# Dongting Lake and Junshan Island (洞庭湖和君山)

Yueyang, Hunan Province · Central China, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/dongting-lake-and-junshan-island
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Junshan Island ¥78
- **Opening hours:** 08:30-17:30 (year-round)
- **Time needed:** 2–4 hours
- **Address:** Dongting Lake, Liulinzhou Subdistrict, Junshan District, Yueyang City
- **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
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Waterfront, Wildlife, Nature

## 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.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 1952. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
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