Fairy Lake

A panoramic view of Fairy Lake Scenic Area in Xinyu, Jiangxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Fairy Lake Scenic Area, which is located 16 kilometers southwest of the suburb of Xinyu, Jiangxi province, is a national 4A scenic spot, the second highest level in China's grading system for scenic attractions. 

It is Asia's largest gene pool for subtropical varieties of trees and has been dubbed the "most beautiful lake scenic area in China".

The scenic area covers a total area of 198 square kilometers, among which 50 square kilometers is consumed by the lake. It is primarily composed of three parts: Wulonghu Scenic Area, Zhongshanxia Scenic Area, and Qianyanghu Scenic Area.

Among them, Wulonghu Scenic Area is the core part of Fairy Lake Scenic Area. Renowned scenic attractions in Wulonghu include Longfengyuan, Aiqing Island, Longwang Island, and Taohua Island.

A misty view of Fairy Lake Scenic Area in Xinyu, Jiangxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With hundreds of small islands and crystal clear water, Fairy Lake got its name from a legendary love story from The Anecdotes about Spirits and Immortals, a mystery story series created by Gan Bao in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420).                  

In the story, six or seven bird fairies in clothes made of feathers were looking for their dream paradise a long time ago. When they flew over Fairy Lake, they were immediately drawn to the scenery and transformed into beautiful women upon landing. Then they took off their clothes and a handsome young man caught sight of them. He was instantly attracted.

He quietly hid one of their feather suits and then went over to them in a fervor. Upon seeing him, the fairies quickly put on their clothes and rose to the sky. However, the one without the feather suit could not fly away. When she realized she was in a hopeless situation, she also noticed the handsome boy and it was love at first sight. Afterwards, they immediately formed an enchanted bond.