Nan Yi Lake Scenic Area

　　   Nan Yi Lake is a natural lake situated in Xuancheng City, Anhui Province. During the high-water season, its total water surface area can reach up to 320,000 mu. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the lake contains nine mouths and thirteen bays. Among them, the Nan Lao Zui Peninsula extends directly into the center of the lake, resembling a swimming dragon with a magnificent presence. Nan Yi Lake is divided into two sections: East Lake and West Lake. West Lake is abundant in river crabs, freshwater shrimp, bighead carp, and soft-shelled turtles; East Lake teems with fish, gathers waterfowl, and boasts rippling blue waves and shimmering lake light, creating a beautiful environment with excellent water quality that helps maintain the ecological balance of the lake area. The lake is extremely rich in aquatic and wild fowl resources such as fish, shrimp, crabs, birds, and wild geese, especially renowned for its production of whitebait and crabs, which enjoy fame both domestically and abroad. It has been designated by the state as an export base for river crabs.

　　   Since ancient times, South Lake has been praised as “yielding a bushel of gold by day and a bushel of silver by night.” The lake is incredibly resource-rich, producing a variety of fish species as well as water chestnuts, lotus roots, and wild fowl, and is especially famous for its four specialties: freshwater shrimp, river crabs, whitebait, and hairtail. These products are not only sold domestically but also well-known in Japan, Hong Kong, and various countries and regions in Southeast Asia. For this reason, Japanese merchants specifically invested in building a fifty-ton quick-freezing warehouse in Nan Ban Town to purchase the whitebait produced in Nan Yi Lake. Nan Yi Lake whitebait are slender, smooth, transparent, with tender, delicious meat and rich nutrition, making them a true delicacy among fish. Zhang Ru Jue once wrote a poem specifically praising the whitebait of Nan Yi Lake: “Silky waves hold two-inch slender whitebait, beneath willow shade the fishing nets pause at noon’s fierce heat. Come morning, the nets are drawn in town, traded not for silk but for sharp knives.”

　　   In the former “Ten Scenes of Xuancheng,” there was a view called “Wild Geese Descending on South Lake.” Since ancient times, literati and poets who visited Nan Yi Lake often composed poems about it. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi wrote “Early Spring at South Lake” and “Late Autumn at South Lake.” Historical records say Bai Juyi once thoroughly enjoyed boating on Nan Yi Lake. Climbing Jingting Mountain and looking eastward, one could see vast misty waters—that was the beautiful reflection of the lake. A poem praises it: “The wind shifts, clouds break, the rain has just cleared, sunlight reflects by the lake, warm and bright again. Wild apricot blossoms dot the hills in scattered red, new green duckweed spreads flat on the water.” And another: “I ask about the lotus of old, I ask about the duckweed of those years, along the ridges of memory, with a stumble, I seem to tumble into Peach Blossom Ferry.” The revolutionary, military strategist, and poet Chen Yi’s poem “Setting Eastward by Boat from Xuancheng,” written on March 4, 1939, is also widely recited. Therefore, Nan Yi Lake has also been widely known throughout history.

　　   The enduring charm of Nan Yi Lake is tied to ancient and magical legends. Nan Yi Lake originally existed, but not on such a grand and vast scale as it is today. In those days, Shen Wansan, the wealthiest man in southern China, offended Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor’s strategist, Liu Bowen, under the pretext of managing water disasters, built the “East Dam,” flooding Shen Wansan’s 300,000 mu of fertile farmland and greatly expanding the lake’s surface, injecting new life into Nan Yi Lake. In dry seasons, descendants can still faintly see the artificially built stone bridges and gullies on the lakebed.

　　   Another story says that after Shen Wansan became wealthy, he became reckless and boastful. Because he owned so much land, he claimed: “I walk without touching the edge of the sky, I eat without relying on heaven.” Because of this statement, he offended the heavens, which then suppressed Nan Yi Lake as punishment for Shen Wansan, resulting in the Nan Yi Lake we see today. Among fishermen, many beautiful and moving legends are still passed down: when Liu Bowen built the East Dam, he cut off a waterway, angering the demons in the lake who emerged to cause trouble. As a result, pagodas were built at six locations around the lake—Xin Gou Zui, Huang Long Zui, Xu Jia Zui, Nan Lao Zui, Tie Yu Zui, and Mu Jia Zui—to subdue six demon dragons. On Da Jin Shan Mountain, a golden rooster also caused chaos amid the turmoil, so Liu Bowen ordered an eagle to transform into a mountain rock to subdue it, commanding it to crow at dawn every day to wake the fishermen to work on the lake...

　　   South Lake boasts beautiful scenery, a rich diversity of fish species, and is also a habitat for birds. When autumn arrives, wild geese come here to dance under the setting sun. This is the origin of the ancient praise “Wild Geese Descending on South Lake,” and it is also one of the “Ten Great Scenic Spots” of ancient Xuancheng. Therefore, enjoying the autumn scenery on Nan Yi Lake is a wonderful experience, and the lake is home to many species worth studying.