East Lake is a large lake within the city limits of Wuhan

Wuhan

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...

, China, and the largest urban lake in China. Wuhan's East Lake covers an area of 33 square kilometers. It was designated as one of the 4A tourist zones of China in 2000. East Lake has a bird sanctuary, botanical garden

Wuhan Botanical Garden

Wuhan Botanical Garden, or WBG , located in Wuhan, Hubei, China, has a collection of more than 4000 species of flora. WBG has a regular program to educate and create awareness about plant life and biodiversity amongst the general public.-Location:...

, museums, boat rides, fishing, cycling, a public aquarium, and other activities for locals and tourists alike.

Notable sites around the lake

In clockwise order, starting from the southwest corner:

• Liyuan Park - a large urban park on the west side of the lake, with a popular free swimming area
• Hubei Provincial Museum
  Hubei Provincial Museum
  Hubei Provincial Museum is one of the best-known museums in China, with a large amount of State-level historic and cultural relics. Established in 1953, the museum moved to its present location in 1960 and gained its present name in 1963...
  
  
• Hubei Art Museum; the two museums are across the street from each other, just a block from the main entrance to Liyuan Park
• Wuhan Donghu Ocean Aquarium, proud of its flock of penguins
• Wuhan Railway Station - a few km northeast of the lake
• Moshan ("Millstone Mountain") Scenic Area
• The "Chu Castle" (楚城)
• Wuhan Botanical Garden
  Wuhan Botanical Garden
  Wuhan Botanical Garden, or WBG , located in Wuhan, Hubei, China, has a collection of more than 4000 species of flora. WBG has a regular program to educate and create awareness about plant life and biodiversity amongst the general public.-Location:...
  
  
• China University of Geosciences
  China University of Geosciences
  The China University of Geosciences is a key national university directly under the administration of the Education Ministry of the People's Republic of China...
  
  , Wuhan Campus
• "Ba Yi" ("First of August") open-air swimming pool
• Houshan (Monkey Mountain)
• Wuhan University
  Wuhan University
  Wuhan University is a university located in Wuchang, Hubei, China. It is directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. It is regarded as one of the top ten universities in China, and its history dates back to 1893, making it one of China's...
  
   main campus

Several causeways cross the eastern part of the lake, providing access to recreational fishing sites and beaches.

In 2010, plans for extensive new development on the lake shores caused widespread criticism among the citizenry.

Fishing

The East Lake has long been used by local fishermen. According to the 1977 statistics, the annual fish yield of the 1500-hectare fishing area of the lake ("The East lake Fish Farm") was 450 kg/ha. The introduction of better fish management techniques have allowed the yields to increase in the following decade, with
1840 tons by 1995.

The main species with which the lake is stocked are the silver carp

Silver carp

The silver carp is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to north and northeast Asia. It is cultivated in China....

 and the bighead carp

Bighead carp

The bighead carp is a freshwater fish, one of several Asian carps. It has a large, scaleless head, a large mouth, and eyes located very low on the head. Adults usually have a mottled silver-gray coloration. Adults can be quite large...

.