Yueyang: Written in the Poem

In ancient times Yueyang was called ”Baling or Yuezhou” and is a historic and cultural city with a long history of more than 2,500 years. Located at the northeast of Hunan Province, neighboring Jiangxi Province in the east and Hubei Province in the north, Yueyang was a hinterland of military importance during the past dynasties. Nowadays, renowned for so many historic interests, Yueyang is ranked as one of the ”China’s Top Tourism Destination Cities”.

The long history of Yueyang results in a rich heritage of cultural relics and inspiring landscapes. Notable among these are the Yueyang Pavilion (Yueyang Lou) and Dongting Lake, both of which are “National Key Tourist Attractions”.

Yueyang City’s governance covers 3 municipal districts (Yueyang Lou District, Junshan District, Yunxi District), 4 counties (Yueyang County, Huarong County, Xiangyin County, Pingjiang County) and 2 county-level cities (Miluo City, Linxiang City). In Yueyang, the white and beautiful gardenia is its city flower while the flourishing Duying (Long-flowered ehretia) tree is its city tree. The flowers and the trees add a charming luster to Yueyang.

Yueyang is prolific in natural resources due to its rich soil: Yueyang is the agricultural products base for producing high-quality grain, cotton, pigs, fish etc. The agricultural by-products like organic tea, organically grown vegetables and high-quality fruit, Dongting Lake shrimp sell well on the market. Moreover, the freshwater resource is plentiful and advantageous for the development of the plant industry, freshwater fisheries industry and the shipping industry.

However, Yueyang’s real charm rests with human cultural relics as well as the natural landscape. The well-known Yueyang Pavilion (Yueyang Lou) is one of the three famous pavilions in South China. China’s second largest freshwater lake Dongting Lake is a good tourist destination in Yueyang. On the lake is located an island called Junshan Hill and is also a good tourist resort. From a cultural aspect, the Miluo River is worthy of a visit because it is the place where the story about “Qu Yuan (339BC – 278 BC) Drowning in the Miluo River” happened.

I. Dongting Lake

Dongting Lake, China’s second-largest freshwater lake, is located in northeastern Hunan Province. It is a large, shallow body of water surrounded by mountain chains. It is also known as “eight- hundred Li Dong Ting Lake” (The Li is a Chinese length unit equal to 500 meters or about 1,640 feet). An impressive characteristic of the lake is it is inter-nested. Depending on the season, concentric ridges of land appear in the lake in many areas. This is because the lake acts as a flood basin for the Yangtze River. The appearance of Dongting Lake changes throughout the different seasons, sometimes even during the same day. Many ancient Chinese poems and stories were written about the beauty of Dongting Lake.

The climate of Dongting Lake is between middle and northern subtropical, so it is warm and humid, but there is also a “draught window” from which cold air from the north sometimes enters. So in spring and summer, the temperature is variable, while in late summer and autumn, it’s sunny and hot with a little rain. Occasionally in autumn, it’s a little bit cold and windy. The area around the lake has tremendous agricultural production ability with a long history of development. Since the plain is graced with fertile soil, proper temperature and plentiful rain, Dongting Lake is also called “a land flowing with milk and honey”.

Four streams including the Xiangjiang River, the Zishui River, the Yuanjiang River, and the Lishui River, all flow into Dongting Lake, and the lake is sometimes known as ”the holder of the four streams”. Because Dongting Lake acts as a tremendous natural reservoir or flood-basin, it plays an important role in adjusting the flow of the Yangtze River. The Lake is sometimes known as “the taker and sender of the Yangtze River”.

East Dongting Lake

Dongting Lake is divided into 5 parts: East Dongting Lake, South Dongting Lake, West Dongting Lake, North Dongting Lake, and Datong Lake. East Dongting is the biggest part of Dongting Lake. The District has abundant animal and plant life, especially birds and waterfowl. East Dongting Lake has become one of China’s major natural habitats for birds. According to scientists, there are 1,086 kinds of plants, 114 kinds of fresh water fish, and 207 kinds of birds living in the district, and the total number of animals and birds reaches 10 million every year. The large water area, beach, and rich natural resources here provide protected living conditions for many animals that are in danger of extinction. East Dongting Lake is recognized as “a zoology pearl on the middle part of the Yangtze River”, and “a hopeful place to save the animals in danger”. Besides experiencing the cultural history of the region by visiting Yueyang Pavilion, watching dragon boat races, or tasting Junshan Island Tea, you can enjoy the region’s natural abundance by watching the birds on East Dongting Lake. The best time is from October to March. In addition, at East Dongting Lake one can dine on delicious fish as well.

South Dongting Lake

South Dongting Lake, near Yuanjiang City, is famous for the picturesque beauty of its fishing villages: the mist and fog rising from the surface of the lake, making the sky and the water the same color; the light reflecting from the water captivates the viewer. Furthermore, South Dongting Lake is also an important international marsh, and it has been ranked as a provincial natural protective district for marsh waterfowl. Because South Dongting Lake is next to Yuanjiang City, which is easy to reach by land or water, the lake is being developed as a scenic spot for tourism.

San Jiang Kou Entrance

Where West Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River meet, there is a place called San Jiang Kou Entrance, where one can see the Xiangjiang River surging to the north and the Yangtze River rolling to the east. Above, water birds soar freely, and on the water, hundreds of barges ply their trade. It’s a grand and sublime scene. Many folk legends are rooted here, including “the two concubines of the emperor Shun looking for their husband for hundreds of miles”.

The Hills of Junshan

The most famous scene in the lake is an island called Junshan, a lone, mountainous island on Dongting Lake. Junshan Island contains 72 peaks. There are ferries to take the passengers back and forth. The ferry ride takes about an hour, but plan to spend the whole day exploring the island. The original name of the Junshan Island was Dongting Island, which means the cavity for the immortals to live in. It is said that 4,000 years ago, after the emperor Shun went south to go on a tour of inspection, two of his concubines tried to find him but failed, and they began to cry while grasping bamboo. Their tears dropped onto the bamboo, and the bamboo became mottled from then on. After their death, people built a tomb for them, which is called “two concubines’ tomb”. To commemorate them, people changed the name of the island from Dongting Island to Junshan Island. The bamboo on the island is well known for its many varieties such as mottled bamboo, arhat bamboo, square bamboo, sincere bamboo, and purple bamboo. In addition, the island holds a large-scale dragon-boat festival, a lotus festival, and various sporting events on the water every year.

II Yueyang Pavilion

The Yueyang Pavilion is an ancient architectural treasure which is located on the shores of Dongting Lake in Yueyang City, Hunan Province. The Yueyang Pavilion is one of four famous Chinese pavilions. The other famous pavilions are the Tengwang Pavilion in Hubei Province, the Yellow Crane Tower in Jiangxi Province and the Penglai Pavilion in Shandong Province.

The Yueyang Pavilion is a three storey, rectangular building which reaches 15 meters (about 49 feet) high and is constructed entirely from wood. Surprisingly, no nails or beams have been used in its construction. This is a rare feature in classical architecture. Pillars have been included in the construction to ensure the strength of the building. Four pillars made of ”Nanmu” wood support the entire pavilion; twelve pillars of catalpa wood support the eaves of the first storey and a further twelve pillars have been included to support the second storey. The roof of the pavilion is built using unusual curved lines which are similar to the shape of a helmet used by a knight of ancient times.

Seen from a distance, the Yueyang Pavilion seems like a giant bird which is in flight. The red building with its yellow glazed roof tiles is a splendid and colorful sight. Views here are spectacular. You will see the pavilion glowing in the sunshine together with the drifting clouds as reflections on the glimmering surface of the Dongting Lake. You will also see the white sails of passing boats contrasting with the blue sky. Couplets and carved screens are hung on the wall inside the building providing the visitors with the history of this pavilion.

The age of the pavilion is disputed. However, it is generally believed that the pavilion was built more than 1,700 years ago. During the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) the rudimentary form of the building was that of a parade (ceremonial) pavilion. During the Western Jin (265-316) and the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589), the pavilion was used by the military with the name of “Baling Tower”. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that it was renamed as the Yueyang Pavilion. The Yueyang Pavilion was damaged in the chaos of wars and was rebuilt in the Song Dynasty (960-1127). Since then, it has become a tourist attraction and a place of inspiration for both poets and writers. The pavilion was made very famous during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) by the works of Fan Zhongyan who was a great politician and writer.