Jincang Lake

Jincang Lake (金仓湖，pinyin: JīnCāngHú)is not a simple lake but a new artificial wetland park located in Taicang, in Suzhou, China. It was a public project government's total investment wae up to 353 million. Due to the successful construction of Jincang Lake, people living in urban city have a chance to get close to nature.

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• Suzhou is largely connected with water and peace. Among the region of Suzhou, many districts have their own leisure entertainments. Such as, Wuzhong District, Wujiang city and Suzhou new District are sitting beside magnificent Taihu. As for the industry district of Suzhou, it possesses olden pheasant lake. Then for Changshu, the Shang Lake is equally splendid. Taicang has been a tpyical water city since ancient times. Now, whether the economic or modernized development, it is no less good than any other region in Suzhou. However, disappointingly, Taicang didn't have a special public recreation.

• In 2003, government invested in constructing a new highway connecting Suzhou, Kunshan and Taicang. The soil was mainly borrowed in Donglin village in Taicang. So after the engineering, a relatively large space was left. This space is the following main lake in Jincang Lake.

• With a long-standing wish to own a unique public recreation and an appropriate opportunity, the government approved the proposal of project. In November, 2007, the huge project was officially started. After abouy ten months of hard work, in the early of October of 2008, the first phase was finished and a picturesque ecological park was displyed to the residents. Since then, Taicang people have own recreation to play, walking, camping and relaxing.

Wetlands are known as 'lungs of urban city'. Jincanghu is a typical wetland park. Wetlands have a unique function the same as spong, which can take in certain harmful substances. Due to wetlands' great contributions, the quality of water, environmental protection and the variety of ecological chain can be largely improved. The construction of Jincanghu Park also insisted that principle centered in nature. Jincanghu covers an area of 6 square kilometers. In the middle of the park, a central lake covering 600,000 square meters lies. Surrounding the center, many different sizes of man-made streams crosses. Jincanghu have been approved to enter provincial list. Until then, Suzhou 's provincial wetland parks had increased to six and the total extent exceeded 56000 acres.^[2]

Because the area of Jincang Lake is large enoough and the inner environment is beautiful. Many big events were chosen here as locations to hold. The table below shows some significant event in recent years.

Inside Jincang Lake, some tourist spots are set up for visitors to enjoy and play. Each spot have both natural and deliate features. They can give us a new and different experience which differs from quick urban life.

• Barefoot Forest Park (赤足森林, Pinyin:ChìZúSēnLín)^[3][4]

The concept of Barefoot Forest Park originates in Germany. The original meaning is to get cloesr to nature and ues barefoot to feel nature's existence. In Taicang, there are many German invested companies and alot of Grermans live in the city. In order to provide a leisure place for foreign and local people, the government decided to build this barefoot forest park. Now, with the popularity of the park, government takes full advantage and tourism of the city is obviously enhanced.