Travel Knowledge of Gaoyou Lake

Gaoyou Lake, formerly known as Fanliang Lake, is also known as Xinkai Lake. It spans the cities of Gaoyou, Baoying, and Jinhu in Jiangsu Province, and Tianchang City in Anhui Province. It belongs to the Huaihe River Basin. The Huaihe River enters the Yangtze River through the lake, and finally reaches the Yangtze River. The total water area is 760.67 square kilometers (flat water area), making it the third largest freshwater lake in Jiangsu Province and the sixth largest freshwater lake in China. It is said that there was a place called "Gaoyou" in ancient times. Later, due to geological changes and changes in the water system, a lake was formed, which was named after the place. In addition, in Shen Kuo's "Dream Pool Essays" of the Song Dynasty, it was recorded that there was a strange phenomenon of pearls in the Fanliang Lake (one of the old names of Gaoyou Lake). Later generations also called it "Pearl Lake," but as time went by, it was mainly called "Gaoyou Lake." Gaoyou Lake is formed by the connection of several small lakes. About 6,000-7,000 years ago, the Yangtze River Delta and the Huaihe River Delta continued to expand, resulting in the formation of a shallow bay in the Gaoyou area. As time went by, the scouring action of the river gradually filled in the bay, and many small lakes were formed in the Gaoyou area, such as Xinkai Lake, Jinhu Lake, Fanliang Lake, and Ping'a Lake. These small lakes are the predecessors of Gaoyou Lake. In the fifth year of the Shaoxing period of the Song Dynasty (1194), the Yellow River burst its banks in Puyang, Henan, and changed its course to the south, passing through the Si River and seizing the Huaihe River. The large amount of silt brought by the Yellow River gradually deposited, resulting in the gradual silting up of the Huaihe River's entry into the sea, the obstruction of water flow, and the rise of water level. Some small lakes and low-lying areas in the southwest of Huaiyin were gradually submerged. The water flow of the Huaihe River changed to the east through Hongze Lake, and a large amount of silt flowed into the various lakes of Gaoyou, and the lake surface of each small lake continued to expand. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the lakes in the Gaoyou area gradually connected under the influence of the Yellow River's change of course, canal transportation, and artificial diversion of the Huaihe River. Around the 20th year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1755), a relatively complete water area of Gaoyou Lake was finally formed. The lake water is mainly supplied by surface runoff. The water volume of the three rivers entering the lake accounts for more than 95% of the total water volume. In addition, it is supplied by five small rivers in Anhui Province, namely, Baitai, Tonglong, Qin'an, Yangcun, and Wangqiao. Finally, it enters the Yangtze River through the Gaoyou Lake Control Gate in the southeast. The Huaihe River enters the Yangtze River in the lower reaches of Hongze Lake in western Jiangsu Province. In the 45th year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1707), three diversion channels were opened south of Zhouqiao, and six river embankments were built. At that time, it was called "Three Rivers and Six Piles." In the 18th year of the Jiaqing period (1814), three diversion channels (i.e., the new three rivers) were excavated at the current location of the Sanhe Gate. The floodwater then entered the Baoying Lake through the new three rivers. After leaving the lake, the branches are numerous and winding, reaching the Baima Lake in the north and entering the Gaoyou Lake and Shaobo Lake in the south. They enter the Grand Canal through the six locks of Jiangdu, and then exit through the Jinwan River, Phoenix River, and Taiping River. They flow southward through the Mangdao River and Liaojia Ditch, and enter the Yangtze River through the Sanjiangying. - Baitai River: It is the largest river in the Gaoyou Lake system, with two sources, north and south. The south source is the main source, originating from the east of the Jiang淮 watershed in Lai'an County. The north source originates from the border of Xuyi County, Jiangsu Province. The total length is 110 kilometers, the average slope is 0.086%, and the total area of the basin is 1,604 square kilometers. - Tonglong River: It was formerly known as Beishan River, Tongcheng River, and Longgang River. It flows through the north of Tianchang City and originates from Xuyi County, Jiangsu Province. It has two sources, north and south. The south source is the main source. The total length is 64 kilometers, and the basin area is 426 square kilometers. - Yangcun River: It originates from the Dingba of Wengji, Ping'an Township, Tianchang City, and flows southeastward through Gujiaqiao, enters the Weijiao Small Reservoir, and then flows northward after leaving the reservoir. After passing through multiple reservoirs and villages, it enters the Yihua Lake near Luoshiqiao, and then enters the Gaoyou Lake after merging with the Laobaitai River at the Guojiadaqiao. The river is 30 kilometers long. - Wangqiao River: It is called Longqiao River on the aerial survey map. It originates from the north of the Xianshan Mountain in Tianchang City, enters the Gangchen Small Reservoir at Gangchen, and then flows northward after leaving the reservoir. After flowing northeastward through Wangqiao, the water from the Gangtangjian Small Reservoir flows into the Yangtze River after entering the Yihua Lake. - Qinlan River: It flows through multiple townships in Anhui and Jiangsu, and is one of the main tributaries of Gaoyou Lake. In recent years, due to insufficient efforts to protect the source, the Qinlan River has experienced problems with water ecology, such as poor channel conditions, damaged shorelines, and non-point source pollution. The bottom of Gaoyou Lake is flat, with an elevation of 3.5-4.5 meters. The water level of Gaoyou Lake is 5-5.5 meters all year round, and the water storage capacity is 500-600 million cubic meters. During the flood season, the water storage capacity is 938 million cubic meters. The lake water is yellow-green to light yellow, and it is a type I water of bicarbonate-calcium group.