Xiandao Lake 仙岛湖

About Xiandao Lake

The reservoir, once called Qiandao Lake, sits within a mapped area of 276 square kilometres, with a water surface given as 46,000 mu. Continuous ridges cut the water into two long arms: a northern lake about 22 kilometres east to west and 3 kilometres across, and a southern lake about 20 kilometres long but less than a kilometre wide, linked by a gorge roughly a kilometre long, so that the whole takes an I shape. The county records forest cover of 93 per cent around the shore, 54 wild animal species and more than 20 rare plant species. Huangshi lists the area as a provincial ecological scenic area and a national 4A tourist area.

The present name comes from an old plaque reading 'Lingtong Xiandao' fixed to a cliff above the water. Several of the hill and shore sites carry local traditions rather than documented history: Luojiazhai is said to be where Luo Binwang, one of the four leading early Tang poets, settled, with the nearby Sizhou Chan Temple linked to his later years, and Baima Temple keeps a bell reportedly cast 450 years ago by the consort of a Prince of Jing and originally given to a monastery in Huangmei. Points the county lists as developed for visitors include Xianlong Island, Guanyin Cave, Xianniu Cave, Yeren Island, Lansheng Pavilion and the General Wang Ping Memorial Garden.

What to look for

• The narrow gorge, about a kilometre long, that joins the lake's northern and southern arms.
• The cliff plaque reading 'Lingtong Xiandao' that gives the lake its name.
• Guanyin Cave and Xianniu Cave, two of the shoreline caves the county lists among its developed sights.
• The General Wang Ping Memorial Garden on the lakeshore.
• Sizhou Chan Temple and Baima Temple, the latter holding a bell said to have been cast some 450 years ago.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xiandao Lake

Confirm the visitor entrance and which boat or walking routes operate on your date. Rainfall, water levels and weather can change access.

• Search for 仙岛湖 with 黄石市 and 阳新县.