Located
in the central west of Jilin Province, the city of Songyuan has an area
of 22,000 square kilometers and a population of 2.62 million. It is
richly endowed by nature and has always been known as "an oil city,
a grain store, a meat store, a sea of forestm and a fish producer."
The Songhua, Second Songhua, Nenjiang, and Lalin rivers flow through
the city. Songyuan enjoys conveinet transportation and prompt commuications
facilities. Urban construction has changed the city's outlook with each
passing day, while people's livelihood has improved year by year. At
presnet, the overall economic strenth of Songyuan holds the fourth place
among cities in the province.
Qagan Lake
Also called Qagan Nur, Qagan Lake is the largest inland lake in Jilin
Province and one of the ten largest freshwater lakes in China. The lake
water extends 40,000 hectares in northwestern Qianguo County, with Qian'an
to the west and Da'an City to the north. The lake is linked with Xindian,
Xindian, Xinmiao, and Kuli lakes. The spindle-shaped Qagan Lake is 37
kilometers from south to north and 17 kilometers from east to west,
and its circumference zigzags for 128 kilometers. It presnets and enchanting
scenery with a vast expanse of water grown with reeds, in which birds
find their homes and fish swim leisurely. Qagan Lake is a noted fishing
ground, a production base of reeds, and a natural tourist attraction
in Jilin Province.
Clay Forest in Qian'an
A topographic spectacle, the Clay Forest in Qian'an was formed as a
result of wind erosion and water scouring of the alkaline soil on the
eastern shore of Dabusu, a soda lake. The lake shore features two terraces
with a height difference of more than 20 meters. The Clay Forest is
known as the "Langya (Wolf Fangs) Dam" or the "Valley
of Devils" because of its grisly atmosphere and the strange things
that often happen there. In an area of 7.5 kilometers from south to
north and 1 kilometer from east to west, the Clay Forest presents various
formations. Some look like a sharp swords thrusting into the sky, some
sprawl on the ground like golden Buddhas, and others stand like ancient
armoured warriors having nature under their thumbs. The fantasitc landscape
there makes one realize the charm of nature.
There are too many scenes at the bottom of the valley for the eye to
take in, where different soil properties present different colors -
white chequeredd with golden yellow, and dark black touched with purplish
red. Looked up from the bottom, every cluster of the clay formations
resembles an exquisite sculpture had to come by in the human world.
Originally, there was a village by the lakeside, which can be proved
by the ancient coins and other remians of the villagers found there.
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