Songyuan is a small city by the beautiful Songhua river in northern Jilin province. It borders
the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the west and Heilongjiang province in the north.
Songyuan is richly endowed with hundreds of rivers and lakes, and distinguishes itself for its
charming water landscapes. The Chagan Lake, covering an area of 400 square kilometers in
the Qianguo Mongolian Autonomous County, is one of the ten largest freshwater lakes in
China, and also home to some 70 species of fish. Its name is derived from a Mongolian word
meaning 'white lake', as Chagan is densely covered with lush translucent reeds. The lake area
is not only a major fishery and reed production base in Jilin, but also one of the most famous
scenic destinations in the region. The lake is surrounded by a vast sea of pasture and wetlands,
which provide a paradise for many wild animals and plants. In recent years, the local
government has installed a wealth of modern tourist facilities around the lake area, and turned
it into a pleasant and attractive tourist resort. It is an hour's ride to Chagan Lake from
Songyuan city. The whole area is divided into several parts, including a fishing village, an
ethnic Mongolian village and a botanic garden. So visitors can entertain themselves with
beautiful scenery and interesting activities, and dampen their slavering taste buds with fresh
aquatic food. But I think the best time to go there may be in July and August, when the
annual Mongolian Folklore Tourist Festival is held along the lake. From Chagan lake you can
also take a cruise to enjoy the idyllic grasslands and rice fields along the 54-kilometer-long
Yinsong Canal, which was dug 20 years ago and links Chagan lake with the faraway Songhua
River. Fifteen kilometers northeast of Chagan lake are the ruins of the 1000-year-old Tahu
city, which was a thriving city during the Liao and Jin dynasties. The city is square in shape
and surrounded by 6-meter-high earth walls. Today we can still find many historical remains
at the site, such as the city moat, watch towers, terraces, workshops and tombs. As one of
the best-preserved city ruins from the Liao and Jin periods, Tahu city attracts historians and
visitors alike. Dabusu lake in Qian’an county is another famous tourist site in Songyuan.
The saline lake is called a treasure bowl by the local people, because it is abundant in a wide
variety of minerals and offers a wide range of revenue-generating sources for the locals.
Dabusu is also covered with thick reeds and water plants, which attract numerous birds
to the area. The lake region is a haven for some 100 species of fowl, including wild geese,
barks, swans, red-crowned cranes and many other birds whose names can only be
remembered and pronounced by ornithologists. When visitors arrive they are approached
by thousands of birds, chirping happily over your head as if extending you a warm welcome.
Enjoying their singing and dancing, you can’t but be deeply impressed by the harmonious
bond between man and nature.