Egret Island is located in the center of North Lake. Originally named Hudun. Every late summer and early autumn, many egrets fly here and perch on the small island. Thus, Egret Island gets its name. This place has a long history and has been a wonderful place for enjoying the moon since ancient times. Literati and refined scholars of all dynasties have stepped on the island for sightseeing, tasting tea, drinking wine, enjoying the moon and composing poems. The original area of Egret Island is only three mu. In 1984, when dredging North and South Lakes, the island was expanded to 11 mu. The island is lush with trees and has a wide view. The lake water is shimmering, and the mountain scenery is serene and secluded, all coming into view. There are boat docks, corridors, tea rooms, small stone arch bridges, thatched pavilions, etc. on the island. The entire architecture is small, delicate, and simple, forming an exquisite, proper, simple and unique garden architectural style. The ‘Yuelu Pool’ in Egret Island forms the landscape feature of having an island in the lake and a lake on the island in North and South Lakes. The water surface is calm, and the lake and mountain scenery are reflected in it. It is an even better place for enjoying the moon in North and South Lakes. Beside it is the stone inscription of ‘Autumn Moon over Gan Lake’ inscribed by Mr. Chen Congzhou. There are stone lanterns standing by the water. The faint light is reflected in the water, contrasting with the clear moon in the sky, forming a natural picture of ‘The full moon’s clear light condenses with dew, and the water color becomes even brighter’. ‘Autumn Moon over Gan Lake’ is one of the ‘Eight Scenes of Ganchuan’. Literati such as Xu Xiangqing and Sun Yiyuan, boating on the lake and singing and chanting in antiphonal style, became a much-told tale for a time. Yang Zi, the founder of Haiyan Tune, often brought singing girls and his family to perform in the waterside pavilion. And he incorporated North and South Lakes into his music. Since then, North and South Lakes have become even more famous. Open all year round, open all day.
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