Hongfeng Lake serves as Guiyang's primary source of drinking water. [Photo/WeChat account of Guiyang Daily]

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has announced its fourth list of Beautiful Rivers and Lakes excellence cases, with Guiyang's Hongfeng Lake earning this prestigious national recognition, making it the third water body in Guizhou province to receive this honor.

Hongfeng Lake is the largest artificial reservoir in central Guizhou and Guiyang's primary drinking water source. Its basin covers 1,596 square kilometers, with a water surface area of 57.2 sq km and a total storage capacity of 610 million cubic meters. It also holds dual status as a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a national wetland park.

In the 1990s, rapid industrialization and booming tourism severely degraded the lake's water quality and biodiversity. By 2006, water quality had plummeted to Class V or worse, nearly collapsing the ecosystem and threatening the drinking water safety of millions.

Hongfeng Lake is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. [Photo/WeChat account of Guiyang Daily]

In response, Guiyang launched a comprehensive, multi-dimensional protection campaign, marking a new chapter in harmony between humans and nature.

Now, the lake's primary protection zone is a "human-free area", and its secondary protection zone is an "industry-free area", with water quality that has remained consistently above Class III for years, with parts reaching Class II, maintaining a 100 percent compliance rate for five consecutive years.

Each spring, the lake's beauty reaches a spectacular peak as its cherry blossom garden bursts into bloom, acclaimed as "the most beautiful cherry blossom garden on the blue planet".

In 2024 alone, Hongfeng Lake attracted 2.17 million visits, generating 1.86 billion yuan in tourism revenue and driving a 43 percent increase in local homestays and farmhouse restaurants – demonstrating a model in which ecological conservation and community prosperity develop hand in hand.

The cherry blossom garden at Hongfeng Lake. [Photo/WeChat account of Guiyang Daily]