Lake Táo

Lake Tao, also called Changdang, lies between Jintan and Liyang in the Tai Lake basin. It is a remnant of the ancient, larger lake system, fed by streams descending from the surrounding hills. Ming accounts described its broad waters as one of the region's five lakes. At its outlet south of Jintan, a weir regulated the stream because the depth varied with the season. The lake and its channels formed part of the watery landscape that linked the fields and towns of western Jiangnan.