Danyang Lake

Danyang Lake

Danyang Lake, anciently known as "Ju Jin" (Great Inundation), formerly called "South Lake," and also referred to as "West Lotus Lake."

According to the *Taiping Prefecture Records*, Danyang was once abundant in red poplars, which covered the landscape in a red hue, hence the name "Dan Yang" (Red Poplar). Since "Yang" (poplar) and "Yang" (sun) share the same pronunciation, it later came to be called Danyang Lake.

Danyang Lake is located in the southeastern part of Dangtu County, connected to Shijiu Lake, with its southeastern corner bordering Gaochun County in Jiangsu Province. The ancient Danyang Lake was originally a famous large marshland in the south of the Yangtze River, formed roughly two to three million years ago, covering an area of about 4,000 square kilometers. Around the early Spring and Autumn period, the ancient Danyang Lake gradually disintegrated, splitting into Gucheng Lake and Shijiu Lake. During the Tang Dynasty, Danyang Lake was still a vast, misty expanse where water met the sky. Later, due to silt deposition and land reclamation, the lake surface shrank steadily. Historical records state: "The waters of Danyang Lake come from three sources, converging from streams in Huizhou, Yingtian, Ningguo, and Guangde." Over the centuries, through continuous reclamation, by the time of liberation, it covered only 357 square kilometers (including Shijiu Lake). The lake is ribbon-shaped, long and narrow from north to south. Its water is generally 2 to 3 meters deep, with the deepest point reaching 7 meters. The lake water converges at the Gushexi Stream and flows into the great river.

Danyang Lake is a freshwater lake. In the past, the "Eight Scenic Spots of Danyang" included "Summer Lotus by Moonlight," "Autumn Water Shield in the Breeze," "Wild Geese Descending Amid Clouds," and "Sand-Sleeping Gulls." In summer when water levels are high, the lake is vast and boundless, with sails and sand gulls dotting the surface, distant mountains faintly blue — resembling a painting of lake and mountain scenery. In the depths of winter when the water recedes, the exposed lakebed reveals large amounts of aquatic plants such as reeds and sedges. The lake boasts abundant aquatic products, including fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, mussels, wild rice stems, water caltrops, gorgon fruits, lotus roots, and water shield. It was once praised as yielding "a bushel of gold every sunrise." Among these, the "Golden-Legged Red-Haired Crab" and "Whitebait" were especially famous and were once exported to Hong Kong and Macau.

Throughout history, numerous poets have composed verses praising Danyang Lake. The Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, during his travels in Dangtu, repeatedly sang its praises in his poems: "The lake connects with the primal breath, its waves vast and unceasing," and "Often I pen verse in vain, yet sing aloud by Danyang Lake. The water’s color rivals the vast sea, the light over the stream highlights the wild rice and reeds." The Ming Dynasty female poet Duan Shuqing wrote of Danyang Lake: "The autumn waters stretch wide, dotted with white duckweed; fishing boats and crab nets gather along the shore. As dusk falls and mist rises into the sky, one hears singing but sees no one."