Dongting Lake The enormous at the mouth of the lake to the Yangtze River, is an important port for many cruise ships that sail between Chongqing and Wuhan. it is the second largest fresh water lake in China, covering 3,900 square km. Among the few islands within the lake, Junshan Island is the most renowned, which is famous not only for its scenic beauty but its tea. Junshan Yinzhen (Junshan Silver Needle) used to be imperial tribute. Added into hot eat, the tea sticks up like needles instead of sinking to the bottom, emitting a fragrant odor. The island has dozens peaks and a large coverage of bamboos.

As China's biggest and most famous fresh water lake, Dongting Lake covers an area of 3, 900 square kilometers. It connects the Yangtze River in the north and Xiang River of Hunan Province in the south. It is also the boarder between Hubei and Hunan Provinces. "Hu" means lake while "nan" means south. Together, Hunan is "south of the lake", and Hubei is "north of the lake".