Chao Lake Lake

Address: Chao Lake (Chaohu), Anhui Province, China

Chao Lake (Chaohu) is a large freshwater lake in Anhui province, eastern China; it is one of the country’s five largest freshwater lakes and has an approximate area of about 760 square kilometres.

Shorelines include reed beds, fishing villages, and beaches used for recreation and local fisheries. The lake supports birdlife and fishing activity and offers boat outings and shoreline walks on public sections of the shore.

The lake has long been an economic center for fishing and local transport in central Anhui. In recent decades it has been the focus of major environmental remediation and water-management projects to address eutrophication and pollution.

Chao Lake lies in central Anhui province, with the city of Hefei and other county-level towns located on its western and northern shores; the lake occupies a lowland basin in the eastern-central part of the province.

• Size: Covers roughly three quarters of a thousand square kilometres, making it one of China’s five largest freshwater lakes.
• Environmental issues: Subject of large-scale environmental management and cleanup efforts after decades of industrial and agricultural pollution; water quality has been a focus of provincial programs.

Chao Lake (Chaohu) is a large lake in Anhui province near the city of Chaohu and within driving distance of Hefei. The lake shoreline is reached by car via regional roads from Hefei; travel time by car will vary with your chosen shore but is commonly around 1-1.5 hours from Hefei depending on traffic and the specific part of the lake visited.

Regular intercity and local buses run between Hefei and towns around Chaohu; once in the lake towns you typically walk or take a short local taxi/bus ride to specific lakeside spots.

• Plan for sunrise or sunset visits to Chaohu (Chao Lake) for the best light and reflections over the water, when local fishermen and lakeside villages are most photogenic.
• Travel via Hefei-Chaohu is served by road links from the city and many day excursions depart from Hefei, so use Hefei as your base for transport and logistics.
• If you plan to go on the water or swim, check local notices or recent reports beforehand; conditions and water quality can vary seasonally.