Overview
Chinese Name: 南湖
English Name: South Lake, Nanhu
Location: Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province
Type: Natural landscape
Rating Level: AAAAA (5A)
Brief Introduction
Jiaxing South Lake嘉兴南湖, formerly known as Luweichi lake陆渭池, also known as Machang Lake马场湖 or Biao Lake滮湖, is located in Nanhu District, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, in the southeast of Jiaxing City. The scenic area covers an area of about 5.86 square kilometers, and the core area covers an area of 2.76 square kilometers. It is one of the three most famous lakes in Zhejiang, together with West Lake in Hangzhou and East Lake in Shaoxing.
South Lake, the canal from the confluence of channels, bearing Changshui Pond长水塘 and Haiyan Pond海盐池, drainage in the Pinghu Pond平湖池 and Changxian Pond长纤塘, around the low-lying, river and port. The lake is long in the south and north, narrow in the east and west, with a water area of about 624 mu and a water depth of 2 to 4 meters. It is also known as “Mandarin Duck Lake” due to its shape.
In May 2010, Nanhu Scenic Area was established as the first batch of national Clean government education base. On September 06, 2011, the National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China approved Nanhu Tourist Area as the National AAAAA level tourist attraction.
South Lake area is located in the north subtropical south rim, belongs to the East Asian monsoon region, winter summer monsoon significantly alternately, distinct seasons, moderate temperatures, rain-drenched, sunny, with a wet spring, hot summer, autumn dry and cold winter, is located in mid-latitudes, summer hot and humid and rainy weather is much shorter than winter dry weather.
On July 23, 1921, the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai French concession Wangzhi Road 106 (now 76 Xingye Road) held a secret meeting. In the middle of the meeting, the French concession patrol harried the meeting and forced it to stop.
At the suggestion of Wang Huiwu, wife of Shanghai delegate Li Da, the conference was moved to a cruise ship on South Lake in Jiaxing and founded the Communist Party of China.
What is worth to visit and see？
Main attractions
Pavilion of Mist and Rain烟雨楼 is located on the island in the middle of the South Lake. It has two floors and is about 20 meters high with a construction area of more than 640 square meters. In front of the building, eaves hanging “烟雨楼” tablet written by Dong Bi wu. Pavilion of Mist and Rain, because of the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu “four hundred and eighty temples in the south, how many floors in misty rain” hence the name.
Located in the center of the South Lake, Huxin island湖心岛 covers an area of 17 mu. In 1548, In the 27th year of The Reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, Zhao Ying, the governor of Jiaxing, organized the dredging of the Chenghe river, and built an island with silt and soil. In the next year, the Pavilion of Mist and Rain was built on the island. After the Qing dynasty and have been built visiting pavilions and other buildings, forming the ancient garden buildings with the Pavilion of Mist and Rain as the main body with pavilions, rockery corridors, ancient tree tablets, which is a typical Jiangnan garden.
The Lanxiu Garden揽秀园 is located on the west side of the South Lake, covering an area of more than 11,300 square meters. South Lake scenic area is a cultural relic inscription theme park. Lanxiu garden is centered in “Wenxing Bridge”, “antique street”, divided into the south and north two gardens. The west side of the north park is symmetrical with the central axis and a style of the four-way courtyard. The east side is the layout of the free open garden. The park has 270 meters of tablet corridor, inlaid with 95 pieces of tablet inscriptions.
Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall南湖革命纪念馆 is located on the south bank of Nanhu Lake, with a total construction area of 19,633 square meters, 10 times the original building area, including 7,794 square meters of the exhibition hall. The new pavilion is composed of one main building, two vice buildings, and three buildings, with the shape of “工” in the plane.
There are fifty-six eaves pillars around the building, symbolizing that “the Communist Party of China is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, and also the core leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
The exterior wall adopts large size green brick so that the whole building not only reflects the solemn atmosphere of the style but also shows the rich Jiangnan cultural elements. The lintel of the door is inset “南湖革命纪念馆” seven gold characters written by Deng Xiaoping.
Nanhu Red Boat is located on the South Lake. It is a single screen boat with a length of about 16 meters and a width of 3 meters. There are forward cabin, middle cabin, and rear cabin. The First National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in the middle cabin.