# Water Forest Park (DD-027)

> At the north end of Qingshan Lake (Qingshanhu) in Hangzhou's Lin'an District, about 10,000 cypress trees stand with roughly two meters of their trunks underwater. The stand covers about 50,000 square meters, and the trees are pond cypress and bald cypress introduced from North America. Visitors walk boardwalks or paddle kayaks between the trunks. In summer, duckweed turns the water bright 'matcha' green, and in late autumn the needles go red and gold.

- Department: Locations (also Nature)
- First published: 2026-02-10
- Last updated: 2026-02-10
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/water-forest-park/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1960s or 1970s**: The lake's water forest is planted _Sources disagree: the 1960s (for flood control) or the 1970s._

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=water-forest-park

## Quick facts

- **DD-027-F01**: Hangzhou's Qingshan Lake has a forest of about 10,000 cypress trees growing right out of the water, with roughly two meters of each trunk submerged. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Ten thousand trees in a lake))_
- **DD-027-F02**: In summer, duckweed turns the lake under the trees bright green, earning it the nickname 'matcha forest'. _(Write-up · Exhibit D (A matcha-green lake))_

## Write-up

This forest grows straight out of a lake. Qingshan Lake, Hangzhou: 10,000 cypress trees standing in the water.

1. **Where it is**: The water forest lies in the northern part of Qingshan Lake ('Qingshanhu', where hu means lake) in Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It's reachable by Hangzhou Metro Line 16.
2. **Ten thousand trees in a lake**: Hangzhou officials count about 10,000 pond cypress and bald cypress trees over roughly 50,000 square meters. The trees average about 30 meters tall, with around two meters of trunk standing in the water.
3. **Imported swamp trees**: These are swamp cypresses (Taxodium), a North American genus that tolerates flooded ground. Hangzhou Daily says they were introduced in the 1970s. A Chinese travel guide says they were planted in the 1960s to protect embankments from floods.
4. **A matcha-green lake**: From about May, floating duckweed carpets the water in bright green, which locals call the 'matcha forest'. In late autumn the cypress needles turn red and yellow.
5. **Ways to see it**: A core boardwalk of about 2.2 km winds through the trees, and kayaks and boat tours go between the trunks. A long lakeside greenway circles the lake for cyclists.
6. **A city escape**: Hangzhou's own outlets describe it as a fairy-tale or 'surreal movie' landscape that went viral online, a metro ride from downtown.

## Related case files

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- [Nature's Reclamation (DD-066)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/natures-reclamation/): What happens when nature takes back a whole city: trees are regenerating along Pripyat's streets.
- [The Chronicles of Georgia (DD-028)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/chronicles-of-georgia/): Another lakeside landmark from the same Locations run.
- [Guizhou Solar (DD-032)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/guizhou-solar/): Another striking Chinese landscape shaped by people.
- [Plitvice Pure (DD-717)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/plitvice-pure/): Another lake landscape

## Reel vs. record

- **Confirmed from the frames**: the location is Qingshanhu (Qingshan Lake) Water Forest in Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (captions 0.9–6.9 s). [Hangzhou government; Hangzhou News; Hangzhou Daily]
- **Species**: 'metasequoia and pond cypress trees.' Official Hangzhou sources describe the water forest as pond cypress and bald cypress (Taxodium). Metasequoia (dawn redwood) is a different genus. Travel guides mention it along the lakeside greenway, but it isn't the main tree standing in the water. [Hangzhou government; Hangzhou News; Qunar]
- **Nuance**: 'clear lake surfaces.' For much of the warm season the water under the trees is covered in green duckweed, as the Reel's own opening shot shows. [Hangzhou News; Qunar]
- **Confirmed**: 'trees grow directly in shallow lake waters'. About two meters of each trunk is underwater. [Hangzhou government]
- **Source conflict**: the planting date is given as the 1960s (Qunar, for flood control) or the 1970s (Hangzhou Daily). Both are recorded and neither is asserted as the answer. Area figures also differ: 50,000 m² for the core forest versus 'about 1 million m²' in Hangzhou Daily. [Hangzhou government; Hangzhou Daily; Qunar]

## Video: Water Forest Park: This Forest Grows Straight Out of a Lake

- Duration: 22.3 s · Published: 2026-02-10
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DUlp5qREgwm.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Qingshanhu Water Forest Park is a scenic nature destination in Lin'an District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, known for its stunning forest-on-water landscape, where trees grow directly in shallow lake waters and reflect like a fairy tale scene. The area combines forest, wetlands, and clear lake surfaces, with wooden boardwalks to walk along the metasequoia and pond cypress trees. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: In which Chinese city is Qingshan Lake's water forest?**  
A: It's in Lin'an District of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Where it is) · Qingshan Lake Offers a Beautiful Autumn View in Forest on Waters (Hangzhou municipal government, 2023); Canoeing Qingshan Lake: A surreal movie come to life (Hangzhou News, 2024); Waterborne forest meets internet-famous deer (Hangzhou Daily / City Express, 2025))_

**Q: About how many trees stand in the water forest?**  
A: Hangzhou officials count about 10,000 pond cypress and bald cypress trees. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Ten thousand trees in a lake) · Qingshan Lake Offers a Beautiful Autumn View in Forest on Waters (Hangzhou municipal government, 2023); Canoeing Qingshan Lake: A surreal movie come to life (Hangzhou News, 2024))_

**Q: What kind of trees mainly make up the water forest?**  
A: They're Taxodium swamp cypresses from North America, which tolerate flooded ground. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Ten thousand trees in a lake) · Qingshan Lake Offers a Beautiful Autumn View in Forest on Waters (Hangzhou municipal government, 2023); Canoeing Qingshan Lake: A surreal movie come to life (Hangzhou News, 2024))_

**Q: Why is the lake nicknamed the 'matcha forest' in summer?**  
A: Floating duckweed turns the water bright green from about May. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (A matcha-green lake) · Qingshan Lake Offers a Beautiful Autumn View in Forest on Waters (Hangzhou municipal government, 2023); Canoeing Qingshan Lake: A surreal movie come to life (Hangzhou News, 2024); 杭州青山湖水上森林 travel guide (Qunar, Chinese); 杭州青山湖抹茶森林 travel guide (Qunar, Chinese))_

**Q: Roughly how much of each tree's trunk is underwater?**  
A: The trees average about 30 m tall, with about two meters standing in the water. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Ten thousand trees in a lake) · Qingshan Lake Offers a Beautiful Autumn View in Forest on Waters (Hangzhou municipal government, 2023); Canoeing Qingshan Lake: A surreal movie come to life (Hangzhou News, 2024))_

## Sources

- [Qingshan Lake Offers a Beautiful Autumn View in Forest on Waters (Hangzhou municipal government, 2023)](https://eng.hangzhou.gov.cn/art/2023/11/27/art_811217_58876187.html)
- [Canoeing Qingshan Lake: A surreal movie come to life (Hangzhou News, 2024)](https://en.hangzhou.com.cn/News/content/2024-10/14/content_8799956.html)
- [Waterborne forest meets internet-famous deer (Hangzhou Daily / City Express, 2025)](https://mdaily.hangzhou.com.cn/dskb/2025/06/26/article_detail_2_20250626B089.html)
- [杭州青山湖水上森林 travel guide (Qunar, Chinese)](https://travelnews.qunar.com/ugc/hangzhou-qingshanhu-water-forest)
- [杭州青山湖抹茶森林 travel guide (Qunar, Chinese)](https://travelnews.qunar.com/qa_strategy/hangzhou-qingshanhu-matcha-forest-travel-guide)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Water Forest Park." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-027, last updated Feb 10, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/water-forest-park/