Xuanwu Lake 玄武湖

About Xuanwu Lake

Its island-and-causeway landscape brings pavilions, planted gardens and open water together within the city.

Arched bridges link the islands, creating successive views rather than one continuous shoreline experience. Xuanwu Gate provides a clear named entrance, while the nearby city-wall and temple areas give the lake a wider historical setting. Choose a limited island route and check local access before adding another attraction outside the park.

The lake was originally called Sangpo (桑泊); it first took the name Xuanwu Lake in the twenty-third year of the Yuanjia era of the Liu Song dynasty (446 CE), after Xuanwu, one of the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology, a compound of tortoise and snake associated with the north. Lying north of Yanque Lake (燕雀湖), it was also called Beihu (北湖). In ancient times its circumference reached 40 li, and it was redredged in the early Ming dynasty after long neglect.

The lake is diamond-shaped, with a circumference of about 10 kilometres and a water depth of around 3 metres. Fish are raised in the lake and lotus is planted widely, with willows lining the islands and causeways. Five islets lie within it, Huanzhou (环洲), Yingzhou (樱洲), Lingzhou (菱洲), Liangzhou (梁洲) and Cuizhou (翠洲), linked by bridges. The lake covers 473 hectares, including 105 hectares of islets.

Xuanwu Lake is bordered on the west and south by the Ming city wall. Its water drains from Purple Mountain (紫金山) in the east, via the Jinchuan River to the Yangtze and via Wumiao Sluice to the Qinhuai River. Together with West Lake in Hangzhou and South Lake in Jiaxing, it is known as one of the Three Great Lakes of Jiangnan (江南三大名湖), and it is designated a national-level scenic area (国家级风景区).

What to look for

• Interconnected islands create a sequence of garden and water scenes.
• Arched bridges frame changing views across the lake.

The surrounding area

The provincial capital suits museums and major historical sites; reserve time for different districts instead of treating it as one walking circuit.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xuanwu Lake

Approach the lake through Xuanwu Gate for a clearly identified entrance into the island park; choose a different gate only if it better serves your selected route.