Located in the north of Jiangxi Province to
the south of the Yangtze River, the Poyang Lake is regarded as the largest
freshwater lake in China, covering an area of 2,933 square kilometers. The lake
depends on surface runoffs and rainfalls for water supply. Rivers flowing into
the lake include the Ganjiang River, Fuhe River, Xinjiang River, Raohe River,
Xiushui River, etc.
As a famous scenic area, the Poyang
Lake has numerous sights such as the Fallen-Star Boulder and the Big Solitary
Hill in the lake and Zhouyu Dianjiang Platform (the platform for Zhouyu, a
famous senior official in the Three Kingdoms Period, to name his soldiers for
particular posts) and Lake for Viewing Pavilion along the bank. At present,
tourists can visit all the separate sights by boating along a special tour
route.
The Poyang Lake is also a migratory birds
conservation area with a reputation of Kingdom of Rare Birds. Every year, from
October to March of the next year is the low-water season of the Poyang Lake.
During this period, masses of lake shoals and wetlands appear in the area and
various fish and shrimps breed in a large quantity, attracting numerous
migratory birds. The lake becomes a paradise for these birds, which are famous
for their large number, living-time through the winter and rare species in the
world. About 0.8-1 million birds of 148 kinds fly to the Poyang Lake each year,
including over 10 kinds of national first-class protected rare birds such as
write crane, write stork, black stork and swan. Several viewing spots are set up
in the migratory birds conservation area for visitors to enjoy this great
spectacle.