Also called Shanqian Lake (the Lake in Front of the Mountain) or Xihu Lake (West Lake), Shanghu Lake is situated in Changshu City, north of Suzhou. It occupies a water area of 12,000mu, which runs in parallel with Yushan Mountain. The shape of the lake resembles very much a butterfly. A distant view shows the tourist a picture of a butterfly flying at the mountain. It is said that Minister Jiang Shang once lived in a stone cabin on Yushan Mountain and went fishing in this lake when he dodged the persecution from King Zhou. Thus the lake was named after his given name, "Shang". There are 7 islands in the lake. Most part of the water here is very shallow and clear. Inside the lake area, there are many scenic spots, for example, Hubin Park (Lakeside Park), Feng Lin Yong Cui (The Greenness of Maple Woods), Shanghu Yu Le (Fishing in Shanghu Lake), Shui Ge Yun Gang (Waterside Pavilion and Hillock), He Xiang Shen Chu (The Scenic Beauty of Lotus), Tao Yuan Chun Ji (Unclouded Spring in the Peach Garden), Ju Zhou Wan Cui (The Greenness of the Orange Island at Dusk), Hu Qiao Chuan Yue (The Reflections of the Moon in the Water Linked by Bridges), and so on.
