Located in the southern part of the Yangtze River delta, Taihu
Lake is the third largest freshwater lake in China. With a surface
area of about 2,338 square kilometers (about 902 square miles),
Taihu Lake is a famous scenic spot in China and is famed for its
lake, its hills and its splendid man-made scenery.
Taihu Lake is just like a bright pearl set in the Yangtze River
delta. It crosses Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, where 48 islets
of different sizes and 72 peaks and peninsulas along the lake combine
to form a panorama of great natural beauty. The best place to view
the beautiful Taihu Lake is on the Turtle Head Islet. Turtle Head
Islet is an islet stretching into the lake, whose shape is really
like the head of a turtle protruding from the water. Taihu Lake
and the surrounding magnificence will bewitch your eyes when you
climb onto Turtle Head. When the soft breezes blow, waves roll and
the hills in the distance look like an overlapping landscape painting.
The scene is really captivating. Turtle Head Islet Park is mainly
made of the natural landscape, augmented by man-made additions.
Flowers and trees can be seen everywhere. Various kinds of architecture
are strategically placed among the trees and shrubs. All conspire
to make the park graceful and elegant.
Besides the natural scenery of Taihu Lake, there are many ruins
of historic sites, such as the Grand Canal of the Sui Dynasty (581-618),
the Islets in the lake along with the coastal places in the east,
the north and the west both of which are the cradle land of the
culture of Wuyue (this culture touches on traditions that flow from
or refer to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and the southeast part of Anhui Province
today) and so on.
Taihu Lake is an abundant source of fish. Traveling there, you
can taste the famous delicious food known as 'Taihu Lake Three
Whites', including white shrimp, whitebait and whitefish. The
feast is generally prepared in the boat as one floats on the placid
waters of Taihu Lake. It is very well worth a visit.