Below the Dongjiang Dam in Zixing, a stretch of river behaves nothing like the reservoir feeding it. Where Dongjiang Lake sits calm and clear most mornings, the narrower channel just downstream — known locally as Xiaodongjiang, or the Little Dongjiang — wraps itself in thick, drifting mist on most clear days between spring and autumn. That daily fog, called 雾漫小东江 (“Misty Xiaodongjiang”) by the scenic area that manages it, has turned a short bend of river into one of Hunan’s most photographed landscapes. This guide covers why the fog forms, when to actually catch it, how the river fits alongside the rest of the Dongjiang Lake area covered in our Chenzhou guide, and how to get here from downtown Chenzhou.
Best time
Apr–Oct, near sunrise
fog window
Water temperature
~8–10°C
year-round, dam outflow
Nearest gateway
Zixing City
~45–60 min from Chenzhou
Why the river fogs and the lake doesn’t
Dongjiang Lake formed in the 1980s, when the Dongjiang Hydropower Station dammed the river and backed up a reservoir that now covers roughly 160 square kilometers. Water released through the dam’s outlets is drawn from more than 150 meters down, deep enough that it stays a steady 8 to 10°C through the year, summer included. When that cold outflow meets the warmer air sitting over Xiaodongjiang at dawn and dusk, the temperature gap condenses straight into fog — thick, low, and slow to burn off, especially on days with a sharp swing between daytime heat and overnight cool. Upstream, the lake itself is too large and too exposed to hold that effect; the fog belongs to the narrow channel right below the dam, which is exactly why locals keep the two names separate rather than treating them as one body of water.
When to actually see it
Scenic-area guidance and repeat visitors generally agree on the same window: roughly April through October, with the fog thickest in the half hour before and after sunrise, and a lighter second showing around sunset. Exact clock times shift with the season — reports from the scenic area have cited windows as early as 5:30am in summer and closer to 7am in cooler months — so check the current sunrise time rather than fixing on one number. Outside the April–October stretch, mornings can still fog over when the overnight temperature drop is unusually sharp, but it’s far less reliable, and winter visitors should treat any mist as a bonus rather than the plan. Arrive at least 30 minutes before sunrise if photography is the goal: the fog is at its thickest and most luminous in the first direct light, and it thins quickly once the sun clears the ridgeline.
The scene on the water
Local fishermen are scheduled to row out in traditional black-hooded sampans and cast nets across the misty water, a performance timed to the morning fog window and repeated several times before mid-morning. Many of them worked the river before it became a tourist draw, and the cast-net routine is a genuine fishing technique rather than a staged prop. Photographers line the riverside viewing platforms for the moment a net opens mid-air against the fog, backlit by low sun breaking through the mist over the hills. This combination of net, boat, and mist draws frequent comparisons to Chinese ink-wash painting, and it remains the single image most associated with Xiaodongjiang online.
Photography tip: Bring a layer even in summer — river-level air at sunrise runs noticeably cooler than the rest of Chenzhou, and the viewing platforms fill up fast once the fisherman performance starts. Get there before the first boat goes out if you want a clear sightline to the water.
Doushuai Island and the wider lake
Boat routes from the scenic area’s main dock run out to Doushuai Island, the largest island on Dongjiang Lake, where a limestone cave called Lingyan Cave formed during the Carboniferous period roughly 320 million years ago. Colored lighting now picks out its stalactites, stalagmites, and curtain-like rock formations, and a cave specialist from the United States who surveyed it in 1993 reportedly described it as a maze built by nature. These boat packages are sold separately from a straightforward riverside visit to Xiaodongjiang, so travelers who only want the fog and the fishermen don’t need to book a cruise at all.
Getting there
From downtown Chenzhou
Take county bus 201 from Chenzhou Tianlong Bus Station to the Luowei stop in Zixing City, then transfer to Zixing city bus 1, 2, or 3 to reach the Dongjiang Lake scenic area gate. Door to door, this route runs a little over an hour depending on connections. A taxi or ride-hail car (Didi) covers the same distance in roughly 45 minutes and costs around CNY 120 one way — worth splitting among a group if you’re traveling with others.
Travelers coming from Gaoyi Ridge can combine both stops in a single morning: the two sites sit roughly 20 to 30 minutes apart by car, close enough that an early fog run at Xiaodongjiang and a midday walk through the danxia cliffs fit comfortably into one day. See our full guide to Gaoyi Ridge for trail details and safety notes.
Planning your visit
Entry to the scenic area is sold as route packages rather than a single Xiaodongjiang ticket: a lake-view pass that includes the misty river viewing platforms runs roughly CNY 55 to 90 depending on the season, while packages that add the boat cruise to Doushuai Island push past CNY 150. Gates generally open between 6am and 8am and close by 5:30pm or 6pm, with longer hours in the warmer months — both pricing and hours shift often enough that it’s worth confirming the current numbers on Trip.com or at the gate before building your morning around them. Tickets are sold at the entrance counter and through major Chinese travel platforms such as Trip.com, which lists the same route options online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the easiest way to reach Xiaodongjiang without a car?
Take county bus 201 from Chenzhou Tianlong Bus Station to the Luowei stop in Zixing, then switch to Zixing city bus 1, 2, or 3, both of which stop near the Dongjiang Lake scenic area gate. If timing a bus connection before sunrise feels risky, book a Didi car the night before instead — a one-way ride from downtown Chenzhou runs about CNY 120 and gets you there in under an hour.
Can I see the fog without buying a boat ticket?
Yes — the misty river and the cast-net performance are part of the basic lake-view route, not the boat-cruise package to Doushuai Island, so a cruise booking isn’t necessary just to photograph the fog. Some visitors report public riverbank spots where no ticket gets checked at all, though policy on this has reportedly changed over time, so treat the gated viewing platforms as the reliable option and ask at the ticket counter if a free vantage point is currently open.
Can I visit Xiaodongjiang and Gaoyi Ridge in the same day?
Comfortably — the two sites sit roughly 20 to 30 minutes apart by car, tight enough to catch the sunrise fog at Xiaodongjiang and still reach Gaoyi Ridge’s danxia cliffs by mid-morning. Build in extra time if you’re relying on local buses rather than a taxi or rental car, since the connections between the two aren’t direct.
What should I bring for an early-morning visit?
Pack a layer you can shed later — the air over the water runs several degrees cooler than the rest of Chenzhou at sunrise, even in summer. Wear shoes with grip for the riverside boardwalks, which stay damp from the mist through mid-morning, and bring a lens cloth if you’re shooting photos, since condensation collects fast in the thick air.
