Wuhan is inseparably associated with “water” because the waters of Wuhan are very impressive: they take up one quarter of the total area of the city. The Yangtze River and its biggest tributary the Hanjiang River converge here and cut the city into three parts; scattered all over it are dozens of large or small natural lakes, among which the East Lake is the most famous.

A Survey

    From the No. 2 Yangtze River Bridge, which is situated on the inner circular route of the city, a mere ten minutes’ ride will take you to a lake with rippling blue waves and surrounded green hills. The lake is 33 square meters in area and 110.5 kilometers in circumference. There are over 120 promontories and bays around the lake, and 34 wooded hills along half of the circumference, which over more than 85 per cent of the area. This picturesque place is the well-known East Lake, one of the key national scenic spots of China and the largest natural lake in Chinese cities.

    The East Lake was set aside as a scenic spot in the 1950s. During his tour of the lake in 1954, Mr. Zhu De, a late state leader, was happy to write the following inscription: “though overshadowed temporarily by the West Lake, the East Lake will certainly outshine it some day.” Mr. Zhu’s wishes have long become true. Today’s East Lake is a much-acclaimed tourist resort known for its vast expanse of misty waters, indented bays, picturesque surroundings, abundant vegetation, rich traditional flavor of the Chu Culture, and exquisite parks and gardens. The whole scenic spot covers 88.19 square kilometers and has six attached classic sightseeing spots: Tingtao, Moshan Hill, Luohong, Luoyan, Baima and Chuidi.

    Along the lake are scattered a number of prestigious universities and research institutes, such as Wuhan University, Central China University of Science and Technology, and Wuhan Branch of Chinese Academy of Natural Sciences. So the area around the lake is known as Wuhan’s center for culture, science and technology. The East Lake HI-Tech Development Zone, where the “China Optics Valley” is located, is in the vicinity.