Yangcheng Lake

Yangcheng Lake

Yangcheng Lake is located within the territory of Suzhou City, to the northeast of Suzhou, spanning Xiangcheng District, Suzhou Industrial Park, Kunshan City, and Changshu City in Suzhou. It is one of the important freshwater lakes in Jiangsu Province. Covering an area of 120 square kilometers, or about 180,000 mu, it is divided into West Lake and East Lake. To the south, it connects with Suzhou City, and to the north, it neighbors the hills of Changshu. As its name implies, the water of Yangcheng Lake is crystal clear—so transparent that sunlight penetrates to the bottom, giving it the appearance of a gleaming piece of jade from afar. Boating on the lake, with gentle ripples on the surface, feels like being in a painting. The lake boasts abundant aquatic resources, yielding seventy varieties of freshwater produce. Mandarin fish, soft-shell turtles, whitefish, eels, clear-water shrimp, and hairy crabs are known as the “Six Treasures of the Lake.” Among them, the renowned Yangcheng Lake hairy crab, often hailed as the “King of Crabs,” enjoys international fame. A local saying goes: “If not for the fine crabs of Yangcheng Lake, why live in Suzhou at all?”...

Yangcheng Lake is one of Jiangsu Province’s important freshwater lakes and serves multiple purposes including fish farming, industrial water use, irrigation, tourism, shipping, and flood control. More importantly, the Yangcheng Lake wetlands are areas rich in biodiversity and high productivity. The lake’s wetlands encircle its open waters and have the capacity to intercept and purify incoming pollutants, playing a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance of the lake and preventing eutrophication. With its abundant biological resources, the lake plays an irreplaceable role in protecting biodiversity and preserving ecological equilibrium.

Yangcheng Lake boasts beautiful scenery and a pleasant environment. It is especially renowned for its crystal-clear waters and abundant produce. The vast lake surface, pristine water quality, and lush aquatic plants make it an ideal habitat for crabs. The unique environment has endowed the hairy crabs with four distinctive characteristics: first, their greenish-black backs—smooth, glossy shells in a bluish-gray hue; second, their snow-white bellies—the undersides and shells near the mud are spotlessly white without any black specks; third, their yellowish hairs—the legs are covered with long, upright yellow bristles; and fourth, their golden claws—the claws are robust, golden in color, and firm enough to stand firmly on glass while the pincers are lifted high.