East Lake, located on south bank of the Yangtze River and the east of Wuchang, is one of the major tourist attractions in Wuhan. It is the biggest lake within a city in China.
The lake covers an area of 330, 000 square meters, which is 5 times than the area of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Characterized by its clear water, abundant plants, strong customs of Chu and unique gardens, the lake, with over 120 bends in the branch streams and 111.5 kilometers shoreline, was famed as "a lake with 99 curves".
Due to abundant rainfall and sunshine as well as a humid climate, East Lake has rich botanical resources. There are 372 kinds of trees and over 390 varieties of flowers, of which plum blossom and lotus are most famous. Based on this, China's Plum Research Center and Lotus Research Center are set here.Six scenic areas were established on the lake area, namely Tingtao (Listening to Surging Waves), Moshan (millstone-shaped Hill), Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), Baima (White Horse), Chuidi (Playing the Flute), and Luohong Hills, adding additional beauty to the lake. |