Carp Lake

　　(Spirit Gourd Waterfall) Carp Lake is situated 15 kilometers northwest of Xucheng Town, approximately 1 kilometer west along Maicai Stream beneath the current dam of Carp Lake Reservoir. It was formerly known as “Spirit Gourd Heaven,” also called “Dragon Pool.” Legend has it that there is a dragon palace at the bottom of the lake, and it got its name because the dragon was said to be a transformed carp spirit.

　　The lake is basin-shaped, with water present year-round, covering an area of about 300 square meters. It is embraced on both sides by curved stone walls, which rise to a maximum height of about 20 meters and a minimum of about 15 meters above the water’s surface. Large rocks lie in various poses above the lake, where the stream plunges down vertically, creating a 15-meter drop that resembles a waterfall. The sound is like thunder, and the scenery is elegant and beautiful. It is known as the “Spirit Gourd Waterfall” and is listed as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Xuyang.

　　Over the dynasties, many literati carved poems and inscriptions here, but due to the passage of time, erosion from water and wind, they have been difficult to preserve. Today, on the steep cliffs on both sides of the lake, the inscription “Earth Gives Rise to a Water Dragon in Flight” can still be faintly seen.