Danyang Lake

　　   The *Taiping Prefecture Records* state: Danyang was once abundant in red poplars, which stretched as far as the eye could see, all tinged red—hence the name Dan Yang (Red Poplar Yang), and since "Yang" and "Yáng" (阳) share the same pronunciation, it 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 of Jiangsu Province. The ancient Danyang Lake was originally a vast marshland renowned in the south of the Yangtze River, roughly formed 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 boundless, misty expanse where water met the sky. Later, due to sedimentation and land reclamation, the lake surface has been shrinking steadily. Historical records note: “The waters of Danyang Lake come from three sources—the streams of Huizhou, Yingtian, Ningguo, and Guangde.” Over the centuries, continuous reclamation reduced the lake to just 357 square kilometers (including Shijiu Lake) by the time of liberation. The lake is ribbon-shaped, long and narrow from north to south. Its waters are generally 2–3 meters deep, with the deepest point reaching 7 meters. The lake drains into the Gushexi stream and then into the great river.

　　   Danyang Lake is a freshwater lake. In the past, the “Eight Scenic Spots of Danyang” included sights such as “Summer Lotus,” “Autumn Water Shield,” “Wild Geese over the Clouds,” and “Sand-Sleeping Gulls.” In summer, when water levels are high, the lake is vast and boundless, with sails and sandpipers dotting its surface, distant green-hued mountains, resembling a painting of lake and mountain scenery. In the depths of winter, when the waters recede, extensive lakebeds emerge, dotted with aquatic plants like reeds and sedges. The lake boasts abundant aquatic products including fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, mussels, wild rice stems, water chestnuts, gorgon fruits, lotus roots, and water shield. It enjoys the reputation of yielding “a bushel of gold at sunrise.” Among these, the “Golden-Legged Red-Haired Crab” and “Silver Fish” are especially famous, and were once exported to Hong Kong and Macau.

　　   Poets throughout the ages have composed numerous verses praising Danyang Lake. When the Tang poet Li Bai traveled through Dangtu, he repeatedly sang the praises of Danyang Lake in his poems: “The lake connects with primal energy, / Waves and winds surge beyond end.” “At times I compose verse in vain, / Then sing freely by Danyang Lake. / The water's hue dares rival the boundless sea, / The river's light adorns the reeds and cattails.” The Ming dynasty female poet Duanshuqing wrote of Danyang Lake: “The autumn waters stretch boundless with white duckweed, / Fishing boats and crab nets gather by the lakeside. / As dusk falls, mist rises into the vast sky, / All that can be heard are songs, but no one is seen.”