Chongming Mingzhu Lake Park

Mingzhu Lake was originally a tributary of the southern branch of the Yangtze River, created by damming in the 1970s. Located in Lvhua Town in the western part of Chongming Island, it is now the largest natural inland lake on the island. It also forms the core of the western water entertainment resort and the western eco-agriculture sightseeing zone planned by the Chongming government. The lake covers about 6,500 mu (approx. 433 hectares), with a water surface of around 3,000 mu and a capacity of roughly 5 million cubic meters. It's a national AAAA scenic spot and a national eco-tourism demonstration base.

The lake boasts crystal-clear water, a graceful environment, and gorgeous natural scenery. Air quality here is rated top national level all year round, and water quality meets Grade II national standards. It's a new-concept eco-tourism hub on the edge of the metropolis, integrating sightseeing, wellness and recuperation, leisure clubs, cultural exhibition halls, eco-agriculture, and hands-on entertainment. It's an ideal holiday destination where Chongming's unique waterways, greenery, local customs, and warm hospitality come together.

On December 5th, 2020, I joined a day tour to Chongming Mingzhu Lake. The adult ticket was 99 RMB per person. There were 16 visitors in our van, and the one-way trip took 2.5 hours. We arrived at the park gate at 10:40. The guide mentioned that our group could have a free lunch at the floating restaurant, with the meal starting at 11:30. But we decided against it — having lunch would have left no time to walk around the lake. So we spent three hours strolling, sightseeing, and completing a full circuit of the lake. Bicycles for hire included tandem bikes, vintage-style carts, and amphibious vehicles, but it was a quiet rest day with very few people, just a scattering of cyclists. Every now and then, it's wonderful to come to a place like this and breathe the fresh air. A gentle, cool breeze lifts your spirits and leaves you feeling refreshed and cheerful. It was truly pleasant, just soaking up the crisp forest air.

The park is vast. A lap around the lake is 8 km. The Xisha Wetland next door wasn't open, and there weren't many amusement rides. The scenery around the natural lake was picture-perfect — clusters of shade trees, banks of flowers — though recreational facilities were sparse. All activities cost extra! And many areas are still under construction.

The Ancient Boat Relic is the first scenic sight at the north entrance of Mingzhu Lake Park. The boat placed here serves as a reminder that Chongming people have not forgotten their history and are grateful for the boats that once contributed to the island's economic development. It also celebrates the boat's spirit of forging ahead through wind and waves.

The Mingzhu Lake Floating Restaurant is just 100 meters from the main gate. Elegantly decorated and uniquely styled, it has 10 private rooms and a main dining hall with 20 tables, seating up to 300 guests. It's suitable for various small and medium-sized banquets. Using farmhouse ingredients and premium organic fish from Mingzhu Lake, the chefs' superb skills let you truly savor authentic farm-style fish feasts.

Flower Bridge Scenic Overlook: Built in 2009, the bridge is 72 m long and 31 m wide. It has 6-meter-wide traffic lanes on each side and a tiered pedestrian walkway in the middle. From the bridge, you take in the 'Three Ones': one embankment (the green ring dike), one lake (the ever-changing lake waters), and one river (the Chongming ring island diversion channel).

Smart Running Track: The longest, best leisure smart running track in Shanghai, combining recreation, intelligence, culture, and health. The full length is 8 km, including an eco-friendly rubberized track, a colored asphalt path, a floating bridge over water, and a lakeside footpath. The rubberized section is 6,500 m, the lakeside path 500 m, the colored asphalt 700 m, and the floating pontoon bridge 300 m. On both sides are rest shelters, mist sprayers, smart services, themed displays, sports art, and other multi-functional facilities.

Speedboats: Play the maritime cavalry and enjoy the thrill of flying (200 RMB per circuit, max 5 people). The speedboats are small, fast, and highly maneuverable. There are two enclosed and two open boats, so you can experience an adrenaline rush on Mingzhu Lake and admire the enchanting scenery.

Sightseeing Boats: The most relaxing way to enjoy the views and a supremely comfortable water tour. This is a signature attraction on Mingzhu Lake. The fleet consists of four painted pleasure boats. One is used for conferences (22 seats, equipped with audio-visual facilities). The other three are for tourists (30 RMB per person; the boat departs with a minimum of 10 people, maximum 36).

Amphibious Vehicles: Experience the double excitement on land and water (30 RMB per person, children's ticket 20 RMB for under 1.4 m). These vehicles function as both a car and a boat, driving on land and floating on water. They offer the thrill of plunging into the lake, splashing waves, and capturing panoramic water sports moments, as well as the dreamlike sensation of instantly switching between land and water.

Lake-Crossing Zip Line: Feel the width and depth of Mingzhu Lake from before the 1970s when it was the main channel of the southern branch of the Yangtze (30 RMB per person per ride). The zip line lets you overlook the panoramic beauty of the lake while experiencing the exhilarating width and century-long depth change of the original main waterway. It's also a superb spot to photograph all kinds of birds in flight.

Leisure Promenade: A 50-meter waterfront gallery where you can relax and enjoy the lake views. You can also drift leisurely in a rowboat, free to go wherever you like, embracing complete laid-back freedom. When tired, grab a coffee at the lakeside cafe or sample various delicacies in the restaurant.

The early winter gingko trees were turning into a riot of gorgeous colors.

The Xisha·Mingzhu Lake Scenic Area boasts exceptional ecological resources and a regional environment. Its natural lakes and dense forests are a haven for birds and a crucial stopover for migratory waterfowl. Every November to the following April, the area welcomes a group of 'mysterious visitors.' Dressed in plain black, yet possessing extraordinary fishing skills, they are — the wild cormorants.

Wild cormorants, commonly called fish hawks or water crows, are a nationally protected species (level II). They have black plumage with a greenish sheen, a small throat pouch under the chin, and a long bill with a hooked tip. They are expert fishers and excellent divers among birds.

Right now is the perfect time to observe cormorants. Come to Mingzhu Lake Park to see them — like sentinels, they stand in rows on wooden posts along the shore, forming a unique sight.

Migratory Bird Viewing Area: So more visitors can watch cormorants without disturbing them, the park has built a reed screen wall with small windows, ideal for photos and viewing. Domesticated cormorants are becoming rare on Chongming Island; only at Mingzhu Lake can you catch wild cormorants snatching fish in an instant.

Fish Specimen Hall: Displaying Yangtze fish species, it houses the country's largest specimen of black carp king. We passed by without going inside. The hall, built partly on water and partly on land, is located mid-lake on the west shore. The land section shows over 20 major fish species from Mingzhu Lake, including the four great carp of the Yangtze Estuary (black carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp). Most notably, there is a 1.62-meter-long black carp weighing over 75 kg — the country's champion. There are also rare Yangtze species like Chinese sturgeon, Reeves shad, and longsnout catfish. The water section features ornamental fish pools where you can feed and play with the fish.

Tongqu Xunmi Children's Playground: A fun-filled area, perfect for parent-child time. It has swings, slides, climbing nets, trampolines, and a brave path. Surrounded by greenery and shimmering lake, it's a place where adults and children interact, sharing childhood joy and creating simple, heartwarming memories. Nearby there are shops, a camping area, and a picnic spot — a place to eat and play as a family.

The smart self-balancing scooter is an intelligent personal transporter. By shifting your body weight, you control its direction, giving a sensation of moving effortlessly with your thoughts. It's especially appealing to trend-chasers, lifestyle enthusiasts, and fashion-forward pioneers who crave a distinctive mode of travel.

Mingzhu Lake Ecological Service Zone: Inside the lake area is a scenic spot called 'Soaring Upwards'. When you're out on the vast water, the boundless expanse greets you with a moist, refreshing sensation, as if immersed in a sea of green, a world of water — utterly delightful.

There's also a long, narrow footbridge in the park, so snug only two people can walk side by side, aptly nicknamed 'Lovers' Bridge'. Strolling across, you can see couples on tandem bikes along the wooded paths, people lazily basking on the grass, and idly admire the wildflowers and grass on both banks. Truly, it's like 'strolling through a painting, with love flowing over clear waters.'

The Water Sports Base: A spot for water sports experiences and training. When we passed by, we happened to see children having a sailing lesson. After their break, they ran back to the base.

Around-the-Island Scenic Footpath; South Jetty on the Water; Tongjing Bridge and Rainbow Bridge; Mingzhu Lake Landscape Stone.

Xisha National Wetland Park is at the southwest tip of Chongming Island, just across the dike from Mingzhu Lake. It covers 5,400 mu. It's the core exhibition area of Chongming Island National Geopark and the site of its monument. Also a national AAAA spot, it is currently Shanghai's only naturally tidal wetland with forested swamps and reed marshes, and the city's first national wetland park.

Around-the-Island Scenic Footpath; Cedar-View Lakeside Platform; Huaxi Station, the water-lily zone, and the floating pontoon bridge — still under construction.

Crooked Forest House: A magical visual experience; inside, it's being renovated. Although the house is tiny, less than 15 square meters, it gives an indescribable feeling. Here you can personally feel how your sense of sight can trick your balance — quite an educational experience.

The Pink Muehlenbergia (soft purple grass) landscape zone. After crossing the bridge, you reach the Wild Goose Free-Flying Zone: the only wild goose flying demonstration base in East China. Trained by professional handlers, hundreds of geese take to the sky, soaring through blue skies and clouds, splashing on the clear water, and interacting warmly with visitors. The spectacle is grand and magnificent, a top choice for tourists and photographers alike. There you can see large flocks of geese — they are incredibly cute.

The Mingzhu Lake Water Deer Breeding and Display Area is part of Shanghai's conservation project for the critically endangered Chinese water deer. The goal is to establish a semi-free-ranging population in the lake, enrich the wetland and forest ecosystem of Chongming Island, increase biodiversity, and eventually form a self-sustaining wild population of this native species.

Traffic Guide:

Metro Wenshui Road Station (Shenchong Line 3) & Wuzhou Avenue Metro Station (Shenchong Line 6) → Nanmen Bus Terminal → Nanniu Line Bus → Xisha Mingzhu Lake Scenic Area.

Baoyang Road Ferry Terminal & Shidongkou Ferry Terminal → Nanmen Bus Terminal → Nanniu Line Bus → Xisha Mingzhu Lake Scenic Area.

Xisha Mingzhu Lake Direct Tourist Coach:

Operates daily (advance seat reservation required).

Departure: Shanghai Tourist Distribution Center.

Self-driving:

Shanghai urban area → Wuzhou Avenue → Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel & Bridge → Chenhai Highway → Sanhua Highway → Xisha Mingzhu Lake Scenic Area.

Northern Jiangsu area → Chongqi Bridge → Xianghua Highway → Chenhai Highway → Sanhua Highway → Xisha Mingzhu Lake Scenic Area.