Shijiu Lake in Nanjing

Shijiu Lake in Nanjing

Shijiu Lake in Nanjing

Shijiu Lake is a boundary lake between Lishui County, Gaochun County of Nanjing City, and Dangtu County of Anhui Province. Also known as Beihu (North Lake), it was formed from the ancient Danyang Lake.

Shijiu Lake covers a total area of 196 square kilometers and is a pristine and natural freshwater lake. It teems with aquatic products such as fish, shrimp, waterfowl, gorgon fruits, and arrowhead. Historically, these have been a source of supplementary income for villagers living around the lake, earning it the nicknames “a lake that yields a bushel of gold at sunrise” and “a lake that yields a bushel of silver at sunset.” The great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, after visiting Shijiu Lake, composed a widely loved poem praising it: “The lake moves with the vital breath of nature, / Misty waves stretch boundlessly; / Turtles swim atop lotus leaves, / Fish play among reed flowers. / A young woman rows a light boat, / Her song flowing with the stream.” The charm of Shijiu Lake is captured in four poetic words — “Fishing Songs of Shijiu,” which is not only one of the ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Gaochun but also one of the New Forty Scenes of Jinling.

On the southern shore of Shijiu Lake lies Wujiazuio, hailed as the “Number One Village of Jinling.” Wujiazuio has 203 households and 881 residents, but only 238 mu of arable land, averaging just 0.27 mu per person. Due to the scarcity of farmland, villagers made their living by fishing and were mockingly called the “Fisherman Pauper Village.” As the old saying goes, “Poverty spurs change.” After the reform and opening-up policy, under the leadership of the village committee, the villagers liberated their thinking and fully leveraged their proximity to the lake and access to the river. They vigorously developed the shipbuilding and shipping industries. After two decades of hard work, Wujiazuio’s ships made the leap from navigating the big lake to sailing on the Yangtze River, and then from the Yangtze River to the sea. The village now owns 143 steel cargo ships, with the largest reaching 5,000 tons, and over 30 vessels exceeding 3,000 tons. The total tonnage of these ships surpasses 170,000 tons, and the village’s fixed assets amount to 220 million yuan. In 1998, its operating revenue reached 250 million yuan. Today, Wujiazuio features rows of villas built along the lake, each with its own independent courtyard, garage, and three floors covering about 300 square meters. The neat rows of villas and the beautiful Shijiu Lake together form a picturesque scene.