Songhua Lake (松花湖)

Songhua Lake (Songhua Hu) is a large reservoir created by the Fengman Dam on the Songhua River, in Fengman District, Jilin City, Jilin Province. The lake stretches among forested hills and is one of the main leisure destinations of the Jilin City area. In the warm months visitors take boat cruises from the pier near the dam, passing islands, wooded shores and the dam wall itself, with ticket sales organised by cruise operators at the pier. The scenic area opens roughly 8:00 to 17:00, with a general admission of about CNY 80. Around the lake there are walking paths, viewing points and several ski resorts that operate from December to March, and package deals for lift tickets, equipment and lessons are sold at the resorts. In winter the frozen lake supports ice fishing and rime-viewing walks, and the cold, clear air makes the shoreline a popular photo location. The reservoir is also the source of the warm outflow that creates the famous rime frost downstream at Wusong Island. A typical visit takes a half day, with the dam area reached from Jilin City centre by taxi or bus in about thirty minutes. Crowds are heaviest on summer weekends and during national holidays, when cruises can be fully booked, and on winter weekends when ski areas fill. Visitors can combine a cruise with a visit to the dam and nearby sights. Weather is cool even in summer on the water, so a light jacket is useful, and winter visitors need serious cold-weather clothing. Cruise schedules vary by season, and the larger, longer routes may run only when enough passengers are present.