Bao'an Lake

　　 Located on the southern bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, at the northern edge of the Mufu Mountain Range, in the northwestern part of Daye City, Bao'an Lake is bordered by Sanshan Lake to the east, Liangzi Lake to the west, Bao'an Town to the south, and the Yangtze River to the north. Its geographical coordinates are 114°43′ east longitude and 30°15′ north latitude, covering a total area of 79.9 square kilometers. Formerly known as Hejing Lake, it later derived its name from Bao'an Town. The lake discharges into the Yangtze via Fan Kou and belongs to the Fan Lake water system. It mainly receives inflows from streams descending the western slopes of Iron Mountain and entering Huan Diqiao Port, as well as surface runoff from the East and West Bao'an Channels and the Sanba Channel that connects with Sanshan Lake. The lake water is clear and transparent with a flat lakebed. Within a radius of three hundred li, there are thousands of fishing households, no dikes or embankments, and during high water levels, the lake branches into 99 outlets, adding to its enchanting scenery.

　　 There are three accounts regarding the origin of Bao'an’s name: one is the Monk Bao’an story, another is the Bao’an Military Post theory, and the third is the Chu Kingdom Copper Route legend. Here we present the latter two: In 785 AD, during the reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, when the water reached from Liangzi Lake to Dahong and Zoujia Wharf, Bao'an was merely a mound protruding from the vast expanse of lake, serving as a critical junction for water and land transport among Daye, Wuchang, and Echeng. It was a bustling trade hub and a strategic military location often raided by bandits, causing great concern to both officials and residents. To address this, the county government stationed troops here and set up a military post at what is now Bao'an Primary School. An announcement was made that as long as miners, fishermen, and travelers registered at the post and paid a Bao'an fee, they would be guaranteed safe passage. Over time, as the waters receded, the mound developed into a town, which came to be named Bao'an after the military post. The Chu Kingdom Copper Route legend goes even further back. It is said that during the late Spring and Autumn period, as the states of Chu and Wu vied for supremacy, the Chu waterways became battlegrounds for naval warfare. The copper supply routes from mining areas such as Tonglushan in Chu were under threat. To secure the transport, the Jinhu and Cihu water channels were opened. Miners would disembark at Tieshan Wharf, load their copper onto carts, travel 15 kilometers to Bao'an Lake, reload onto boats, and then proceed through Liangzi Lake and Fan Kou westward. From there, they could reach the workshops in the Chu capital of Jingzhou via land and water routes. This ensured the safe delivery of copper materials, with large-scale transit and escort operations gradually giving rise to the place name and dock. In ancient times, boats were the main mode of transport, and Bao'an Lake has long been a golden waterway, offering extremely safe and convenient water transport advantages. Bao'an Town was once hailed as “the Golden Hankou, the Silver Bao'an.”

　　 Bao'an Lake features a winding shoreline and a dense network of channels. It is composed of several water bodies including Qiandun Lake, Biandan Pond, Xiaosihai, Yushan Bay, and Baolian Bay. With a catchment area of 500 square kilometers, the lake covers an area of 96.2 km² at a water level of 18 meters, with a capacity of 119 million cubic meters. The average depth is about 2.5 meters, with largely consistent temperatures between the upper and lower layers, averaging around 18°C annually. The lake never freezes throughout the year. The lakebed sits at an elevation of 14.5 meters with stable water levels and minimal fluctuation. The lakebed consists of clay structure with black, decaying mud, harboring 600–800 million jin of aquatic plants. It is a representative medium-sized shallow grass-type lake on the southern bank of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze, and also one of China’s four major unpolluted freshwater lakes.

　　 According to relevant sources, the formation of Bao'an Lake is due to the influence of neotectonic movements in the Quaternary period. The emergence of the Liangzi Fault and its associated or companion faults, along with the accumulation of Yangtze River sediments, caused part of the ancient riverbed to subside along new fractures in a north-south orientation, forming a waterlogged area known as the “Ancient Liangzi Lake.” In the late Quaternary period, crustal uplift created numerous relatively elevated ridge-like terrains along the eastern and western shores of the lake, dividing the "Ancient Liangzi Lake" and eventually forming Liangzi Lake, Yar Lake, Sanshan Lake, and Bao'an Lake. Bao'an Lake is of the river valley submerged type.

　　 Historically, Bao'an Lake was an important waterway. To the east, it connected via Hetong Port to Sanshan Lake; to the north, it led through Chang Port into Liangzi Lake, and from E'zhou’s Fan Kou into the Yangtze. There were also 12 branch channels linking the lake to surrounding villages. Before the construction of the Fan Kou Dyke, during flood seasons, backflow from the Yangtze would inundate the area, turning Bao'an into a vast expanse of water. The expansive lake surface accommodated not only small wooden boats but also large bamboo rafts from Sichuan and Hunan, which could travel directly to the streets of Bao'an. The Three Lakes of Fan Lake (Liangzi Lake, Bao'an Lake, and Sanshan Lake) were interconnected, allowing boats to travel to and from Wuchang’s Shaposhan and Baozi Jie, E'zhou’s Bishidu and Zelinzuǐ, as well as surrounding towns like Hengshan, Yueshan, Donggou, Changling, and Huan Diqiao. At that time, Bao'an Street had a shipping management station. Dozens of cargo boats capable of carrying 10–20 tons operated daily, and even vessels of 100 tons anchored there. Bao'an Lake played a crucial role in distributing goods across the surrounding region. There were also small-scale "self-owned boats" engaged in business, hunting, fishing, and ferrying. It was said that there were “a thousand hands greeting daily and ten thousand lanterns shining nightly.” After the construction of the Fan Kou Sluice in 1927 (Year 16 of the Republic of China) and the subsequent completion of Donggou Sluice in 1964 and Modaoji Sluice in 1977, vessels had to use the "sluice passage" method at Fan Kou to enter the Yangtze, losing their ability to transport goods externally, but preventing backflow from Liangzi Lake and stabilizing water levels in Bao'an Lake.

　　 Before the 1950s, sanitation in the lake area was poor, with inadequate medical care. Every spring, smallpox epidemics—commonly called “passing spring”—were rampant, leading to high child mortality. People sought the protection of the Immortal Maiden Bodhisattva. Around mid-May in the lunar calendar, as the smallpox and chickenpox season was coming to an end, it was believed that the Immortal Maiden would ascend to heaven to report her duties. Seeing that farmers and fishermen had just completed their harvests, wealthy merchants in Bao'an Street organized the Dragon Boat Festival under the pretext of “sending off the Immortal Maiden” to ensure local safety, while also aiming to promote trade and invigorate the market. The annual “Festival” would begin preparations on the third day of the third lunar month with boat registration, continue with craftwork starting on the eighth of April, where artisans built dragon boats and selected two bright-eyed, brave little boys to practice tightrope walking, sedan chair parades, and displaying rare treasures, followed by a dragon boat parade through the streets. On the fifteenth of May, the festival procession would move from bottom to top: first, three loud gongs to clear the way, followed by large lanterns, banners, horse umbrellas, swords, spears, and other weapons, all proceeding in pairs. This was accompanied by continuous sounds of firecrackers and drums. Next came a four-person carried incense pavilion with sandalwood smoke wafting, led by an elegantly dressed person holding an incense tray. Then came soft music played on the huqin and bamboo flutes. Following that were the 16-man carried dragon boat and the 8-man carried barge. Each boat was equipped with a set of percussion instruments, adding to the liveliness. After the boats came a procession of banners, horse umbrellas, and plaques inscribed with “By Imperial Decree, the Golden-Faced Great Emperor Tours the World” and “Silence” and “Make Way” in bold letters. Then came the four-man carried Tianfu Laozi—depicted with three heads, six arms, a blue face, no beard, red hair, and fangs, seated solemnly in a divine palanquin. Behind Tianfu Laozi came more drumming and music. This was followed by the four-man carried “Ten Offerings” redwood square table, displaying precious items, again accompanied by drumbeats. Finally, there were performances including tightrope walking, sedan chairs, lion dances, elephant parades, and “Sea Leapers,” with over a thousand participants creating a dazzling, deafening spectacle. People from surrounding villages, dressed in colorful attire, flocked to the festival. The event featured ten grand opera performances, with stages erected at Dujiatang on the tenth of May. As the parade passed the stage, it paused briefly, with the dragon boat and bodhisattva placed on the stage for the “Bodhisattva Watches the Opera.”

　　During the festival, spectators, shoppers, and visitors filled the ancient town of Bao'an, along with numerous small vendors selling cooked food and fruit. On the eighteenth of May, the dragon boats, barges, and collected ritual paper money were all burned together. After the boats were set alight, Tianfu Laozi was carried backward in the direction of the burning boats by attendants, returning to the “Tianfu Temple” to resume his divine seat, marking the end of the festival.

　　These unique folk customs were born because of Bao'an Lake and have continued to thrive because of it, growing even more grand and lively today.

　　 Today, due to extensive land reclamation around the lake, Bao'an Lake now covers only 63.83 square kilometers. It consists of the main lake, Qiandun Lake, Biandan Lake, Xiaosihai, and intensive fish ponds. The lake stretches 8.5 kilometers from east to west and 11 kilometers from north to south, with a shoreline of 140 kilometers. It borders over 20 administrative villages across two towns and one farm, with a resident population of over 100,000 along its shores. The lakeside is surrounded by roads, and the aquaculture industry is highly developed. With approximately seven months each year being ideal for the growth and development of fish and aquatic life, 60 species of fish (from 14 families and 45 genera) have been identified, including prolific species such as black carp, grass carp, silver carp, bighead carp, catfish, blunt snout bream, longchang bream, triangle bream, Mongolian sturgeon, topmouth culter, and redfin culter. Key aquatic products include fish, soft-shelled turtles, and Chinese mitten crabs. Historically, Bao'an Lake was famous for producing two tribute fish: the blunt snout bream, also known as Fan Kou bream or Wuchang fish. It has a round, small head, a large belly, and tender, fatty meat, distinguished by having only 12 rib bones compared to other breams. Its flesh is delicate and delicious, and it remains a key species under development. The second is the silverfish, commonly called “rice-textured fish,” known for its snow-white dried form and pure white ash residue. With its silvery color resembling silver, shape like a jade hairpin, tender texture, delicious taste, and rich nutrition, it has long been considered a delicacy of great value. Additionally, wild ducks and other waterfowl on Bao'an Lake, such as the green-headed duck and wudunzi, are also renowned locally.

　　 In addition to supplying industrial and agricultural water to the surrounding Daye and E'zhou regions, Bao'an Lake, with its abundant natural bait, good water quality, and lighting conditions, serves as a major fish farming base for Daye City. The Bao'an Lake Fisheries Development Zone has been established and designated by the Department of Aquatic Products of the Ministry of Agriculture as one of China’s three major high-yield freshwater fish farming experimental bases. It is also an export-oriented production base for premium aquatic products in Huangshi and Daye. Since 1972, the artificial release of crab fry has been successfully trialed, and is now managed by the Daye Bao'an Lake Aquatic Development Company, yielding over a million pounds of fresh fish and crabs annually.

　　 The ancient Bao'an Lake boasts picturesque scenery with its boundless blend of water and sky, reflecting ever-changing skies of blue and white clouds. In the new era of reform and opening-up, it has regained its vitality. Beyond its conventional roles in water regulation, fisheries, shipping, industrial and agricultural support, and residential water supply, the lake also holds tremendous economic potential for development. As the saying goes, “Each land nourishes its people,” and Bao'an Lake is the mother lake of the Bao'an people.