Known Hidden Gem: Chongqing's Cangliang Lake – Once a Tourist Demonstration Area, Now Forgotten
Yesterday, Yu Fan shared about Dongfeng Tea Mountain located in Lizhai Village, Zitian Subdistrict, Chongquing City, Tongnan District, which was once a national-level agricultural tourism demonstration base, but is now reduced to unsupervised, weed-choked wilderness, arousing sighs. It's a terrible waste of such a good national-level tourist signboard. Many comments following the article expressed regret and sorrow.
Why was yesterday's article about Dongfeng Tea Mountain mentioned at the beginning of this article? Because this article is introducing the Cangliang Lake, which is adjacent to Dongfeng Tea Mountain and also a key component of the 2004 National-Level Agricultural Tourism Demonstration District, along with Dongfeng Tea Mountain. Tea Mountain is beautiful because of the lake, and the lake is beautiful because of the tea mountain; they are interdependent and mutually supportive.
Cangliang Lake and Dongfeng Tea Mountain are both located in Lizhai Village, Zitian Subdistrict, Tongnan District, Chongqing. It's an artificial lake built in the 1960s as a response to the slogan 'Dig Deep Ponds, Accumulate Grain, Don't Dominate'. The people of Tongnan spent ten years (from 1965 to 1975) to complete it.
Regarding the name Cangliang Lake, one explanation is based on the slogan 'Dig Deep Ponds, Accumulate Grain,' and the other is that its construction brought a blessing to the surrounding fields, allowing local villagers to no longer rely on the heavens, and they could harvest crops every year. Therefore, people called it a lake where grain was stored, and it was named Cangliang Lake. Cangliang Lake is about 30 meters deep with a storage capacity of approximately 1.3 million cubic meters, occupying 19 bays and 15 slopes. It is said to have 24 bays. Although people only considered the potential water supply for irrigation during the construction, they didn't think about its tourist and leisure effects, but this doesn't diminish its natural beauty.
After the new millennium, with people's 'pockets' getting richer, food security was solved, and life began to move towards higher-level leisure and tourism development. It was at this time that people realized that this lake (then called Cangliang Water Reservoir) not only could irrigate, but also could be used for fishing, boating, photography, and wild drinking. Therefore, together with Dongfeng Tea Mountain, it began to develop in the tourism sector, and was successfully approved as a National-Level Agricultural Tourism Demonstration District in 2004.
At that time, Cangliang Lake, along with Big Buddha Temple and Shuangjiang Ancient Town, were among the few national-level tourist landmarks in Tongnan. However, at that time, tourism was a novel concept, and there were almost no foreign tourists. These attractions didn't charge entrance fees. Local people would typically choose these places for weekend gatherings and outings. Compared to the rich cultural heritage of Big Buddha Temple and Shuangjiang Ancient Town, Dongfeng Tea Factory and Cangliang Lake were more popular due to their natural beauty.
However, like Dongfeng Tea Mountain, after upgrading to a national agricultural tourism demonstration base, people hoped that Cangliang Lake would have a new starting point and develop better, but instead, it wasn't a matter of unwillingness. It is said that the state invested tens of millions of yuan over several years (local people said it was unverified), and even now, there is little promotion, let alone foreign promotion; even in Chongqing, it's not widely known.
As a native of Tongnan Dongfeng, Yu Fan is very familiar with Cangliang Lake and often goes to the lake to pick mushrooms and play with his classmates. When he was in elementary school, his teacher organized his class to go to the lake to 'wild drink.' Although he was young at the time, he and his classmates cooked together, dividing labor and cooperating, and the experience of cooking and eating together remains vivid in his memory.
During the 'wild drinking,' the water in Cangliang Lake could be used to cook, and even drink directly. The water was very clear, and there were many fish (before the widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers), so the water was clear, and the fish were visible. The surrounding environment was not artificially decorated, and there was no human disturbance. Now, looking back, it feels like a fairy-tale land.
This set of photos were taken when Yu Fan and his friends went to Dongfeng Tea Mountain a few days ago. They used a drone to shoot the scenery on the mountain. Because the time was tight, they didn't go to the lake, so they didn't take close-up shots. From this photo, the lake is still the same lake, and it hasn't changed much after upgrading to a national-level tourist demonstration district for ten years (if you want to say something has changed, the water quality and ecology are not as good as before). The trees along the lake have been burned, and there's no one to manage them. There's no ring road path built, so for Yu Fan, who hopes that his hometown will get better, he still feels sorry.
However, from another perspective, for tourists, it's also good. Although there are no boats and other recreational facilities, it's free, no entrance fee, and there are almost no tourists, so they can enjoy the natural beauty of the lake and mountains, which is a pleasant experience. What do you think?
