Thousand Island Scenery, a Private Lake | Five Routes to Unlock Qiandaohu’s Autumn and Winter Charms

Foreword
Qiandaohu Scenic Area
When towering mountains sink into the lake and become 1,078 scattered islands, you get the lake with the most islands in the world—Qiandaohu. Together with Xian Island Lake in Yangxin, Hubei, and the Thousand Islands in Kingston, Canada, it forms the "World’s Three Great Thousand-Island Lakes." Qiandaohu changes with the seasons, each one offering something different. Cycle around the lake surrounded by mountains and water, or drift on the water at autumn or winter sunset. Mountains have become isles, land has become marsh—the thousand-island scenery is endlessly varied.
Suggested Itinerary
I’ve been to Qiandaohu more times than I can count, and every visit brings a new way to play and a fresh surprise. This time, a 6-day, 5-night trip took me to over 20 spots. It was rushed—there’s never enough time to do it all—so I’ve put together five two-day, one-night routes for anyone thinking about a weekend getaway here.
Five Routes (Each Two Days, One Night)
1. Adventure Route:
Day 1: Beer Town (the adrenaline-pumping Ranqing go-karts + the teamwork of tandem kayaking with Zhulangzhe) + Original Craft Beer Experience Center (meals) + No. 66 Mountain Lodge (stay)
Day 2: Sky-high hot air balloon + Tianxiang paragliding + Wild World Nature Adventure Park + Hao Like Hotel or Club Med Joyview Qiandaohu Resort (both have excellent food and lodging; Club Med is more family-focused)
2. Cycling Route:
Day 1: The same route Wu Lei took—Qianfen Line + Wanfeng Hotel (meals and stay)
Route: 80 km total; you can adjust the distance to your level. There are well-equipped cycling rest stops along the way for refueling.
Path: Qiandaohu Square → Qiandaohu Bridge → Jieshou Township → Jiangjia Town
I started from Jieshou (near the Asian Games venue), passing Xiaojinshan Bridge and Red Leaf Bay along the way.
Day 2: Head back
3. Leisure Route:
Day 1: Dream Island + Xiling Study + Peninsula Camp (fireside tea) + Hao Like Hotel (meals and stay)
Day 2: Ideal Garden + Moonlight Love (night tour) + Yuan Yiju Hotel (meals and stay)
4. Family Route:
Day 1: Club Med Joyview Qiandaohu Resort (all-inclusive dining, activities, and stay) + Jieshou Orange Base (picking oranges in Jieshou)
Day 2: Head back
5. Self-Drive Route: Chunyang Line + Baixiao Line
There are plenty of pull-off spots along the way where you can stop for photos or a quick break.
One: Adventure Route | Alive on the Shores of Qiandaohu
Qiandaohu has long been known as "the finest water under heaven," and Beer Town is a gem within this lake region. It has a strong European flavor—a bit like Montreux on Lake Geneva. Strolling through town feels like stepping back in time. There are few visitors here, making it a rare and excellent spot for photography. A few elegant European-style buildings, some vintage foreign cars, and columns wrapped in flowers and vines—it turns out Europe is right here, just a step away.
Qiandaohu Beer Town is modeled on the local brewery and blends industry, commerce, and tourism. It merges European charm with Qiandaohu’s beer culture, using beer and music as the thread, the Beer Museum as the core, beer spas as a specialty, and Ranqing go-karts as the highlight. Through "fine wine, fine food, fine views, and fine music," it’s a beer-themed park built for leisure, dining, and entertainment.
The high-speed Ranqing go-karts ignite the thrill of beer and racing. There’s a professional 1,000-meter lakeside kart track here. Whether you’re with family, on a team-building trip, or out with friends, you can feel the rush of speed and excitement.
Energy-absorbing barriers, anti-rollover systems, impact protection, helmets, and racing suits—everything is in place for your safety. Helmet on, tearing around the track, all your worries melt away. It’s a great way to sharpen your focus, too. The venue also hosts karting events of all sizes, so if you’re interested, keep an eye out for future races and catch top-tier drivers from home and abroad showing off their skills.
Outside the Ranqing Kart Park, the sunset spills across the entire lake. On the water sits the Zhulangzhe Water Sports Center, built with an investment of over 5 million yuan. Kayaks, paddleboards, rowing boats—you name it. With scenery like this, you have to end the day with a romantic kayak paddle in the fading light.
The orange-glow sunset turns the lake into an oil painting. Paddling across Qiandaohu’s surface, I finally understood the line: "The setting sun flies with the solitary duck, autumn waters merge with the vast sky." I wasn’t at Tengwang Pavilion, but the feeling was the same.
The beauty of a sunset is that you never tire of it, no matter how many times you see it. Back on shore, I headed to the iconic lighthouse. An S-shaped glass bridge connects to it, and in the distance, clouds glow with color while mountains layer in silhouette. The lighthouse takes on a solitary, timeless air.
This scene calls to mind Li Bai’s verse: "Autumn water brightens the setting sun, flowing light dims the distant hills." I imagine in that slower era, without the noise of technology, the mountains and water carried all emotion, and the grass and trees brought pure peace of mind.
While in Beer Town, you have to learn the story of Qiandaohu beer. The Qiandaohu Beer Museum is nothing like a typical educational exhibit—it completely breaks the mold of what a museum should be. Beyond beer culture, it covers beer music, beer art, beer passion, beer beauty, beer food, and beer lifestyle. The whole place is lively and fun, and it’s great for kids to learn, too.
There are tons of photo-worthy spots inside. "Beer Saves the World" is especially photogenic. You can learn all about beer and sample a wide variety for free—beer lovers are in for a treat.
Past the museum, there are experiences like drunk-driving simulators and a dizzy room. It’s probably the only place where you won’t get pulled over for being "under the influence."
"Enjoy life while you can; don’t let the golden cup sit empty under the moon." Li Bai’s carefree spirit lives on in every toast and every sip, and Qiandaohu’s wide range of beers will surely send you home satisfied.
The food in Beer Town is just as authentic. At the Original Craft Beer Experience Center, I had a Western meal at a restaurant that blends Chinese and Western cuisine into Qiandaohu’s beer culture, serving up the trendiest dishes around.
A whole wall of "beer" gives the place an immersive feel, and the refined, beautifully plated dishes opened up my appetite after a day of stunning views. Beer, music, food—this combination is hard to leave behind anytime.
In Qiandaohu, you should stay somewhere nestled against the hills and lake. No. 66 Mountain Lodge gets first pick of this scenery. The owner, driven by a love for Fuwen Township and a longing for rural life, created a quiet retreat here.
In front of the lodge is a wide stretch of natural lake view. As they say, the brave enjoy the world first—this is basically a real-life "Peach Blossom Spring."
Rooms are named after flowers paired with rustic terms like "ridge," "cove," "slope," "bend," and "valley"—names like Osmanthus Hollow, Azalea Slope, Crepe Myrtle Ridge, and Cherry Blossom Valley. The rooms are spacious with complete amenities. There’s even a huge bathtub where you can soak while gazing at the lake—a true wellness retreat.
Wooden floors paired with white soft furnishings make for a very comfortable stay. Every window in the room frames the lake outside. This hillside lake-view spot is perfect for a short getaway or weekend escape, with that lovely sense of "returning to nature."
The next morning, I headed straight for the sky-high hot air balloon. No need to go to Yunnan—here you can experience a "Up" style adventure, soaring above a thousand islands with 360° lake views. As the earliest form of human flight, hot air balloons require specific weather, terrain, and surroundings. Qiandaohu delivers the perfect conditions.
Flying over Qiandaohu, taking in the full panorama, feels straight out of a movie.
The Qiandaohu Island-Lake Sky Hot Air Balloon Club is one of the few operators licensed for restricted lighter-than-air aircraft. It’s among the most professionally equipped and technically advanced balloon clubs in the country, which adds plenty of peace of mind to the whole dreamy experience. If you’re after