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Xuanwu Lake

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Nanjing's largest park, Xuanwu Hu is a lake ten kilometers long divided into five sections by narrow islands and causeways, Huanzhou Island, Yinshou Island, Liangzhou Island, Cuizhou Island and Linzhou Island. With 368-hectare water area plus five islands, the bridges above the lake and the pavilions, corridors, towers lotus flower spreading in it form a charming landscape.

In the long history of China, the lake had had been used by many dynasties as an ideal place to train their waterborne troops and the paradise for many emperors and officers in ancient times. But it once had been converted into farmland in Northern Song Dynasty. Xuanwu Lake didn’t appear until Ming Dynasty, when Emperor Zhuyuanzhang ordered the lake to be the moat around the city. Later the lake was restored and opened as a park in 1909 called Yuanwu Lake Park.

For the name “Xuanwu”, there is a legend. In the Southern Dynasty a black dragon was seen in the lake. Chinese Daoists believed that the black dragon was called Xuanwu. Hence the lake was called Xuwu Lake.

Location:

outside the north-east of city wall, is in the northeast portion of Nanjing city near the railway station.

Ticket Price:

20 RMB

Opening Time:

6:00 to 22:00

How to get there:

Take No.304 bus from Gulo to Xuanwu Lake. Or travel buses No.1, 3, 25, 30, 35, 38 to Xuanwu Lake Park.

Tips:

1. Summer and autumn are the best seasons to view Xuanwu Hu with the blossom of lotus flowers; 2. There are so many restaurants and food stands offering the typical snacks of Xuanwu Hu and Nanjing; 3. With the convenient transportation, the tourists can get to the Hubin Square near the Nanjing Train Station directly by boats or yachts.