South Lake (Jiaxing)

South Lake is a scenic lake located in the South of Jiaxing City, China, and covers an area of 0.54 km?. It is also known as "Mandarin Duck Lake", due to the lake's shape, and is a frequent destination of tourists and sightseers.

Alongside the lake are the ruins of the Misty Rain Tower, which was built in the 10th century. In 1548 AD, 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 first 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 pleasure boat on South Lake. The birth of the party was declared here. It is therefore considered by the Chinese to be one of the most important sacred places of the revolution.