This attraction introduction is compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · Scenic Spots section). Ticket prices, opening hours, transportation, and contact information mentioned in the text may be outdated. Please refer to the latest official announcements from the scenic area before traveling; some content consists of historical background/cultural introductions and is for reference only.
Zhaojiaya Reservoir in Cili County, Hunan Province, was first built in 1972. It is a medium-sized water conservancy and hydropower backbone project primarily for pumped-storage power generation, also serving multiple functions including flood storage and control, drought relief and irrigation, forest management and tourism, and aquaculture. The reservoir itself has a catchment area of 33.5 km², with an additional external diversion catchment area of 24 km². The reservoir's key dam is a clay-inclined-core rockfill dam, with a dam base elevation of 500 meters and a dam height of 46 meters. Because the reservoir was built by sealing natural karst caves, the dam is submerged underwater, and the Zhaojiaya Reservoir is therefore known as China's first "damless" reservoir.
The reservoir management office currently oversees three cascade hydropower stations with a total installed capacity of 11,400 kW, and one inter-basin water pumping station with an installed capacity of 1,950 kW. Over the years, the Zhaojiaya Reservoir has taken advantage of its varying water head differences, using pumping and diversion to supplement storage during the wet season and supplying water for power generation during the dry season. It has played a key role in stabilizing loads and peak-shaving and valley-filling in the county power grid. Its unique pumped-storage advantage of using one unit of wet-season electricity to generate four units of dry-season electricity was highly praised by then-Premier Li Peng during the 1992 national rural electrification compliance inspection.
Over more than 30 years since its construction, the Zhaojiaya Reservoir has consistently taken as its mission the promotion of healthy and sustainable county economic development and the provision of strong support for Cili's comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society, creating a favorable situation of achieving both economic and social benefits.
Zhaojiaya Reservoir in Cili County is located in the middle and upper reaches of the Lingxi River, a tributary of the Lishui River in Hunan Province, and faces the national scenic area of Wulingyuan in the distance. The reservoir area has beautiful scenery, a pleasant climate, and abundant resources. The reservoir management office currently oversees 3 corporate legal entities and manages two agricultural villages on behalf of the government.
The reservoir management office, based on its abundant resources in hydropower, tourism, and minerals, as well as its industry advantages, vigorously implements the strategic policy of "simultaneous development of primary and secondary operations, comprehensive development, and all-round progress." It seizes the opportunity of Zhangjiajie's tourism-driven development strategy to accelerate growth, and the reservoir economy shows a momentum of rapid and sustained development. It has formed a water conservancy industrial economic structure led by key enterprises such as the pumped-storage power station and Nanshanping Hydropower Station, supplemented by the comprehensive development company, labor union entities, aquaculture center, and forest farm. It has established a structure with hydropower as the leader and joint development of summer resort tourism, aquaculture, economic forestry, engineering labor services, and business and factory operations, with complete categories and a reasonable structure. The "Eco-tourism Zone," "High Gorge Pinghu Zone," "'Thrilling' Rafting Zone," "Cave Heaven Galaxy Zone," and scenic spots such as "Shouting Spring, Great Man Rock, Beauty Peak, One-Line Sky, Ten-Mile Gorge, and Wuqiao Valley Waterfall" that are being developed or planned for development have become hotspots attracting tourists and investors from home and abroad. In 1998, the total output value reached 6.5 million yuan, of which diversified operations contributed 1 million yuan.
Zhaojiaya Reservoir is a water conservancy industrialization zone and an eco-tourism zone. The investment environment and tourism environment of Zhaojiaya Reservoir will be further improved and optimized. The warm and friendly people of the reservoir sincerely welcome friends from home and abroad to visit the reservoir for sightseeing, vacation and leisure, investment negotiations, and project development cooperation, so as to promote common development, common prosperity, and create a better tomorrow together.
