Diaochan Lake

　　Diaochan Lake is located on the tidal flats along the Liangjia River in Xintian, about 20 kilometers north of Lintao County. It is a newly developed tourist area that integrates recreation, fishing, sightseeing, vacationing, and health retreats. The area is expansive, with a planned lake surface covering 1,000 acres.

　　Lintao enjoys unique advantages for fishing. The Tao River flows from south to north through Lintao for 115 kilometers, and it is the only unpolluted river in the northwest. As a result, fish from the Tao River are renowned for being plump, tender, and having few bones. Particularly at Diaochan Lake, the water is crystal clear, fish swim just beneath the surface, and aquatic plants and lotus flowers are all visible. What’s even more remarkable is that while the lake remains refreshingly cool even during the intense heat of June, it retains rippling waters and rising warmth when other rivers and lakes freeze solid during the bitter cold of winter.

　　It is said that the source of Diaochan Lake's water originates from Diaoyagou in Panjiaji Township, about 30 kilometers southwest of Lintao County. Coincidentally, there is indeed a small stream in Diaoyagou with water quality identical to that of Diaochan Lake. Diaoyagou is the legendary site where Diaochan once cultivated immortality, and tales about her are widely circulated among local folklore.

　　Long ago, the area surrounding Diaoyagou was covered in lush forests and sparsely populated. Legend has it that one day, an old woodcutter was gathering firewood when he was suddenly dazzled by a beam of radiant light shooting from the mouth of a cave onto the opposite ridge. Creeping closer to the cave entrance, he saw a beautiful young woman combing her hair in front of a mirror. The old man was so captivated that he accidentally kicked a stone, causing a noise that startled the woman. She revealed herself to be Diaochan, practicing immortality there, and begged him to keep her presence a secret. But when the old man returned and told others, villagers rushed to the site only to find a large mirror left at the cave entrance—nothing else. Diaochan was never seen again, and her fate was later known only through stories from the Three Kingdoms period. To this day, a large, mirror-like stone remains at the cave’s entrance. Strangely, after Diaochan left, the only clear spring that flowed from Diaoyagou down to the Panjiaji village where the old man lived—and which served as the villagers’ drinking water—mysteriously disappeared. Despite all efforts, the once pristine spring never returned to benefit the locals. Later, people discovered the spring’s outlet on the banks of the Tao River at Xintian Liangjia Beach, which is how Diaochan Lake got its name.