Thousand Island Lake, China
What happens when you flood a valley containing over a thousand hills and mountains for a river dam project and hydroelectric station?
The peaks become islands, that’s what. And that’s how Thousand Island Lake—a.k.a. Qiandao Lake—got it’s name.
Qiandao Lake is now an awe-inspiring scenic area and tourist attraction, and our tour group got to board a mini cruise-ship for a short ride over to a couple of the islands. One of them was named Lock Island, and it soon became obvious how it got this moniker. It had a fun padlock theme, including what is supposedly the world’s largest lock and fences made of giant wooden locks.
![Giant locks making up a fence.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-009.jpg)
We were given a couple hours to “explore” this island, which in Chinese fashion, was absolutely free of litter and graffiti. It was an absolutely delightful, and gorgeous, destination. See photos below.
![Ceiling detail at the lobby of the ZTG Resort Thousand Island Lake hotel.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514.jpg)
![At the harbor where we'd board a cruise ship to visit some of the islands in Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-001.jpg)
![Woman in our tour group framed by a lion's mouth.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-002.jpg)
![On Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-003.jpg)
![My dad on the cruise ship at Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-004.jpg)
![Thousand Island Lake as viewed from an island.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-005.jpg)
![The islands we visited had a lock theme.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-006.jpg)
![Wall of a building on an island in Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-007.jpg)
![Boat in Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/images/q/qiandao_lake0514-008.jpg)
![My parents in front of a heart.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-010.jpg)
![A giant key frames a tourist taking a photo.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-011.jpg)
![Chinese characters on a wall.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-012.jpg)
![Bird.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-013.jpg)
![My parents in front a crescent display.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-014.jpg)
!["Love"](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-015.jpg)
![Chinese characters in a falling water display.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-016.jpg)
![Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-017.jpg)
![Boats on Thousand Island Lake.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-018.jpg)
![I assume that this is the world's largest lock that Wikipedia alluded to.](https://felixwong.com/gallery/thumbs/q/qiandao_lake0514-019.jpg)