Dongli Lake Tourist Resort is located in Dongli District, Tianjin, situated between the central urban area and the core area of the Binhai New Area. It is one of Tianjin's eight major tourist attractions and seven nature reserves, and is a municipal-level tourist resort. It has been rated as a National Eco-tourism Demonstration Zone and a National Water Conservancy Scenic Area. The scenic area covers a total area of 22.01 square kilometers, of which the lake surface area is 8 square kilometers, with a lakeshore perimeter of 12 kilometers and a total water capacity of 22 million cubic meters. The lake surface area is equivalent to 1.5 times that of Hangzhou's West Lake, and it is known as the "Little Freshwater Ocean." The scenic area encompasses four major tourism elements: "lake," "valley," "flowers," and "springs." It is home to two national 4A-level tourist attractions and one national 3A-level tourist attraction, forming a year-round resort destination that integrates tourism and vacation, hot spring entertainment, gourmet dining and shopping, conference and training, convalescence and fitness, and business exchange.
History and Culture
The history and culture of Dongli Lake have been continuously enriched and accumulated through modern development. In April 2025, Tianjin's first lakeside immersive grand performance, Jinxi Dongli Lake, premiered here. The performance uses the life of Li Shutong as its narrative thread, deeply integrating the natural landscape of Dongli Lake with artistic storytelling, becoming a new cultural landmark of Tianjin. Combining the real lakeside scenery of Dongli Lake, the performance presents a four-act immersive light performance called "One Dream, Three Realms," including "Shutong Invites You into the Dream," "Night Blooms a Thousand Trees of Flowers," "A Sandpiper Between Heaven and Earth," and "Late Clearing in Human Love." Through the method of moving between scenes, the audience is immersed in the spiritual realms of different stages of Li Shutong's life. In addition, the "Garden Dream of Tianjin" themed street area also adds a rich historical and cultural atmosphere to Dongli Lake. The bluestone-paved roads, retro architecture, rickshaws, and NPCs dressed in various costumes in the street area make visitors feel as if they have traveled through time. Visitors can also interact with the NPCs and complete specific tasks to unlock hidden plots, further experiencing the unique charm of the integration of history and modernity.
Main Attractions
Dongli Lake Natural Art Garden
Dongli Lake Natural Art Garden relies on the vast 8-square-kilometer waters of Dongli Lake and takes eco-tourism as its core development direction. The scenic area has introduced several high-quality projects, including Swan Bay Tent Camp, Flower Sea Art Market, and Water Park, providing visitors with diverse recreational options. Here, visitors can enjoy lakeside scenery at the tent camp, experience the combination of art and nature at the flower sea market, and enjoy the fun of playing in the water at the water park, fully experiencing the natural beauty and leisure atmosphere of Dongli Lake.
Tianjin Happy Valley
Tianjin Happy Valley is a national 4A-level scenic area with a vast park area, divided into six major themed zones, equipped with abundant amusement facilities and wonderful performance activities. It offers both roller coasters, rapids rides, and other attractions suitable for visitors seeking thrills, as well as ferris wheels, carousels, and other leisure facilities suitable for family outings. There are also regularly staged themed performance shows covering song and dance, acrobatics, and other forms, which can meet the recreational needs of visitors of different age groups.
Dongli Lake Evergrande Hot Spring Tourist Scenic Area
Dongli Lake Evergrande Hot Spring Tourist Scenic Area is a national 4A-level scenic area. Relying on the region's rich geothermal resources, it has created hot spring pools in various styles, including Chinese garden-style pools and European-style pools, totaling several dozen. Visitors can enjoy the relaxation and comfort brought by hot springs here and relieve fatigue. In addition, the scenic area is also equipped with dining, accommodation, leisure and entertainment facilities, providing a one-stop hot spring vacation experience. It is a great place for leisure and wellness.
Performance Venue of Jinxi Dongli Lake
As the performance venue of Tianjin's first lakeside immersive grand performance, Jinxi Dongli Lake, this site makes full use of the real lakeside scenery of Dongli Lake to create a unique live-action stage and immersive experience area. During the performance, the water screen projection and lighting effects on the lake complement each other, combined with the actors' wonderful performances, vividly presenting the life story of Li Shutong. As the plot progresses, the audience keeps moving and experiences the development of the story in different scenes, gaining an immersive artistic experience.
Food
Specialty Food Within the Scenic Area
Restaurants within Dongli Lake Tourist Resort offer many specialty dishes, among which the Lake Fresh Banquet is especially popular. The Lake Fresh Banquet mainly uses freshwater fish, shrimp, crabs, and other ingredients produced in Dongli Lake. For example, steamed Dongli Lake crucian carp uses fresh lake crucian carp and is steamed with only simple seasonings, preserving the tenderness of the fish to the greatest extent. One portion is priced at about 68 yuan. In addition, the farmhouse stewed dishes in the scenic area are also very distinctive, using locally grown vegetables and farm-raised poultry, stewed slowly over low heat, with a rich taste. One portion of farmhouse stewed chicken is priced at about 88 yuan and is suitable for sharing among several people.
Surrounding Food
There are many specialty restaurants around Dongli Lake. About 3 kilometers from the scenic area, the "Hupan Renjia" restaurant specializes in dishes combining Tianjin local cuisine with lake fresh ingredients. Its signature dish, braised Dongli Lake large carp in sauce, uses large carp grown in the lake and is braised with a secret sauce. The meat is flavorful and the sauce is rich and fragrant. One portion is priced at about 128 yuan. In addition, the restaurant's corn cakes with stewed small fish is also a classic dish. The small fish come from Dongli Lake and are stewed together with corn cakes. The cakes absorb the freshness of the fish, giving a unique taste. One portion is priced at about 58 yuan.
Tickets：
Admission is free, but some attractions require separate charges. As of July 19, 2025, no official WeChat public account has been found.
Opening Hours：
Opening hours vary among the attractions. Dongli Lake Natural Art Garden is open all day; Tianjin Happy Valley is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 18:00, and Saturday to Sunday from 9:00 to 20:00; Dongli Lake Evergrande Hot Spring Tourist Scenic Area is open from 10:00 to 22:00; the performance time of Jinxi Dongli Lake is every Friday and Saturday from 19:30 to 21:00, with possible additional shows on statutory holidays, subject to official notice. Visitors are advised to check the specific opening hours of each attraction before traveling and arrange their itinerary reasonably.
Suggested Tour Route：
A recommended one-day tour route: Arrive at Dongli Lake Natural Art Garden at 9:00 a.m., tour for about 2 hours, and experience Swan Bay Tent Camp and Flower Sea Art Market; at 11:00, go to Tianjin Happy Valley, enjoy various amusement facilities in the park, watch performance shows, have lunch at a restaurant inside Happy Valley, and continue touring in the afternoon until 16:00; at 16:30, go to Dongli Lake Evergrande Hot Spring Tourist Scenic Area and enjoy about 2 hours of hot spring time to relax; at 18:30, dine at a restaurant near the scenic area; if it happens to be Friday or Saturday, go to watch Jinxi Dongli Lake at 19:30 to end the day's itinerary. This route covers natural scenery, amusement facilities, hot spring leisure, and cultural performance, allowing a comprehensive experience of the diverse charm of Dongli Lake.
Transportation：
Public transportation: You can take Tianjin buses such as Route 663 and Route 690 and get off at the "Dongli Lake Resort" station, then walk about 1,000 meters to reach the core area of Dongli Lake Tourist Resort; you can also take Metro Line 2 to "Konggang Economic Area Station" and transfer to Bus Route 690. Self-driving: From downtown Tianjin, drive east along Weiguo Road, turn onto Jinhang Highway, and then follow navigation instructions to Dongli Lake Tourist Resort. The total distance is about 30 kilometers, and the drive takes about 40 minutes. Parking lots are available within the resort and at each attraction, and the parking fee is generally 5 yuan per hour. Taxi/ride-hailing: Taking a taxi from Tianjin Station to Dongli Lake Tourist Resort is about 25 kilometers, takes about 35 minutes, and costs about 50 to 60 yuan.
Must-Visit Attractions：
Tianjin Happy Valley: As a national 4A-level scenic area, it has six major themed zones, including roller coasters, ferris wheels, and other amusement facilities and wonderful performances. It is suitable for visitors of all ages and is a must-visit place for both excitement and leisure.
Dongli Lake Evergrande Hot Spring Tourist Scenic Area: A national 4A-level scenic area, relying on geothermal resources to create various hot spring pools, with complete supporting facilities. It allows visitors to enjoy the comfort and relaxation of hot springs and is the first choice for leisure and wellness.
Jinxi Dongli Lake performance: Tianjin's first lakeside immersive grand performance, using the life of Li Shutong as its narrative thread and combining real scenery with a four-act immersive performance, bringing visitors a unique artistic experience and showing the integration of history and nature.
Travel Tips：
Suggested travel time is 1 to 2 days. If you want to fully experience all the attractions, it is recommended to arrange 2 days to avoid an overly compact itinerary.
When visiting in summer, take sun protection measures, carry sunscreen, a sun hat, and other items. At the same time, you may prepare a swimsuit for use at the water park or hot spring scenic area.
Tianjin Happy Valley has many attractions. You can check the park map in advance, plan your route well, and avoid peak queue times.
When watching Jinxi Dongli Lake, it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes because you need to walk and move while watching. You may also bring a jacket depending on the weather.
When tasting lake fresh food, choose restaurants with a good reputation inside or around the scenic area to ensure fresh ingredients.
Notes：
Some amusement projects in Tianjin Happy Valley have height and weight restrictions. Visitors should choose according to their own conditions and obey the safety regulations of the projects.
In Dongli Lake Evergrande Hot Spring Tourist Scenic Area, visitors with high blood pressure, heart disease, and other conditions should be cautious about soaking in hot springs and avoid prolonged soaking.
During the tour, pay attention to protecting the environment, do not litter, and obey the management regulations of each attraction.
When taking public transportation, pay attention to the last bus time to avoid missing the return trip; self-driving visitors should obey traffic rules and drive safely.
Before watching Jinxi Dongli Lake, it is recommended to arrive at the venue 30 minutes in advance and familiarize yourself with the route to avoid affecting the viewing experience.