[2025 Yinchuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park (Updated Jan)

Traveling Together Season 16: Gansu-Qinghai-Ningxia Road Trip (2): Mingcui Lake, the Pearl of the Desert Yinchuan, Ningxia August 30, 2023 Sunny, 14–30°C, 1,060 m above sea level. The Air China flight I took was delayed for more than half an hour due to air traffic control, and landed at Yinchuan Hedong International Airport at 1:10 pm. I completed the car rental procedures at the parking lot of the terminal building and started my road trip in Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia. I still had some time in the afternoon, so I went to Mingcui Lake in Yinchuan. Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park (4A) (Photo 1) is located in Xingqing District, Yinchuan, 9 km from downtown Yinchuan and 5 km from Hedong Airport. It is one of the first national wetland parks named by the State Forestry Administration, and the third in China (the first two are Qin Lake in Taizhou and Xixi in Hangzhou). It is also the first wetland park in the Yellow River Basin in Northwest China, and is known as one of the six most beautiful wetland parks in China and the best wetland for ecological protection in China. Mingcui Lake was originally called Daozu Lake, and was the middle section of Chang Lake in the Ming Dynasty. It was renamed Mingcui Lake because of the green reeds and the birds chirping among them (Photo 2). After entering the scenic area, I first took a painted boat and shuttled through the reeds (Photo 3). It was the blooming season of reed flowers, and the branches swayed and danced in the wind (Photo 4). I walked to the pier and along the boardwalk. A large area of lotus flowers had just withered, but a few tenacious ones were still standing proudly (Photo 5). The double-row waterwheel with a diameter of 16 meters turned slowly, telling the story of the past and present of this ancient irrigation tool created by the working people (Photos 6–7). I climbed to the top floor of the observation tower and enjoyed a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the park (Photos 8–9). The lake and the willows, the grass and the trees, and the smoke and the mist were not in Jiangnan, but better than Jiangnan. After dinner, I went to a supermarket near the hotel to stock up on some food and supplies. I stayed in Yinchuan tonight and will go to Alxa League tomorrow.

"Looking far away, the egrets fly in pairs, looking close, the lotus leaves are turned over by the wind." Mingcui Lake has beautiful scenery all year round. In spring, you can hear the birds singing, in summer, you can enjoy the lotus and the breeze, in autumn, you can visit the reed maze, and in winter, you can enjoy the snow. In spring, the lake in Mingcui Lake Scenic Area is full of willows, the grass and trees are full of smoke, the birds are flying, and the fish are jumping. It is a good place for citizens to go for a walk, hike, and enjoy flowers. In summer, the breeze is blowing by the Mingcui Lake, and the lotus is overflowing. Facing the morning sun, boating on the lake, picking lotus, enjoying lotus, and swimming in the wetland reed maze are refreshing. The cool water expansion project in the scenic area and the experience of hot pot barbecue by the lake are even more memorable. "The sunset and the lonely bird fly together, and the autumn water is the same color as the long sky." In autumn, take a walk by Mingcui Lake, pick early autumn lotus pods, chase the reed flowers in the wind, enjoy the wild chrysanthemums on the roadside, watch the egrets fly together, and feel the comfortable and leisurely slow life. In winter, Mingcui Lake has become a snowy and icy world. Here, you can gallop on the ski field to experience speed and passion, and enjoy the bright sunshine.

🌸🍃Mingcui Lake, this dazzling pearl of the West, is nestled in nature, like a flowing painting. As one of the first national wetland parks named by the State Forestry Administration and the third in the country, it carries the charm of nature and is also known as one of the 'Six Most Beautiful Wetland Parks in China.' 🌸In midsummer, Mingcui Lake is even more beautiful, making people linger and forget to return. The lotus, the spirit of this wetland, either blooms brightly or waits to bloom. The green reeds, intertwined with the lotus flowers, create a fairyland with every snapshot. 🌊The reed maze is a major feature of Mingcui Lake, with winding waterways presenting the unpredictable beauty of nature. Every step is full of unknowns and surprises. 🦢Mingcui Lake is also a paradise for birds. In the transition between spring and summer, thousands of birds inhabit and breed here, with the crisp sound of birdsong echoing. 💦The pure wooden two-wheel waterwheel adds a touch of the past to Mingcui Lake. 📸Mingcui Lake, a wetland park full of natural beauty and ecological charm, awaits your exploration!

Yinchuan's Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park might be considered somewhat niche by many people. But if you travel to Yinchuan, I recommend you visit Mingcui Lake. The scenic beauty of the lake and mountains, with the green swaying lake, should hit your aesthetic spot, making you exclaim that it's worth every penny. In the summer, Yinchuan Mingcui Lake is like an ink-wash landscape painting, serene yet vivid. The sunlight scatters on the lake surface, sparkling like countless stars dancing. Here, every step is poetry, and every scene is a painting. 🗺Tour Route: Main Entrance → Moonlight Pier → Reed Maze → Yellow River Waterwheel → Thousand-acre Lotus Pond → Water World → Wetland Science Center → Land Expansion → Dragon Path → Seeking Path → Listening Spring 🌟Highlights: ✅Take a boat through the reed maze, navigating the winding waterways amidst lush reeds. The reeds sway green, the waterways meander, making it a paradise for birds and a haven for photography enthusiasts. ✅Mingcui Lake is located at the junction of the Loess Plateau and the Yellow River, only 10 kilometers from Yinchuan city center. It is one of the "Six Most Beautiful Wetland Parks in China." Here stands the Yellow River waterwheel, where you can feel the wisdom and charm of agricultural civilization. ✅Adjacent to the Yellow River waterwheel is the thousand-acre lotus pond. In midsummer, the lotus flowers bloom, filling the pond with green, a breathtaking sight. ✅The Wetland Science Center has an observation tower where you can overlook the entire beauty of Mingcui Lake. At the Wetland Science Education Center, you can also learn more about wetlands. ✅If you like water activities, head to Water World. With numerous projects like tsunami surfing and rainbow slides, you can have fun and stay cool in the summer. East of Yinchuan, by the Yellow River, run wild and free. Here lies ten thousand acres of natural wetlands, here is Mingcui Lake. 📝Practical Tips: 📍Detailed Address｜Ningxia Yinchuan • Mingcui Lake Wetland Park 🕙Opening Hours｜8:00～18:30 (Monday to Friday) 8:00～19:00 (Saturday to Sunday)

The title of 'Jiangnan Beyond the Great Wall' is well-deserved! Yinchuan Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park, named after the phrase 'Two orioles sing amid the green willows,' offers the beautiful wetland scenery of 'A row of egrets ascends to the blue sky' upon entering the park. With lush vegetation and shaded green trees, and a cool breeze blowing, it is an excellent place to escape the summer heat around Yinchuan. 💡Mingcui Lake Wetland Park is divided into two sections, north and south, separated by the Qingyin Expressway near the airport. Therefore, when traveling to Yinchuan, you can get a glimpse of the beautiful scenery here on the way from the airport to the city. The wetland was formed by the diversion of the Yellow River. The southern section is an ecological protection area completely closed to visitors. In the northern section, which we can visit, you can take a painted boat into the maze-like reed marshes. The large patches of lotus flowers in summer are a must-see. ⚠️Due to its proximity to the airport, half of the wetland is a no-fly zone for drones. However, there is a tall tower here where you can climb up to the 11th floor to get a panoramic view of the wetland. On the first floor, there is also a science museum where you can learn about the ecological diversity of Mingcui Lake. 🎫Mingcui Lake entrance fee: 40 RMB ❤️Recommended visit duration: 3-4 hours

📍Stop asking! This is not abroad, it's Mingcui Lake... Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park was rated as one of the first 'International Wetland Cities' in China in 2018, and it is part of the historical 'Seventy-two Lakes' of Yinchuan~ 'Looking far into the distance, a pair of egrets take flight; up close, the wind flips the lotus.' Mingcui Lake has beautiful scenery all year round, with birds singing in spring, lotus in the summer breeze, reed maze in autumn, and ice and snow in winter. So let's take a tour of Mingcui Wetland and enjoy the beautiful scenery of 'Jiangnan'. In spring, Mingcui Lake is a great place for city dwellers to go for a walk, hike, and enjoy the flowers, with the lake reflecting the willows, the trees shrouded in mist, crows gathering, and fish jumping. In summer, the breeze is gentle and the lotus fragrance is overflowing by Mingcui Lake. Boating on the lake in the morning sun, picking lotus, enjoying the reed maze of the wetland, it is refreshing. The cool water expansion project in the scenic area and the lake view hot pot barbecue experience are even more unforgettable. 'The setting sun and the lone duck fly together, the autumn water shares the long sky.' Walking in Mingcui Lake in autumn, picking early autumn lotus pods, chasing the wind in the reeds, admiring the wild chrysanthemums on the roadside, watching the egrets fly together, you can feel the comfortable and leisurely slow life. 📍Yinchuan City | Yinchuan Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park

The reeds sway in the wind and sing the sound of rustling. Wetlands refer to shallow or shallow areas with static or flowing water bodies, such as natural or artificially formed marshes. Wetlands, forests and oceans are called the world's three major ecosystems. , widely distributed throughout the world. There are a large number of animals and plants in the wetland ecosystem, and many wetlands are classified as nature reserves. Yinchuan rarely rains here, but it has always been rich and rich because it has abundant underground rivers and wetland resources.