Lake Chao
Encyclopedia
Chao Lake, or Chao Hu, is a lake located at the juncture of Chaohu and Hefei
cities in Anhui Province, China
. It is the largest lake in Anhui and one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. Laoshan Island is situated within the lake. About 5 million people live near the lake, and use it for irrigation, transportation and fishing. Heavy use of the lake in recent years has led to eutrophication
and silting. Due to China's rapid economic growth, the lake is now one of China's most polluted lakes.
Noted tourist sites around the lake include Mount Mu, Zhongmiao Temple, Tongyang River, Mount Yinping, and the Immortals Cave. The silver fish, shrimps, and crabs of Lake Chao are called the Three Treasures, and it also enjoys the grand name of "Land of Plenty".
in its northern section.
Hefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
cities in Anhui Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is the largest lake in Anhui and one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. Laoshan Island is situated within the lake. About 5 million people live near the lake, and use it for irrigation, transportation and fishing. Heavy use of the lake in recent years has led to eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
and silting. Due to China's rapid economic growth, the lake is now one of China's most polluted lakes.
Noted tourist sites around the lake include Mount Mu, Zhongmiao Temple, Tongyang River, Mount Yinping, and the Immortals Cave. The silver fish, shrimps, and crabs of Lake Chao are called the Three Treasures, and it also enjoys the grand name of "Land of Plenty".
Lake's Legend
According to legend, the site of the lake was once a prosperous city named Chaozhou. Because of sins of its people, it was cursed by the heavens and ordered to be destroyed by flood. The task was to be carried out by a white dragon who was only able to find one good person, an old lady ('Lao' in Chinese) surnamed Jiao. After the destruction of Chaozhou, only the old lady and her daughter were saved. They became the two islands emerging from the lake. This legend may in fact be rooted in geological history, since Lake Chao is located on the intersection of several major faultlines, of which the most famous is the Tan Lu Fault which caused the great 1976 Tangshan earthquake1976 Tangshan earthquake
The Tangshan Earthquake also known as the Great Tangshan Earthquake, was a natural disaster that occurred on July 28, 1976. It is believed to be the largest earthquake of the 20th century by death toll. The epicenter of the earthquake was near Tangshan in Hebei, People's Republic of China, an...
in its northern section.