Xinfengjiang Reservoir, reservoir in Guangdong, China
Xinfengjiang Reservoir, also known as Wanlü Lake, is a large man-made body of water in Heyuan created by damming the Xinfeng River. The water is known for its clarity and is used to produce mineral water sold throughout South China.
The dam was begun in the late 1950s and finished in the late 1960s as part of a national effort to improve water management in the region. During construction, several towns were flooded and thousands of residents had to leave their homes and relocate to higher ground.
The name Wanlü Lake ("evergreen lake") was adopted in 1994, when Dongyuan County decided to develop tourism and renamed the reservoir after seeing Zhejiang's Qiandao Lake. The first scenic spot, Delüzha (later Qisong Island), opened that August. Today the scenic area includes Longfeng Island, Jinghuayuan, Shuiyue Bay, Guishan and the Wanlü Lake Hakka Folk Museum.
The dam lies about 6 km northwest of Heyuan's downtown, roughly 170 km from Guangzhou, at the Yaposhan gorge on the lower Xinfeng River. The main visitor areas are on the lake's islands and shores, reached by boat from the Wanlü Lake docks. The reservoir is also the water source for Heyuan and the Pearl River Delta, so swimming and other contact with the water is restricted.
The water is so clean that it is sometimes described as nearly drinkable and is used for mineral water production sold across South China. This level of purity is uncommon for a large reservoir and makes it an important resource for the region's water supply.
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