Chao Lake — Millennium History, Folklore, and Culture in a Picturesque Landscape
The Chao Lake or Chaohu Lake area used to be an affluent state in history but was eventually devoured and buried by water.
Ruins and folklore of the ancient underwater city, along with invaluable architecture, history, and culture that developed around the lake, as well as picturesque natural views, have made this place an exceptionally scenic area in China.
Islands and Architectures in the Chao Lake of Anhui Province, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Story of the Underwater Ancient City of Chao Lake
Chao Lake Facts and Important Data
Important Cultural Sites and Natural Scenic Views of Chao Lake
Sunset and Sailing Boats, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Most Famous Folklore of Chaohu Lake
When the Chao Lake area was still affluent land, people there suffered from severe drought once, and they kept sincerely praying for rainfall every day.
A passing white dragon saw their suffering, so he brought a big rainfall using magic.
However, this behavior broke the rules of heaven.
Hence, the white dragon was punished and commanded to guard this area.
Chao Lake of Anhui Province, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Years later, the white dragon heard that this place would be submerged soon.
So he transformed into a young man and told this bad news to a lady named Jiao Mu, who had saved him before.
Jiao Mu tried her best to inform everyone to escape the enormous flood; however, she didn't have enough time to run away.
Together with the town, she was devoured by water and buried under the lake.
Afterward, an island rose in the middle of the lake, which was believed to be Jiao Mu's incarnation, and named Mount Mu (in Chinese as Mushan Dao) to commemorate her.
Mount Mu or Mushan Dao, Photo by Yinshanzhiren.
History of Chao Lake
King Jie, the last monarch of the Xia Dynasty (about 2070 BC — 1600 BC), was banished to this area, believed to be named Chaozhou after he lost his final battle.
Soon, the Chaozhou region became a vassal state of the successive kingdoms, then a county of the unified Qin Dynasty (221 BC — 207 BC).
During the Three Kingdoms area (220 — 266), Chaozhou subsided and was devoured by water.
Today's Chao Lake was formed there, and many other cities were raised and developed surrounding the lake.
Nearby Sanhe Ancient Town, Photo from Official Site of Sanhe.
Story of The Underwater Ancient City of Tangju or Tangzui
In recent years, the local inhabitants of Tangju or Tangzui found many relics, including building materials, production tools, and daily necessities, when the water level declined.
Soon, archeologists confirmed that those relics date back to the Neolithic area, and the latest articles discovered now were currencies from Emperor Wang Mang's reign period (9 — 23).
Its location, scale, and period of unearthed relics all fit the folklore of the city in history that was sunk and buried under the lake.
However, the reasons for whether it's a big earthquake or a massive flood are still unknown.
This ancient city is still underwater, and more puzzles might be solved if this site were archaeologically excavated someday.
Dragon Shaped Jade Xi of Western Han Dynasty (202 BC — 8 AD), Unearthed from This Area — Chaohu Lake Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)
Chao Lake Facts and Important Data
-
It is located in Anhui Province, the middle of China.
-
It is about 560 to 825 square kilometers, based on seasonal differences in water levels.
-
The average depth is about 2.89 meters.
-
There are over 94 types of fish and 122 aquatic plants.
-
The Chaohu Lake area had been an important military place, where many kings and generals trained soldiers, constructed bases, and fought battles.
A Pier on Chaohu, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Important Cultural Sites and Natural Scenic Views
Wenfeng Pagoda on Mushan Island
Mushan, or Mount Mu, about 1 square kilometer large and 115 meters tall, is the biggest island of Chaohu Lake and is believed to be the incarnation of heroic lady Jiao Mu.
On top of Mushan Island is the Wenfeng Pagoda, first constructed in 1631, with historic stone inscriptions and carvings inside.
Wenfeng Tower on Mushan Island, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Zhongmiao Temple
Firstly constructed in 239 to worship the deity of Chaohu, Zhongmiao Temple has been rebuilt several times in history.
Later, some grand halls were built in 1892 to commemorate soldiers sacrificed in wars.
Buildings on Zhongmiao Temple, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Yinping Mountain
Locating on the south coast of the lake, Yinping Mountain is famous for special-shaped stalactites and mysterious limestone caves that, in legends, some deities practiced alchemy.
Yinping Mountain, Photo from Official Site of Chaohu.
Ziwei Cave
It is an over 3000 meters long underground river limestone cave next to Wangqiao Grottoes with invaluable ancient stone inscriptions and religious statues.
Inside the Ziwei Cave
You Might Also Like:
Cultural Landscape with Historic and Aesthetic Values — West Lake
Devil’s Triangle and Paradise of Birds — Poyang Lake
Pearls on Water and Submerged Millennial Cities — Thousand Island Lake
Dream of Clouds — Dongting Lake
Culture of Chu and Lake of Flowers — East Lake
Wuyue Culture in Picturesque Landscape — Taihu Lake
Cultural Symbol Across Time and Space — Yellow River or Huang He River
Longest River of China — Yangtze River or Chang Jiang River
Cultural Meanings of Extraordinary Places in China
Special, Ancient Towns with Amazing Histories
History and Legend of Magnificent Mountains in China