Chaohu Lake 巢湖

About Chaohu Lake

Around Zhongmiao, a lakeside temple looks towards Laoshan Island, where Wenfeng Pagoda rises above the wooded slopes. This shore-and-island pairing gives a practical focus to a lake too large to approach as one short circuit. The boat journey changes the perspective from low shoreline to open water, while the pagoda’s stonework and inscribed plaques add a historical element to the scenery.

The lake's name derives from the ancient state of Chao (古巢国), which once occupied the area, with its origins traced to the legendary Youchao clan (有巢氏); other accounts derive the name from the lake's nest-like shape. The surrounding scenic area was approved as a provincial-level scenic area in 1987 and elevated to a National Key Scenic Area (国家重点风景名胜区) by the State Council in 2002.

Chaohu spans parts of one district, one county-level city and three counties across roughly twenty townships between the Yangtze and Huai rivers, covering a total area of about 775 square kilometers, 61 kilometers from east to west and averaging 12 kilometers from north to south. 'Chaohu under a night moon' (巢湖夜月) was ranked the seventh of the old Eight Scenes of Luyang (庐阳八景).

On Laoshan Island (姥山岛), the largest in the lake, the seven-story Wenfeng Pagoda (文峰塔) was begun in the fourth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming dynasty and, after further work sponsored by Li Hongzhang, completed to its full height in 1878; built of stone slabs with 135 interior steps, it originally held 802 carved Buddha images, most of which were later destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

What to look for

• The view between Zhongmiao’s lakefront and wooded Laoshan Island.
• Wenfeng Pagoda’s seven-storey stone structure and historical inscriptions.

Location & getting there

Getting to Chaohu Lake

Choose the Zhongmiao–Laoshan scenic visitor area for this outing. Reach the Zhongmiao tourist pier by road, then confirm the island boat and return arrangements before boarding. A general Chaohu destination may lead to a distant part of the shoreline.