Longhu Lake 龙湖

About Longhu Lake

Lying in the heart of the Huang-Huai plain on the eastern side of the Huaiyang urban area, the lake is described by the Zhoukou government as China's largest lake surrounding a city, with a total area of 11 square kilometres, and it is also designated a national water-conservancy scenic area. It was chosen as a pilot national wetland park in 2009 and formally designated in December 2015; the registered park unit covers just under 800 hectares, about 750 of them open water. Its name is tied to the legend that Taihao Fuxi founded his capital here and named his officials after dragons, and the lake is associated with the Wanqiu, Book of Songs and Chen-Chu cultural traditions. The Pingliangtai ancient city site, dating back more than 6,000 years, survives on the shore, and historic spots in the lake such as Xiange Terrace and Huagua Terrace are linked to the Odes of Chen and to Confucius's hardship between Chen and Cai.

By the early 2000s sewage, rubbish and fish-farm enclosures had degraded the water, and Zhoukou responded with a Longhu protection regulation, a management body, first- and second-grade protection zones, a 3,000-mu native-ecology reserve on the East Lake and a 2,000-mu bird habitat zone. Illegal lakeside buildings were cleared and ponds returned to the lake. The provincial ecology department records 280 plant and 156 animal species, with more than 30 bird species wintering here, ten of them under national grade-II or higher protection.

What to look for

• The ring of open water around the old town of Huaiyang, the feature that gives the lake its 'city-encircling' character
• Xiange Terrace and Huagua Terrace, historic sites within the lake associated with the Odes of Chen and with the Fuxi tradition
• The Pingliangtai ancient city site on the lakeshore, dating back more than 6,000 years
• Wintering waterbirds in the protected bird habitat zone, with more than 30 species recorded, ten of them nationally protected
• Seasonal lotus and reed beds, part of the 280 recorded plant species

Location & getting there

Getting to Longhu 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 龙湖 with 周口市 and 淮阳区.