Nanhu Lake

Nanhu Lake is a natural reservoir and fish farm, as well as a rare scenic spot. In 301, the first year of Emperor Huidi of the Jin Dynasty, Prince Qi and the minister of war jointly administered affairs of state. Zhang Han served as a deputy to the war minister.

Because of political corruption, Zhang Han resigned from Luoyang to avoid mishaps, with the excuse of homesickness. He was fond of fishing in Nanhu Lake, Zhouzhuang, to isolate himself from the chaos of politics and live an easy and tranquil life.

Following the example of Zhang Han, Tang poets Liu Yuxi and Lu Guimeng came to settle down in Nanhu for fishing. There was a Buddhist Temple near the lake, known as Qingyuan Temple, which has an ancestral temple in memory of Liu Yuxi, a poet and statesman.

The Nanhu Park is about 54 mu in size, with a building area of 6,300 square meters. It is separated into the four scenic quarters respectively named after spring, summer, autumn and winter.

The spring and summer quarters are characterized by scenic gardens circling around the lotus pond. Wanghu balcony, Huxin booth, and Jiuqu Zigzag Bridge are constructed around the pond. The rushing-wave stone boat faces the pond in a distance. They combine to constitute a classic garden of elegance and tranquility.

The autumn quarter is characterized by archaized architecture, which integrates halls, booths, ancestral temples, and rockeries. Among them, the Silu Hall and Jiying Room were constructed in memory of Zhang Han. The Liu Bing guestroom and Mengde Pavilion were built to commemorate Liu Yuxi.

The winter quarter is a cluster of religious buildings centering on Quanfu Temple, which attracts countless pious men and women towards the riverside Buddhism Kingdom.