China travel23

Longqing Gorge is located in the northwest of Yanqing County. With rolling hills and sheer cliff, it is reputed as the "Lijiang River outside the Great Wall" and the "Lesser Three Gorges". The gorge used to be a reservior long time ago. It was so named because of Yanqing County, when it was known as Longqing Prefecture. It was a famous tourist attraction during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1981, a double -arched-shaped dam, 72 meters tall and 90 meters long, was built over the river. The Longqing Gorge Revervior covers an area of 340,000 square meters at an average depth of 20 meters. The sightseeing is unique traveling by boat. There are more than 30 scenic spots along the banks, such as the Buddha Safeguarding the Mountain, Stone Bear Jumping over the Rock, East and West Villages, Divine Writing Brush Peak, Moon Bay. Institute of Immortals and 100-Flower Cave, all being named according to their appearances .

The mean temperature in the summer at Longqing Gorge is 6.4 degree centigrade lower than that in Beijing, and even 0.8 degrees centigrade lower than that in Chengde, thus making it an ideal summer resort for tourists. The lower temperature and the long frozen period in winter also offer favorable conditions for ice culture. Since the winter of 1987, a large exhibition of ice sculptures and ice lanterms has been held annually.