Dongting Lake,China's second-largest freshwater lake,is located in northeastern Hunan Province.It is a large,shallow body of water surrounded by mountain chains.It is also known as 'eight- hundred Li Dong Ting Lake' (The Li is a Chinese length unit equal to 500 meters or about 1,640 feet).An impressive characteristic of the lake is it is inter-nested.Depending on the season,concentric ridges of land appear in the lake in many areas.This is because the lake acts as a flood basin for the Yangtze River.The appearance of Dongting Lake changes throughout the different seasons,sometimes even during the same day.Many ancient Chinese poems and stories were written about the beauty of Dongting Lake.
The climate of Dongting Lake is between middle and northern subtropical,so it is warm and humid,but there is also a 'draught window' from which cold air from the north sometimes enters.So in spring and summer,the temperature is variable,while in late summer and autumn,it's sunny and hot with a little rain.Occasionally in autumn,it's a little bit cold and windy.The area around the lake has tremendous agricultural production ability with a long history of development.Since the plain is graced with fertile soil,proper temperature and plentiful rain,Dongting Lake is also called 'a land flowing with milk and honey'.
Four streams including the Xiangjiang River,the Zishui River,the Yuanjiang River,and the Lishui River,all flow into Dongting Lake,and the lake is sometimes known as 'the holder of the four streams'.Because Dongting Lake acts as a tremendous natural reservoir or flood-basin,it plays an important role in adjusting the flow of the Yangtze River The Lake is sometimes known as 'the taker and sender of the Yangtze River'.
