Chaohu City, Hefei, Anhui — the core area around Chaohu Lake, home to Chaohu Lake (one of China's five major freshwater lakes). It integrates lake scenery, thousand-year-old ancient temples, karst cave wonders and hot spring resources, featuring scenic spots such as Laoshan Island, Zhongmiao Temple and Ziwei Cave. Experience the natural and cultural beauty of the "Lake and Sky Scenic Area" in one day.
Enjoy lake island scenery, pray at ancient temples, explore karst caves, relax with hot spring wellness
In the morning, take a boat to Laoshan Island to overlook the panoramic view of Chaohu Lake, and visit Zhongmiao Temple to experience the "First Scenic Spot of Lake and Sky"; in the afternoon, explore Ziwei Cave to marvel at stalactite wonders, climb Yinping Mountain to admire the thousand-year-old peony; in the evening, relax in Bantang Hot Spring and taste the characteristic lake fresh food of Chaohu Lake.
A signature dish of Chaohu City, made with special Chaohu whitebait (transparent body, tender meat) steamed with local eggs. It has a smooth and tender taste, rich in umami flavor and nutrition, and is the most representative way to eat the "Three Whites" of Chaohu Lake (whitebait, white shrimp, white fish).
A specialty of Chaohu Lake, due to the clear water and abundant aquatic plants in the lake, the produced hairy crabs have green shells, white bellies, golden claws and yellow hairs, full of roe and cream, and sweet meat. They are as famous as Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs. The best tasting period is from September to November in autumn, making them the "business card" of Chaohu's food.
A specialty of Dongguan Town, Chaohu City. Local old geese are stewed slowly for several hours with ginger, star anise and other spices. The soup is milky white, the meat is tender and rotten, and the aroma is rich. It is served with crispy rice crust, a perfect warming dish in winter with a history of over 100 years.
A home-style dish in Chaohu, made with Chaohu white shrimp (thin shell, tender meat, transparent body) stir-fried quickly with local chives. The shrimp meat is sweet, the chives are fragrant, and the color is emerald green, embodying the classic stir-fry characteristics of "fresh, tender and crisp" of Chaohu's lake fresh food.