Jingpo Lake 镜泊湖

About Jingpo Lake

The northern end gives a compact introduction to that volcanic landscape: Diaoshuilou Waterfall drops over dark rock, while the lakeside reveals the quieter impounded water above it. Boat routes, when operating, show islands and rock outcrops beyond the shore. The crater forests elsewhere in the geopark are separate excursions, so a first visit can sensibly concentrate on the waterfall and northern lake.

Jingpo Lake was recorded in the Qing-era Shengjing Tongzhi (盛京通志) as Bi'erteng Lake and is regarded as the largest alpine barrier lake in China. It formed about 10,000 years ago, when five volcanic eruptions sent basalt lava across the bed of the Mudan River (牡丹江), damming its course.

At the lake's southern end, a delta has formed where the Mudan River and its tributaries enter, with abundant plankton supporting freshwater fish. Since the 1930s two hydroelectric plants have drawn on the lake's water power. An underground forest, primeval woodland inside an old volcanic crater, lies about 50 kilometers northwest, and an underground lava cave formed by cooled lava lies about 30 kilometers northwest. The lake itself is S-shaped, stretching 45 kilometers north to south with an average width of 2 to 3 kilometers, up to 6 kilometers at its widest, and covers about 90.3 square kilometers, shallower in the south and up to 60 meters deep in the north.

Jingpo Lake was included in the first batch of China's National Key Scenic Areas (国家重点风景名胜区). It was approved as a National Geopark in August 2005, and in September 2006 UNESCO named it a Global Geopark, in the third batch of such designations.

What to look for

• Diaoshuilou Waterfall and the dark volcanic rock around its drop.
• The northern lake and its shoreline views, with longer water routes subject to current boat operations.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jingpo Lake

Use the scenic area's North Gate and visitor-service area in Ning'an, then follow the authorised route toward Diaoshuilou Waterfall and the lakeside.

• Check the latest geopark notice before departure because weather and water levels can change gate and boat access.