South Lake (Jiaxing)

South Lake (Chinese: 南湖; pinyin: Nán Hú; Wu: Noe^平Wu^平) is a lake in the South of Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China, and covers an area of 0.54 km². It is also known as "Mandarin Duck Lake" due to its shape.[1]

South Lake
South Lake at night
South Lake
Coordinates	30.757°N 120.756°E / 30.757; 120.756
Basin countries	China
Surface area	54 ha (130 acres)

A view of Nanhu and the city of Jiaxing in the background

Alongside the lake are the ruins of the Misty Rain Tower, which was first built in the 10th century AD. In the year 1548, during the Ming Dynasty, the local government dredged the waterways and piled up the mud into the center of South Lake, forming an islet. The Misty Rain tower was rebuilt on the islet the next year. In the following years, a group of ancient garden-style architectures emerged around it.

The 1st National Congress of the Communist Party of China was transferred from Shanghai to Jiaxing in 1921 and the final agenda was carried out in a boat on South Lake, which concluded with the establishment of the party.[2]