Fengxiang East Lake

Donghu Lake, located in the southeast corner of Fengxiang District, Baoji City, was called "Yinfengchi" in ancient times. According to legend, in the first year of King Wen of Zhou, a phoenix flew over Yong and drank the water here, hence the name. In the sixth year of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty (1061), the famous writer Su Shi was appointed as the signing judge of Fengxiang Prefecture. He advocated that officials and civilians dredge and expand the pond, divert water from the Phoenix Spring in the northwest of the city, plant lotus and willow, build pavilions and bridges, and make it a place for sightseeing. Because the Phoenix Pond is only 20 to 30 steps away from the east gate of the prefecture, it was renamed East Lake and is elegantly known as the "Sister Lake" with West Lake in Hangzhou. 🌟Highlights: East Lake is more than 940 years old and has been repaired in all dynasties. It now covers an area of ​​nearly 200,000 square meters, of which the water area is more than 80,000 square meters, forming inner and outer lakes, with more than 30 ancient buildings. The inner lake of East Lake was dredged when Su Shi was the magistrate of Fengxiang Prefecture, and the outer lake was dug during the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty. They are collectively called East Lake. The lake is a typical northern historic garden with lotuses and water lilies blending together, ancient willows swaying on the lakeside, strange rocks standing in rows, green bamboos in groups, pavilions and terraces, exquisite layout, winding paths leading to secluded places, and simple and elegant buildings. Donghu Garden is a provincial cultural relic protection unit. ✅Must experience: East Lake has a strong cultural characteristic. Su Dongpo not only left a pleasing scenery to the East Lake, but also left a lot of valuable cultural wealth for future generations. He wrote more than 180 poems and essays about Donghu or for Donghu. Among them, the famous ones that have been passed down through the ages include "Records of Xiyu Pavilion", "Records of Lingxu Terrace", "Records of Fengming Posthouse", "Records of Sizhi", and "Poems of Lingxu Terrace". 👍Most recommended: Recommended must-visit pavilions, towers and special attractions: Outside the north gate of East Lake is the Su Shi Cultural and Leisure Square, with a large sculpture of Su Shi's "Pouring Pouring Water to the Moon over the River" in the center. The newly built South Gate Square of East Lake, the Su Shi statue, the Fengyi Gate Archway and the South Gate, The North Gate of Donghu Lake: It is built in the Song Dynasty architectural style. The plaque hanging on the gate is the word "Donghu" written by Su Shi. The couplet on the door was written by Bi Yuan, the governor of Shaanxi Province in the 41st year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1776). The upper line reads: "Hundreds of acres of springs converge, and together with the Zhou drum and Qin stele, there are eight pavilions of heroic right assistance. Their official achievements will last for thousands of years. They are comparable to Yingchuan and Hangzhou, and the two places should be paired with West Lake." When the north gate was restored in 1985, Li Qingwei, then governor of Shaanxi Province, inscribed a plaque for the north gate of East Lake. The Donghu Mountain Gate (archway) has the Eight Scenic Spots of Donghu Lake on it. Yinfeng Pond, Su Shi named it Donghu. According to the "Zizhi Tongjian", a meteorite fell in Fengxiang Prefecture in the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (89 BC). After Su Dongpo built the East Lake, people moved the meteorite to the shore of the East Lake because it looked like a phoenix looking up. They took the meaning of "Phoenix reflecting its shadow", and it became a landscape of the East Lake. Broken Bridge Pavilion was first built after the Song Dynasty. When Su Dongpo was 46 years old, he built the West Lake in Hangzhou and a "Broken Bridge Pavilion" was built on the lake. Later generations built the "Broken Bridge Pavilion" in the East Lake in Fengxiang to commemorate him. Junzi Pavilion was founded by Su Dongpo, and its name means "three gentlemen" (flowers, bamboo and people). Wanzai Pavilion was founded by Su Dongpo, named after the poem "The beauty is still there". Chunfeng Pavilion was founded by Cai Beihuai, the prefect of Fengxiang during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. It was intended to praise Su Shi's political achievements in Fengxiang, which were like a spring breeze and brought warmth to the people of Fengxiang. Yuanyang Pavilion was built in the tenth year of Zhou Hai in the Qing Dynasty by Chang Ying, the lieutenant commander of Xifengying in Fengxiang Prefecture, on behalf of the prefect. Its purpose was to commemorate Su Dongpo and his wife Wang Fu. Huijing Hall is a major scenic spot in Donghu Lake. Because of its hall-style architecture, it has become a great place for scholars and writers to drink and entertain friends. Yilan Pavilion was first built in the 25th year of Daoguang reign of Qing Dynasty, and was founded and repaired by Bai Weiqing, the prefect at that time. It is the tallest building among the East Lake attractions. It is indeed a great place for tourists to stop and enjoy the scenery. Canglang Bridge and Canglang Pavilion are located at the junction of the inner and outer lakes. Rebuilt in 1991. Because there is a five or six meter height difference between the inner lake and the outer lake, whenever it rains continuously, the water level of the inner lake rises and overflows into the outer lake. The sound of water under the bridge is like waves, forming a waterfall, hence the name "Canglang Bridge". Wangsu Pavilion. In 1935, Jia Zongyi, the security brigade of Fengxiang County, built Wangsu Pavilion on the west bank of the lake to express the Fengxiang people's remembrance of Su Dongpo. Xiyu Pavilion is one of the most famous scenic spots in East Lake. It was built by Su Dongpo. It was originally located in Fengxiang Prefecture and later moved to Fengxiang East Lake. In the spring of the seventh year of Song Jiayou, there was another severe drought. Su Dongpo, as the judge of the prefecture, followed the custom at that time and prayed for rain on behalf of the prefect. Later, God suddenly sent down sweet rain, and "it rained for three days", which eliminated the drought in an instant. With this happy rain, people were delighted. At this time, Su Dongpo's pavilion had just been completed, so he named it "Xi Yu". He also wrote the famous essay "Notes on the Happy Rain Pavilion". Lingxu Terrace, the original site of Lingxu Terrace was in Fengxiang Prefecture and was built by Chen Xiliang, the prefect of Fengxiang during the Northern Song Dynasty. Later generations moved Lingxu Terrace to Donghu Lake. The existing "Su Gong Temple" was restored and rebuilt based on the scale built in the Qing Dynasty. It has ancillary buildings such as the main hall, Tongxiao Mountain House, and Mingqin Jingshe. It is grand in scale and solemn in atmosphere. There is a white marble statue of Su Gong in the main hall, and on the screen wall in the front yard is engraved Su Dongpo's famous essay "On Governance" with more than 2,000 words. There is also an exhibition of paintings from the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. It is indeed a great place for tourists to enjoy and admire. This is a paid attraction in Donghu Lake, and the admission fee is five yuan. Juxian Hall, built in 1989, is the office of Fengxiang East Lake Garden Management Office and a meeting place for Su Shi research. Because Su Dongpo was called "Su Xianliang" by the people of Fengxiang, this name was given, and it also means "gathering of wise men". In 1990 and 2002, the National Su Shi Symposium was held here. 📍Detailed address: No. 1 Donghu Road, Fengxiang District, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province 🚉Transportation strategy: Take a taxi or walk to East Lake in Fengxiang District, or drive to Fengxiang East Lake. 🕙Opening hours: 7:00-19:00 💰Ticket price: Free and open