Hongze Lake, China’s Fourth Largest Freshwater Lake, located in Huaian, is like a sapphire embedded in the Jiangsu Province. The lake surface is vast and misty, showcasing different landscapes in the changing seasons: fragrant lotus blossoms in spring, egrets dancing in summer, the lake and sky merging in autumn, and snow-covered mountains in winter. Islands dot the lake, and water forests stretch for dozens of miles. Riding a boat through them, you’ll see branches intertwined like jade carvings, water birds skimming the surface, and it feels like you’re immersed in a water ink painting. The Jiangba Ancient Town, built beside the water, features blue stone streets and docks, where you can find the ruins of Qianlong’s Palace and ancient ginkgo trees that are thousands of years old. Sister lakes such as Haigang Lake and Bao Ying Lake surround it, forming an “ecological pattern of three lakes and one river.” When fishermen cast their nets, white egrets rise in flocks, and anglers sit quietly by the lake, listening to the wind rustling through willow trees and watching clouds drift by, enjoying the charm of “fishing boats singing at dusk.”
