Zifang Lake
The name sounds elegant, and the scenery has an artistic flair. The lake is half shaded and half sunlit: one side glitters with golden light while the other is clear and emerald green.…
Zifang Lake, Yuntai Mountain
Key facts
- Guidebook rating
- 3 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 2112. Open in Google Maps
About Zifang Lake
The name sounds elegant, and the scenery has an artistic flair. The lake is half shaded and half sunlit: one side glitters with golden light while the other is clear and emerald green. At midday the lake surface acts like a giant mirror, reflecting the direct sunlight back out and dazzling the eye.
Tips from the guidebook
- Seated Buddha wonder: The mountain peak north of Zifang Lake closely resembles a seated Buddha. At dawn and dusk, when the sunlight falls on it, the great Buddha glows all over, making it one of Yuntai Mountain's great wonders.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Zifang Lake?
Zifang Lake is in Yuntai Mountain, Henan Province, in the Central China of China.
More places in Yuntai Mountain
Yuntai Mountain
When people mention Yuntai Mountain, many different places north and south of the Yangtze may come to mind, but the one meant here is the Yuntai Mountain of the line 'Everyone has a sprig of cornel in their hair but one', and the main production area of the famous 'Yuntai landform'.
¥120; sightseeing shuttle ¥60 · 1–3 days
Qingtian River
Daquan Lake is the highlight of Qingtian River. Here you can see northern pastoral scenery and feel the charm of southern waterside villages at the same time. Its middle section closely resembles the Wu Gorge, earning it the nickname 'Three Gorges of the North'. Inside the scenic area, Jinjialing Ridge turns a sea of red every autumn, arguably the finest autumn foliage in the Central Plains, and the thousand-year-old Yueshan Temple holds plaques and couplets bestowed by Emperor Qianlong, which are well worth seeing.
¥70; boat ticket ¥90 (full route); cable car ¥80 (full route) · 0.5–1 day
Shennong Mountain Scenic Area
To find out just how beautiful the 'Beauty Pine' is, you must visit Shennong Mountain. Nearly 16,000 white crane pines grow on sheer cliff tops, forming a 'Dragon Ridge Great Wall' that is quite spectacular from afar. This is where Emperor Yan, Shennong, is said to have distinguished the hundred grains and tasted the hundred herbs, so the mountain holds many precious medicinal herbs. A saying still circulates: 'One trip through Shennong Valley, and even illness cures itself.'
¥65; cable car ¥70 (full route) · 1 day
Macaque Valley
Large numbers of wild macaques live in groups throughout the scenic area.
Wanshan Temple
Wanshan Temple sits at the foot of Yanwang Nose Peak. Inside the temple stands a 1-metre-tall bronze Buddha, a gift from overseas Chinese in Thailand.
Hongshi Gorge
The most beautiful and most breathtaking part of Yuntai Mountain is Hongshi Gorge, where red rocks are scattered throughout the deep, secluded canyon. 'Stunning' is no exaggeration; the scenery is so dense it can take your breath away.