East Lake
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In the eastern side of the Wuhan city, there is a big lake called Donghu (The East Lake). It is regarded as "the biggest lake inside the city in China" and "the thoroughfare to nine provinces". The shape of the East Lake is like a reversed "U", which occupies an area of 33 sq. km with the deepest part about 4.66m. Made famous by its excellent natural environment, rich in fishery resources and great scenery, the East Lake become a subsidiary food production area and a main tourist attraction in Hubei Province and a main spot in the Three Gorges tour.The East Lake as its base, the East Lake Scenic Area has a lot of attractions to be visited. The Fable Garden displays many majestic sculptures about the ancient Chinese folk legends and educational fables. It is the first garden in China that uses fable as its theme. Xingyin Pavilion (Making Poem While Walking) is a scenic spot on the island located in the northwestern part of the East Lake. The lake island is linked to the land by two bridges.
Qu Yuan (340 - 278 BC) was a prominent statesman and patriotic poet flourished during the Warring State Period. He suggested a series of useful measures to the Chu Huai Emperor to improve the power of the state. The emperor took his advices so the nation became a great one in the south, the Qin forces in the north were kept out of the border. Later, however, the emperor listened to imperial flunkies who told something bad about Qu Yuan to him. Qu was then expelled from the state. In 278 BC, the Qin forces invaded the Chu's capital. Qu Yuan had been wandering in the Yangtze Delta area for 20 years. He felt extremely sad about the fall of the Chu State, so he jumped into a river and died on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar Calendar. The Dragon Boat Festival is for the memory of this patriotic man.
Different scenes in different seasons that make the East Lake very beautiful all the time. In springtime the flowers blossom and the birds sing. Along the lake in summer, people are playing with water, just like those in the Hainan Island, southern China. Osmanthus fragrance wafts and the pretty red leaves decorate around the lake. Many kinds of northern birds go south to here and search for food in wintertime.
