Dongting Lake and Junshan Island
The vast expanse of Dongting Lake is truly spectacular. Visitors who enjoy the rain and quiet reflection may visit Yueyang Tower from mid-April to early June. This is the rainy season,…
Dongting Lake and Junshan Island, Yueyang
Key facts
- Admission
- Junshan Island ¥78
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Getting there
- Take the tourist shuttle line and get off at the Junshan Scenic Area (bus stop); you can also take a ferry from Yueyang Tower or Nanyuepo Pier, return fare ¥60
- Guidebook rating
- 4 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 1952. Open in Google Maps
About Dongting Lake and Junshan Island
The vast expanse of Dongting Lake is truly spectacular. Visitors who enjoy the rain and quiet reflection may visit Yueyang Tower from mid-April to early June. This is the rainy season, and sitting quietly in the tower, listening to the wind and rain and watching the churning waves, while reading the "Record of Yueyang Tower" inside, creates a mood that words cannot fully capture.
The lake beneath Yueyang Tower has been known since ancient times as "Eight Hundred Li Dongting." Although its area is now about half of what it once was, it is still China's second-largest freshwater lake, with misty waves stretching to the horizon and water meeting sky. It fits the description "it holds distant mountains and swallows the Yangtze, vast and rolling, without end."
The most legendary sites on Junshan are the Tomb of the Two Consorts and Liuyi Well. According to legend, E'huang and Nüying wept tears onto the bamboo here, which is why the island is also famous for its many varieties of bamboo. Liuyi Well is said to be the entrance through which Liu Yi, in folk legend, travelled to the Dragon Palace of Dongting to look for the Dragon Princess.
Tips from the guidebook
- 1. Best season to visit: Dongting Lake is in its dry season from October to April and its rainy season from May to September. The landscape of Eight Hundred Li Dongting is best seen during the high-water season.
- 2. Junshan: After leaving Yueyang Tower, take a boat directly to Junshan. There are guesthouses on the island where you can stay, as well as restaurants serving whole-fish banquets.
- 3. Sanjiangkou: Do not miss Sanjiangkou on your visit to Dongting Lake. This is where the Xiang River, the Jing River and Dongting Lake all flow into the mighty Yangtze, and the view is breathtaking.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Dongting Lake and Junshan Island cost?
Admission to Dongting Lake and Junshan Island is Junshan Island ¥78, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
How do I get to Dongting Lake and Junshan Island?
Take the tourist shuttle line and get off at the Junshan Scenic Area (bus stop); you can also take a ferry from Yueyang Tower or Nanyuepo Pier, return fare ¥60
How long should I spend at Dongting Lake and Junshan Island?
Plan on 2–4 hours for Dongting Lake and Junshan Island.
Where is Dongting Lake and Junshan Island?
Dongting Lake and Junshan Island is in Yueyang, Hunan Province, in the Central China of China.
More places in Yueyang
Yueyang Tower
Fan Zhongyan's famous "Record of Yueyang Tower" has done a great deal to promote the tower. Yueyang Tower stands on the shore of Dongting Lake. To the north it looks out over the eastward-flowing Yangtze River, and to the south it overlooks the Three Xiang and Four Rivers. Its setting, with mountains and water on either side, feels open and expansive. Together with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, it is known as one of the "Three Great Towers of the Jiangnan Region."
¥70 · 2–3 hours
Shiniuzhai
The stronghold takes its name from a huge boulder on its western side that resembles a yellow ox ("shiniu" means stone ox). Shiniuzhai has steep, perilous terrain, with cliffs rising in ranks. Its scenery is unusual. The sights inside the stronghold are known for their dramatic, perilous character and can be summed up as: "One Ox, Two Turtles, Three Passes; Four Bridges, Five Villages, Six Ravines; Seven Wonders, Eight Temples; a hundred and eight cliffs of boundless scenery." Especially rare is the well-preserved ancient city wall, more than 2,000 metres long. Shiniuzhai enjoys the reputation of being the "First Stronghold Under Heaven."
Combination tickets range from ¥148 to ¥248, depending on the package · 3–5 hours
Quzi Temple
While he was exiled, Qu Yuan once lived on Yusi Mountain by the Miluo River. After Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River, local people built Quzi Temple in his memory. The temple that stands today was rebuilt in the Qing dynasty and largely reflects Qing architectural style. It has three halls, with courtyards at the front, back, left and right. In the centre is a cinnabar pond with a large flower platform, where a golden osmanthus tree more than 300 years old grows. The corridor walls are inlaid with many stone tablets carved with poems, verses and rhapsodies by later visitors paying their respects.
¥55 · 1–2 hours