!!!Thousand Island Lake

by Dmitry Moiseenko and
Stas Sedov,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

In 1959, Zhejiang province of China was in need of a hydroelectric power
station, and so they built the Xin'an River Dam.

The routine technical project (which happens on a regular basis
everywhere around the world) turned not only into a new industrial
facility, but also a rather interesting landmark of China.

[{Image src='01_Thousand Island Lake, China.jpg' caption='Thousand Island Lake, China' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='493'}]

Because of the dam, the territory of 570 square kilometers, where 1,377
villages used to be with a population of 290,000 people, went under
water. The new lake was called Qiandaohu (which literally means
"Thousand Island Lake" in Chinese). However, the original water level
lasted only for a short period of time. After a while, the water went
down, opening small islands of various shapes.

[{Image src='02_Thousand Island Lake, China.jpg' caption='Thousand Island Lake, China' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='357'}]

Year after year, the number of the unusual islands grew, and now this
basin of water is called the Thousand Island Lake, which may not be
completely accurate. Today, Qiandaohu has 1,078 islands of relatively
large size and a countless number of tiny patches of land peaking from
under the water. The total water volume of the lake is 17.8 cubic
kilometers, and the combined area of the islands is about 86 square
kilometers. Good climate and water promoted lush vegetation on the
islands, and now forests with lots of animals and birds cover over 80
percent of the land.

[{Image src='03_Thousand Island Lake, China.jpg' caption='Thousand Island Lake, China' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='381'}]

Qiandaohu is also known for its crystal clear water. One of the large
Chinese mineral water manufacturers sources its water from the lake.
Besides, the lake is famous for its ancient history. In 2002, underwater
archeologists discovered 2 counties that used to be located here: Sui'an
and Chun'an. Both are approximately 1,800 years old. On their territory,
there is a well-preserved ancient city called Shi Cheng ("Lion City").
The buildings, walls, and pagodas are a perfect example of the Eastern
Han Dynasty architecture.

[{Image src='04_Thousand Island Lake, China.jpg' caption='Thousand Island Lake, China' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='609'}]

It took local authorities some time to figure out how to make a profit
from this discovery. They considered diving excursions and even
partially draining the lake to show the buildings that are now hidden
underwater. However, these ideas were rejected, and now they plan to
build a so-called "Archimedes Bridge," a submerged floating tunnel.

Our panoramas let you enjoy the view of Qiandaohu, the lake with such a
unique history. By the way, let us remind you that we photographed
another unique man-made lake before- Lake Powell, a reservoir on the
Colorado River in the USA.

\\ \\
[4 Panoramas of Thousand Island Lake|Geography/Asia/China/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Thousand_Island_Lake]










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