Yao Shang Reservoir

　　Yao Shang Reservoir is situated in Yao Shang, Minghu Village, Fenghuang Subdistrict, in the downtown urban area of the city. Thanks to the substantial underground water source from Baiyanjiao, the reservoir was built in December 1957, forming an artificial lake. Crystal clear year-round like a mirror and located in Minghu Village, it is also known as Minghu Park. The groundwater is pure and, upon surfacing, cascades down as a small waterfall into the lake. After subsequent expansions, the water surface covers 650 mu, stretches 2.5 kilometers in length, and is 400 meters wide, with the deepest point reaching 20 meters. At the front of the lake stands a magnificent dam, whose inner and outer walls are paved with neat rectangular grayish-white stone blocks, resembling a jade railing. To the east, around Chaoyanggou, clusters of peaks and hills rise and fall; to the south, a prominent ridge known as Liangshan juts out; to the west, the layered peaks of Meihua Mountain tower; and to the north, Niuwang Mountain extends horizontally. It is truly a setting where “verdant mountains surround on all sides, and a long valley gives birth to a bright lake.” To the east of the lake lie the campus of the Municipal Party School and the Yao Shang village, tucked away within a canopy of green. Over 650 mu of the mountainous land to the north have been afforested. The lake surface stretches through the long valley, with shimmering waves and rippling waters reflecting flashes of silver across the lake. The interplay of lake and mountain scenery creates a serene, majestic, fresh, and expansive view. Below the dam lies a 2,150-square-meter swimming pool. The surrounding areas of the lake have become a tourist destination, especially popular in spring and summer, where visitors come to stroll, picnic, lounge on the grass, and enjoy the lake’s bounty. To preserve the purity of the lake water for urban drinking supply, water-based tourism activities are not permitted on the lake.