There is a kind of Wuhan called East Lake!

Because the river flows through the city

Wuhan is called "River City"

And there is a lake

Wuhan has the "jianghu"

East Lake

It is the "happiest Jianghu" in Wuhan

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the vast East Lake, the magnificent world, photographer @陶进)

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There are green trees here

(Donghu Lake is full of green in summer, photographer @李云飞)

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Blooming Flowers

(Cherry blossoms are in full bloom by the East Lake, photographer @王泽东)

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People cut through the waves

(Students from Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology compete in the East Lake, photographer @王翮)

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Experts are everywhere

(Riding a bicycle to "jump across East Lake" in various poses, photographer @潘斌)

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It is famous

Won the title of "National 5A Tourist Attraction"

"National Scenic Spot" "National Wetland Park"

3 national honors

It's extremely popular

More than 23 million visitors a year

It is a tourist attraction in the eyes of foreign tourists

It is also an urban paradise for the people of Wuhan

Where does the charm of East Lake come from?

What does East Lake mean to Wuhan?

Aerial view

East Lake is located in the urban area of ​​Wuhan.

A total of 33 square kilometers of water area

Its area is equivalent to 6 West Lakes.

It is the second largest urban lake in China.

(“Lake in the city” refers to the lake that is fully encompassed by the main urban area of ​​the city; the figure below shows the scope and location of East Lake, drawn by @陈志浩/Planet Research Institute)

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Millions of years ago

The Three Gorges, with its endless peaks, were cut through

The Yangtze River rushes down from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Along with other rivers

Swinging back and forth in Hubei

The entrained sand continues to accumulate

Formation of Jianghan Plain

(Sketch of Jianghan Plain and surrounding terrain, drawn by @Chen Zhihao/Planetary Research Institute)

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Flooding of rivers

Sedimentation

Ponds of all sizes are scattered all over the place

Donghu Lake was born

Look around

A total of 34 low hills

Standing by the lake

(Please watch in horizontal mode. The hills around East Lake are relatively low, with the highest peak, Yujia Mountain, only 149.5 meters. Photographer: @frozen摄影)

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The total length of the lakeshore is about 133.7 kilometers

Winding

(The "broken" shoreline of East Lake, photographer @陈小羊)

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In the lake

Islands of various shapes are scattered all over the place

A total of more than 120

or musical note

Ripples in the pond

(The Mouse Tail Moon Pavilion in Tingtao Scenic Area, the scenery of the island in different seasons, photographer @谷一鸣&张乔&谷一鸣)

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or knife-like

Alone in the water

(Donghu Luoyan Scenic Area, Zou Renqi·Bird Island, photographer @frozen图片)

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or arrow-like

Two lake colors

(Xingyin Pavilion in Donghu Tingtao Scenic Area, photographer @Jameslee)

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Or like love

Floating in a corner of the world

(A small island in the Lingjiao Lake in Moshan Scenic Area, East Lake, photographer @陈丹妮)

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Together they constitute

The diverse landforms of East Lake

Forming a unique lake landscape

However, this kind of scenery is not isolated from the world

It is located in the city center of Wuhan

The high-rise buildings complement each other

It constitutes Wuhan's unique

Lake City Skyline

Clear skies

The world is open and prosperous

(Please watch in horizontal mode. Wuhan is full of tall buildings. Photographer: @玩摄影堂)

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As the night deepens

The whole lake city is full of light and color

(Please watch in horizontal mode, East Lake at dusk, photographer @田春雨&Jameslee)

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On one side is a bustling modern city.

On one side are beautiful and lively green mountains and green waters

The city and the lake complement each other

Giving this land a unique look

Also for Wuhan

Created a large-scale

Urban Green Heart

Donghu has a subtropical monsoon climate.

Average annual rainfall: 1269 mm

Average annual temperature: 16.7℃

Excellent hydrothermal conditions

It is home to many plants and animals.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the distribution of some natural attractions in Donghu Lake is shown in the figure, drawn by @陈志浩/Planet Research Institute)

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Here

More than 1,000 species of plants flourish

More than 10,000 acres of lush forests

As the saying goes

"The maple leaves on Fengdu Mountain are as red as fire, and the forests on the six peaks of Moshan are as green as a barrier"

(Fengdu Mountain, also known as Fengduo Mountain, is famous for its maple trees; the picture below shows the pavilions on Moshan Mountain hidden in the green, photographer @Ningbo)

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in

Only the number of cedar and metasequoia

As many as 3 million plants

Beautiful scenery all year round

Autumn wind blows

The mountains are covered with colorful forests

(The red maple leaves and the deep blue lake are like a dream, photographers @玩摄影堂&谷一鸣&周奕)

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Heavy snow

The world is vast

(The jungle is like a huge army standing tall in the snow, photographer @潘斌)

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Lake, forest

With the fog in the forest and the sky outside the mountain

Blurred out a picture

Gradual-layered ink painting

(The hazy water color of East Lake, photographer @樊辉&何小囧)

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at the same time

Millions of flower trees are not to be outdone

There are 13 Donghu botanical gardens in total.

A hundred flowers bloom, a hundred flowers compete for beauty

The East Lake Lotus Garden

It is the world's largest lotus gene bank.

There are more than 800 lotus ponds

Lotus varieties account for more than 80% of the world

Summer water and lotus breeze, ten miles of coolness

(Donghu Lotus Garden, this scene is truly "the lotus leaves are endless and green", photographer @田春雨)

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The East Lake Plum Garden

It is the largest plum blossom research base in China.

Accounting for 60% of the world's plum varieties

There are more than 200 centenary plum trees here.

The oldest one is over 800 years old.

Standing tall in the wind and frost, blooming proudly

(Donghu Plum Garden, photographer @廖晨阳)

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The most prestigious

East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden

It is known as one of the three best places for cherry blossom viewing in the world.

Tens of thousands of cherry trees bloom in late winter and early spring

Weeping crabapple and other flowers are dotted in between

The spring scenery fills the garden,

(The Guanshan cherry blossoms and Yunnan early cherry blossoms in the East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden are the best among the cherry blossoms. Photographer: Tian Chunyu)

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Colorful mountain forest

A paradise for animals

Squirrels, rabbits, wild boars and other creatures

Haunt here

(Luo Luo, the internet-famous little fox from Wuhan University, once appeared on Luojia Mountain near East Lake. Photographer: @冯江)

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Mid-November every year

Hundreds of migratory birds travel from north to south

Live here

On the vast water

Wild ducks, seagulls, egrets and other water birds

Playing here

(A flock of birds at Donghu Lake, including red-billed gulls from faraway Siberia and Northeast my country, and kingfishers at Donghu Lake preying on small fish, photographer @冯江)

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Together they enrich

Ecological diversity in Wuhan

Maintaining ecological balance

Regulating the city’s climate

And constitute a valuable

Natural beauty

As the saying goes

"The wild trees block the geese, and the fishing boats reflect the flying crows"

(Sunset over East Lake, the above is from Yuan Shuoyou's "Visiting Wuchang East Lake", photographer @冯江)

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2019

“The Most Beautiful River (Lake) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt”

Results Announced

As the only lake in the city

East Lake is well-deserved by Wuhan

Urban Green Heart

But the beauty of East Lake

It’s not just about beauty in nature

It also witnessed the rise of a city

Beauty in history

East Lake now

Not an untouched natural lake

Cities thrive on water

As a tourist destination, East Lake is popular because of the city.

After thousands of years of wind and rain

Different cultures gradually merge into East Lake

Leaving the mark of time

(Please watch in horizontal mode, the locations of some cultural attractions in Donghu Lake are shown in the map by @陈志浩/Planet Research Institute)

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3500 years ago

Panlong City of the Shang Dynasty was established in Wuhan

East Lake overlooks it across the river

The light of urban civilization is rising

Panlong City disappeared after the decline of the Shang Dynasty

Until the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period

Wuhan is already part of Chu

(The "Chu City" in Donghu Lake was newly built based on the Chu people's habit of living near water and building cities on high ground. Photographer: @姜轲&张瑾)

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According to legend, King Zhuang of Chu

He once set up a war drum at Gujia Mountain in Donghu to supervise the battle.

Qu Yuan, a minister of the State of Chu

Traveled around East Lake reciting poems

As the saying goes

"Riding on the Ezhu and looking back, the autumn and winter winds are blowing."

(The above is from Qu Yuan's "Nine Chapters: She Jiang", in which "Ezhu" is said to be a small island in East Lake; the picture below is the Xingyin Pavilion in East Lake in the snow, and the name of the pavilion comes from Qu Yuan's story of "Walking and Singing by the Lake", photographer @何小囧)

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Because the Yangtze River and the Han River meet here

Wuhan is well connected

Excellent geographical location

Since the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties

Castles and naval ports were built one after another

The “dual-city pattern” has taken shape

Ezhou City was expanded from Xiakou City

It became increasingly prosperous during the Sui and Tang dynasties.

As an important commercial port in the Yangtze River Basin

Gathering visitors from all over the world

The East Lake in the area is no exception.

Buddhist temples such as Baotong Temple and Zhuodaoquan Temple

Building around East Lake

(Baotong Temple is the only royal temple in Wuhan, with a history of 1,600 years. Photographer: Li Yunfei)

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Tang Dynasty calligrapher Li Yong and other literati

Studying in the East Lake area

The great poet Li Bai released eagles by the lake and wrote poems

Leave behind a lot of pride

(The site of Fangyingtai was discovered on the west bank of East Lake in 1956, photographer @frozen image)

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Ming and Qing Dynasties

Wuhan, with three towns standing side by side, is more dazzling

East Lake has also been further developed

Officials and gentry built gardens here

The number of residents near the lake is gradually increasing

(Donghu Village, photographer @梁震凯)

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Early 20th century

To prevent floods

Zhang Zhidong, then Governor-General of Huguang

Build a sluice gate between the Yangtze River and East Lake

East Lake gradually separated from other lakes

Finally become an independent system

(Sketch of the embankment along the river in Wuchang, drawn by @Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)

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After the founding of New China

Wuhan is an important city in Central China.

There are higher requirements for urban construction

The East Lake is one of the key points of urban construction.

In 1950, the East Lake Scenic Area was officially built.

Mao Zedong came here 48 times

Received 94 groups of foreign dignitaries

(Beautiful view of fish watching in Bitan, East Lake, photographer @田春雨, picture source @Visual China)

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In the bustling city

East Lake is like a paradise

Let tourists from all over the world linger

As Wuhan's urban pattern continues to expand

This paradise

Gathering more dazzling light

Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and 26 other universities

Built by the lake

The Youthful Light of Wuhan

Spreading in East Lake

(Wuhan University and East Lake in the same frame, photographer @田春雨)

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Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

56 research institutes including the Institute of Hydrobiology

Lake view

Wuhan’s Frontier Light

Reflected in East Lake

(The Institute of Aquatic Biology and East Lake are in the same frame, the scenery is beautiful, photographer @frozen图片)

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The museum has more than 240,000 cultural relics

Hubei Provincial Museum

Also located here

The Light of Civilization in Wuhan

Shining in East Lake

(The Hubei Provincial Museum currently has four treasures: the Sword of Goujian, King of Yue, the chime bells of Zenghouyi, the skull fossil of Yunxian man, and the Yuan Dynasty blue and white plum vase with the Four Loves; the center of the picture below is the Hubei Provincial Museum, the photographer is @潘斌)

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2009

Wuhan East Lake New Technology Development Zone

The “China Optics Valley”

Became China's second national independent innovation demonstration zone

Its optical fiber and cable production scale ranks first in the world

Wuhan's Technological Light

Rippling in East Lake

(The seven-color "Galaxy" sculpture in Wuhan East Lake New Technology Development Zone shines in the night, full of science fiction, photographer @倪淇)

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East Lake, where heritage and vitality coexist

It has also become an excellent window for Wuhan's external exchanges.

It is the city’s “diplomatic home”

Leaders from France, India, Germany and other countries

In recent years, many people have visited here

Focus on the world

The 2019 Wuhan

The 7th Military World Games

Wuhan and East Lake have become a global sensation

Sailing, marathon, road cycling, open water swimming

Four events settled in East Lake

Known as the "most beautiful landscape venue"

(The "Water Flying Man" performance was held at East Lake during the 2019 Military World Games. Photographer: @邹幼勤/Wuhan East Lake)

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East Lake with the power of a lake

Strengthening the body of a city

Accompanying the development of a city

Witnessing Wuhan's 3,500 years of history

Jianghu

With the help of East Lake

This world

It will get even hotter

After several planning

The entire East Lake Scenic Area

The total area is 81.8 square kilometers

There are currently 4 major scenic spots completed and open

101.98 km long greenway

Connecting major attractions

It has also become a good place for citizens and tourists to relax and exercise

Listed by the United Nations

"Demonstration Project for Improving Urban Public Spaces in China"

(Donghu Greenway, photographer @李云飞)

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Gradually improving scenic area construction

Attracting more and more people

2019

East Lake received 23.59 million tourists throughout the year

Achieved tourism revenue of 6.5 billion yuan

Very popular

(People swimming at Lingbo Gate in East Lake are bustling, photographer @倪淇)

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This year

East Lake one-day tourists

Even exceeded 400,000

It has become a good place for Wuhan people to hang out after dinner.

And the people who come here

No matter what season of the year, no matter what time of the day

You can see the East Lake

Thousand Faces of Beauty

East Lake is poetic

It is a high platform

The Chutian

(Looking up at Chutian Terrace from the steps, it looks like a palace in heaven, picture source: Visual China)

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It's snowing on earth

Walking on the bridge

(There are two dogs following behind, picture source: @Visual China)

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It's holding your hand

Looking at the sky together

(Sunrise over East Lake, it seems like only you and I are left in the world, photographer @周奕)

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East Lake is a pleasure

It's a leap

Cool off in summer

(In summer, diving into the cool lake water in a thousand different ways is the most punk way for Wuhan residents to cool down. Image source: @Visual China)

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It's Lingbo Weibu

Swordsman

(The trestle outside the Lingbo Gate of East Lake sank into the water, and the graduates jumped on the bridge like flying people on water. Image source: Visual China)

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A few good friends

Boating on the lake

(You can also see the beautiful city scenery while rafting, photographer @王俊菁)

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East Lake is hot

Gathering at the lakeside

cleave through the waves

(Wuhan Institute of Physical Education held a water sports performance to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The scene was wonderful. Image source: Visual China)

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A hundred-person competition

Strive to be the best

(The water marathon was held in the vast waters of East Lake, photographer @陈丹妮)

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It's the crowd cheering

Burn the whole audience

(At the Hoha Music Festival in OCT Happy Valley, waves, people and sound merged into one, photographer @赵凯文/Wuhan East Lake)

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This is Wuhan's Water World

The big stage of the world

Youth, romance, passion, vitality

Countless people stayed here

Good memories

now

These beauties are spreading to a wider world.

More and more people

With East Lake as a window

Getting to know a new Wuhan

(In 2020, the cherry blossoms in East Lake are in full bloom as in previous years. After the epidemic in Wuhan was initially brought under control, medical staff who came to Wuhan to help came to East Lake to feel the vitality of this city. Photographer @何小囧)

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This is East Lake

This is Wuhan

The rivers and lakes are running

The city is alive and well

This article was created by

Written by | Zhou Tianxiu

Editor | A Shao

Picture | Daytime sleep

Map | Chen Zhihao

Design | Wang Shenwen

Proofreading | Shanyuelou

First photo photography | Chen Xiaoyang

Planetary Research Institute

A group of National Geographic fans, focusing on exploring the extreme world

···The End···