Dongjiang Lake

Dongjiang Lake was created by a dam in the 1980s, and water released from deep in the reservoir comes out at around eight degrees into air that is far warmer, so on most mornings from spring to autumn a dense mist rises off the river below the dam and hangs over the water until the sun burns it off. Fishermen work the river in small boats casting round nets through the fog, and the combination has made the stretch one of the most photographed in China, with viewing platforms built on the banks and casting staged for photographers at set times. The lake above, dotted with wooded islands, is toured by boat.

What you actually see

• The steaming river - mist rising off cold released water at dawn.
• The net casting - fishermen throwing round nets through the fog.
• The island lake - wooded islands in the reservoir above the dam.
• The viewing platforms - built banks where photographers gather.

When to go

April to October, when the temperature difference produces mist most reliably; it forms before dawn and lifts within a couple of hours. Winter mornings are less consistent. Photographers arrive in the dark.

Honest expectations

The casting is staged for photographers and paid for, not spontaneous fishing. Platforms are crowded on good mornings. Mist depends on air temperature and does not appear every day.

Nearby

Chenzhou lies southwest; the Guangdong border is south.