Donghu Vacationing Village

Donghu (east lake) Vacationing Village = Dōnghú dùjiǎ cūn = 东湖度假村

Approximately 7 1/4 miles (11.7 km) north of Gaoyou as the crow flies is the Donghu Vacation Village. For western visitors it might be also described as an eco-tourism park. We received a tour of the park in September 2008 guided by Mayor Ni Wencai. The pictures in the attached slideshow are from that visit.

The park surrounds a small lake where ducks and other waterfowl are encouraged to thrive. Much of the park is forested providing a refuge for migrating waterfowl. While we toured the park we didn't appreciate the uniquness of this sanctuary, but a look at the surrounding area on Google Earth reveals that forested area of any type is very limited in this part of China.

The park is a nesting site for egrets (I'm no bird expert but they appear to be Little Egrets). There is even a tall viewing platform that allows visitors to see the birds nesting in the treetops. Other features of the park include well maintained trails, and a clubhouse in the forest with a kitchen and dining room. Even though the power was off for our visit the kitchen staff was still able to prepare a fresh delicious meal. When we commented on how fresh and delicious the food was, the reply included mention that one of the chickens we saw entering the park was now on the table.