Chao Lake

Chao Lake
Location Anhui Province, China
Coordinates 31°30′N 117°30′E / 31.5°N 117.5°E / 31.5; 117.5Coordinates: 31°30′N 117°30′E / 31.5°N 117.5°E / 31.5; 117.5
Basin countries China
Max. length 52 km (32 mi)
Max. width 22 km (14 mi)
Surface area 760 km2 (290 sq mi)
Average depth 2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Max. depth 5.0 m (16.4 ft)
Chao Lake
Chinese 巢湖
Literal meaning Birds' Nest Lake

Chao Lake (巢湖), also known by its Chinese name Chao Hu,[lower-alpha 1] is a lake at the juncture of Chaohu and Hefei cities in Anhui Province, China. It is the largest in Anhui and one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. Mushan Island is in the lake. About 5 million people live near the lake and use it for irrigation, transportation and fishing. Heavy use in recent years has led to eutrophication and silting. Due to China's rapid economic growth, the lake is now one of China's most polluted. It is also regarded as one of the most polluted lakes on the planet and has featured on many lists of similar attribute.

Noted tourist sites around the lake include Mount Mu, Zhongmiao Temple, Tongyang River, Mount Yinping, and the Immortals Cave. The silver fish, shrimps, and crabs of Lake Chao are called the Three Treasures. It enjoys the grand name of "Land of Plenty".

In legend

According to legend, the site of the lake was once a prosperous city named Chaozhou. Because of sins of its people, it was cursed by the heavens and ordered to be destroyed by flood. The task was to be carried out by a white dragon who was only able to find one good person, an old lady ('Lao' in Chinese) surnamed Jiao. After the destruction of Chaozhou, only the old lady and her daughter were saved. They became the two islands emerging from the lake.

This legend may be rooted in geological history, since Lake Chao is on the intersection of several major faults, of which the most famous is the Tan Lu Fault, which caused the great 1976 Tangshan earthquake in its northern section.

Notes

  1. ↑ Before the 20th century, its romanizations also included Tsaou Lake[1] and Tsiao Lake or Tsiao-hou.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "China" in the Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed, 1878.
  2. ↑ Brue, Adrien Hubert. Carte Generale de l'Empire Chinois et du Japon, 1836. (in French)


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