the original watercourses of the Bai River, a branch of the Nemor River, giving rise to five connected lakes, with one wave reflecting the other, one lake linking the other. People call them Wudalianchi, which literally means "Five Large Connected Lakes." Named from one to five, the five lakes, with different colors, shapes, and sizes, look like five pure and magnificent pearls inlaid among the 14 lofty volcanoes -- a really spectacular sight.

Group Mineral Springs of Medicine

The more interesting thing in the Wudalianchi is that one can drink to his heart's content the mineral water, which is called generally "mineral water of heavy carbonate". It contains more than ten elements beneficial to health, which have certain curative effect for stomach trouble, iron deficiency anemia, chronic cholecystitis, neurasthenia, skin disease, and high blood pressure, focuses etc.

Wudalianchi mineral spring consists of North Spring, South Spring, New South Spring, South Bathing Spring and Fanhua (Seething Waves) Spring, which are scattered on the area of Yaoquanshan (Mountain of Medical Spring). North Spring, South Spring and New South Spring are drinkable while South Bathing Spring and Fanhua Spring are bathing ones.

Among the five lakes, the first one is the smallest and the only one with water lilies growing, which is a unique sight in summer. It also has another two characteristic sights: the raging water overflow in winter and the Stone Dragon Water Stockade in its south. The second lake, with well-known natural breed aquatics, is the deepest, with a depth of over 9 meters. It boasts three typical features: First, it is an ideal place to view sunrise s; second, the wreathing mirage in summer and autumn mornings make it like a hot spring with an average temperature of 30C, and third, it contains a concentration of bighead fishes.

Among the five lakes, the third one is the largest, covering an area of 8.4 square kilometers. From a distance it looks like any other famous lake in the region south of the Yangtze River. Reverted water reflections of the blue sky, white clouds, and volcanoes look much like a nice landscape painting. In the early morning at sunrise, a fine gauze-like hydrosphere will float over the lake. Rowing a boat in the lake at this time can make people feel like they are in a fairyland.

The fourth lake is famous for its reeds, lotuses, and tranquil environment, with various kinds of fishes in it. Interested tourists can fish from a boat. Along the lake side grow clusters of floating grass, and around it are scattered lava. Void of pollution, it is an ideal place for wild waterfowl.

Covering an area of 15 square kilometers, the fifth lake is the five lakes' origin. However, there is neither a river nor a stream or spring, which is a strange phenomenon. Another weird occurrence is the mountainous waves often seen on windless days.

Listed as one of China's first 44 key scenic spots, the five lakes are also one of the nation-level natural reserves as well as one of the country's national geology parks. In addition, it is the only one of China's 40 best tourist destinations in Northeast China.

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