travel in china Qiandao Lake

Qiandao Lake (lake of thousand islands) is a man-made lake located in Chun'an County, Zhejiang province, southern China, formed since the completion of the Xinanjiang hydroelectric station. There are 1,078 large islands in the lake and a few thousand smaller ones. It covers an area of 573 km², it has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³. The total area of the islands in the lake is about 86 km².
Qiandao Lake is known for its clear, and sometimes, drinkable water, such as that used to produce the renowned Nongfu Spring brand of mineral water. It is also home to lush forestation (over 90%), and exotic islands, its more popular attractions include the Bird Island, the Snake Island, the Lock Island (featuring supposedly the world's biggest lock), the Island to Remind You of Your Childhood.
The lake is an important tourist attraction of Zhejiang. Newer housing developments have sprung up since the late 1990s at a reasonable cost to buyers looking for lakeside residences.

There are hourly buses that connect Qiandao Lake with the provincial capital, Hangzhou, under which it is technically under jurisdiction. A railway development project to the area was ceased as it was considered damaging to the natural sights of Qiandao Lake. An expressway will be linking Hangzhou, Qiandao Lake, and Huangshan, Anhui by 2008.