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Dian Lake

Coordinates: 24°48′02″N 102°40′17″E / 24.80056°N 102.67139°E / 24.80056; 102.67139
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Dian Lake
Dian Lake is located in China
Dian Lake
Dian Lake
Location in Yunnan
Dian Lake is located in Yunnan
Dian Lake
Dian Lake
Dian Lake (Yunnan)
LocationKunming, Yunnan
Coordinates24°48′02″N 102°40′17″E / 24.80056°N 102.67139°E / 24.80056; 102.67139
TypeFreshwater
Primary outflowsPudu River
Basin countriesChina
Max. length39 km (24 mi)
Surface area298 km2 (115 sq mi)
Average depth4.4 m (14 ft)
Surface elevation1,886.5 m (6,189 ft)
Dianchi Lake (2005)
Chinese sailing junks on Lake Dian, circa 1940s

Dianchi Lake (Chinese: 滇池; pinyin: Diānchí), also known as Lake Dian and Kunming Lake (Chinese: 昆明湖; pinyin: Kūnmíng Hú), is a fault lake located on the Puduhe-Xishan fault in Kunming, Yunnan, China (24°23′–26°22′ N, 102°10′–103°40′ E). Its nickname is the "Sparkling Pearl Embedded in a Highland" (Chinese: 高原明珠)[1] and it was the model for the Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace in Beijing. Its name is the source of Yunnan's Chinese abbreviation 滇.

Dianchi Lake is a shallow freshwater fault lake. The Lake is 40 km long, running from north to south, and has an average width of 7 km with the widest point of 12.5 km. The lake is 1886 meters above sea level and has 150 km of coastline. The Dianchi drainage area has a subtropical plateau monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 14.4°C, a frost-free period of 227 days, and an annual precipitation of 1036 mm. The lake covers 298 km2 (115 sq mi). The lake has an average depth is 4.4 m (14 ft),[2] and is is divided into two parts by an artificial dike. The northern end of the lake is called Caohai and has a surface area of 7.5 km2 and an average depth of 2.5 meters. The southern end of the lake is called Waihai and has a surface area of 292 km2 and an average depth of 4.4m. The Water flows out of the lake to thew west via the Tanglang river, which eventually joins the Yangtze river before finally reaching the pacific ocean[3]. Dian lake It is the sixth largest lake in China and the largest in Yunnan Province.

Etymology[edit]

The Chinese character for the lake is a phonosemantic compound of the radical 氵 ("water") and the character 真, whose current pronunciation is zhēn but whose Old Chinese pronunciation has been reconstructed as *tin in Baxter–Sagart system.[4] The character was first found in the Records of the Grand Historian as the name of Dian Kingdom. Modern studies suggest that the element "Dian" is derived from the language of the ancient extinct Bo people and means basin.[5]: 2  The character 滇 was use as the name of the lake since the Han dynasty set "Dianchi County" (滇池县) in 109 BC.[6]

History[edit]

Dianchi Lake was the site of the capital of the independent kingdom of the Cuan (爨) during the first millennium AD. At that time, it was known as Kunchuan (昆川).[citation needed].

Between 1958 and 1970, under the CCP's agriculture strategy of "Taking grain as the key link"[7], approximately 54 square kilometers of Dianchi Lake marshland were reclaimed to expand industry and agriculture in the Kunming basin. December 28, 1969, a rally for "reclaiming land from the sea" was held in Kunming's Dong Fang square with 100,000 soldiers along with students and factory workers were mobilized to "fight a war of annihilation to take farmland from Dianchi Lake." The participants shouted the heroic slogan "March to Dianchi Lake! Take grain from Dianchi Lake!"[8]. Reclamation efforts were led by People's Liberation Army Lieutenant General Tan FuRen. Immediately after taking office Tan FuRen announced Dian Lake would be a model for the national "reclaiming land from the sea" campaign. The goal was to reclaim 30,000 mu (20 Square kilometers)of land from Dianchi Lake to develop agriculture and make grain the mainstay. Tan FuRen personally spearheaded the reclamation project until his death by assassination in 1970[9].

Pollution[edit]

Pollution is a major problem for the lake. Yunnan Province has long been primarily agricultural, but the Dianchi basin has witnessed high industrial growth and boasts the highest population density within Kunming City [10]

In the late 1990’s to early 2000’s, Lake Dianchi was identified as one of the 3 top water pollution concerns in China[11]. The pollution peaked in 2009 at which time Dianchi lake was classified 'worse than a Stage 5' (too dangerous for human contact)[3]. Ninety percent of the city of Kunming's wastewater was dumped untreated into the lake until the first wastewater plant was built in 1990. Some experts estimated that over 55% of the lake's fish population has been killed off by this disease-ridden type of pollution. The water in the lake is rated Grade V (the worst grade) which makes the water unfit for agricultural or industrial uses.[12][13] As of 2020, the water in the lake was still rated Grade V, but is deemed to meet the functional requirements of water environment.[14] The China Environmental Statistical Yearbook data reported that in 2013, 400 million tons of municipal sewage and 8 million tons of industrial waste water, were dumped into Dianchi lake of which only 1.5 million tons of which was treated before dumping. [15]

Historically, Dianchi played important role in regulating the microclimate of the surrounding area. It contributed to the productivity of Yunnan Province's industry, agriculture, husbandry, and fisheries[16]. Because Dianchi is a relatively closed lake with a slow water-exchange rate and low self-purification capacity it is particularly susceptible to toxic algae blooms and heavy metal contamination. From 1966 to 1970, the lake reclamation project caused severe damage to marsh wetlands in the Caohai area, which with large amounts of urban sewage and industrial wastewater traditionally discharged into the lake, exceeded its self-purification capacity and caused serious pollution. It has also been badly affected by cyanobacteria outbreaks in recent decades[17]. To control the pollution of Dianchi, the Chinese government listed it as a national sewage treatment project in the ‘‘Three Rivers and Three Lakes’’ (Liaohe, Huaihe, Haihe, Taihu, Chaohu, and Dianchi) scheme launched in 1995 [18]. The extensive reclamation and urbanization around Dianchi Lake have had long-lasting impacts, necessitating ongoing rehabilitation and pollution control efforts to restore the lake's ecological balance.[19] As a result, some wetland parks have been constructed in the lakeside zone to purify the water and create leisure areas for citizens. Wetland parks are mainly in the form of oxidation ponds. They are small water bodies with such aquatic plants as Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis, Acorus calamus, Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor, and Pistia stratiotes [20]; outside the ponds, there are trails, trees, and lawns.

Biodiversity[edit]

Together with other Yunnan lakes (Fuxian, Qilu, Yangzong, Xingyun, and Yilong), Dian Lake is recognized as an ecoregion.[21] Among three major Yunnan lakes with a high number of endemics, the other two being Fuxian and Erhai, the most drastic loss of biodiversity has been seen in the Dian.[22] Of the 25 native fish species and subspecies in Dian Lake, 10 are endemic to the basin: Acheilognathus elongatus, Anabarilius alburnops, Anabarilius polylepis, Cyprinus micristius micristius, Liobagrus kingi, Pseudobagrus medianalis, Silurus mento, Sinocyclocheilus grahami, Sphaerophysa dianchiensis and Xenocypris yunnanensis.[22] Today the only endemic fish known to survive in the lake itself is Anabarilius alburnops,[22] but it is endangered.[23] The remaining have not been recorded there since the 1990s or earlier, and most of these are likely extinct.[22][24] Two other species, Schizothorax grahami and Yunnanilus nigromaculatus, are endemic to the general region, but have also disappeared from Dian Lake itself.[25][26] Among the non-endemic natives, only gold fish and Asian swamp eel still live in Dian Lake. In contrast to the status of the natives, the lake is now home to more than 25 introduced fish species.[22]

The Yunnan lake newt (Cynops wolterstorffi) was endemic to the lake, but it has not been seen since 1979 and is considered extinct.[27]

Many native hydrophytes have also disappeared from the lake.[22]

Gallery[edit]

  • Silhouette of trees in Dianchi
    Silhouette of trees in Dianchi
  • Cable cars above Dian
    Cable cars above Dian
  • View of the lake
    View of the lake
  • Shelter along Dianchi
    Shelter along Dianchi
  • Lotuses in Dianchi
    Lotuses in Dianchi
  • Lotuses
    Lotuses

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 唐卫彬; 伍晓阳 (2017-02-08). ""高原明珠"复苏记——昆明滇池迎来31年来最好水质". Xinhua Net. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  2. ^ 徐晓梅; 吴雪; 何佳; 王丽; 张英; 杨艳; 陈云波; 叶海云 (2016-04-14). "滇池流域水污染特征 (1988-2014年) 及防治对策". 湖泊科学 (in Chinese). 28 (3): 476–484. doi:10.18307/2016.0302.
  3. ^ a b Jin, Xiangcan (27 February 2006). "Dianchi Lake: Experience and Lessons Learned Brief" (PDF). Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.
  4. ^ Baxter, William & al. "Baxter-Sagart Old Chinese Reconstruction", p. 160 Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. 2011. Accessed 15 November 2013.
  5. ^ You, Zhong (1990). 云南地方沿革史 [Local History of Yunnan] (in Chinese). Kunming: Yunnan People's Publishing House. ISBN 7-222-00606-0.
  6. ^ Wu, Zong-you; Zou, Fu-du (2000). ""滇"考" [A Historical and Cultural Study of "Dian"]. Journal of Yunnan University of Nationalities (in Chinese). 17 (4): 70–71. doi:10.13727/j.cnki.53-1191/c.2000.04.018.
  7. ^ Ho, Peter (July 2003). "Mao's War against Nature? The Environmental Impact of the Grain-First Campaign in China". The China Journal. 50 (50): 37–59. doi:10.2307/3182245. ISSN 1324-9347. JSTOR 3182245.
  8. ^ "Old Photos, Dianchi Lake in the 1960s and 1970s, land reclamation project". Sohu. 27 August 2022.
  9. ^ "谭甫仁017凶案(组图)_文化_新浪网". cul.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  10. ^ Liu, Wenbin; Wang, Shengrui; Zhang, Li; Ni, Zhaokui (September 2015). "Water pollution characteristics of Dianchi Lake and the course of protection and pollution management". Environmental Earth Sciences. 74 (5): 3767–3780. Bibcode:2015EES....74.3767L. doi:10.1007/s12665-015-4152-x. ISSN 1866-6280.
  11. ^ Zhang, T.; Zeng, W. H.; Wang, S. R.; Ni, Z. K. (2014-04-23). "Temporal and spatial changes of water quality and management strategies of Dianchi Lake in southwest China". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 18 (4): 1493–1502. Bibcode:2014HESS...18.1493Z. doi:10.5194/hess-18-1493-2014. ISSN 1607-7938.
  12. ^ Kahn, Joseph; Yardley, Jim (2007-08-26). "As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "污染太严重 昆明市民第二次停止饮用滇池水(附图)". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  14. ^ "云南通报碧水保卫战重点工作进展 2019年全省河流总体水质为良好_重庆市生态环境局". sthjj.cq.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  15. ^ "Kunming's Stinky Lake, Beijing's Saving Winds". ChinaFile. 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  16. ^ Jing, Huang Ke (August 2006). "Evaluating comprehensive quality of sediment in Dianchi Lake using adjusted AHP method and 137Cs dating". Department of Urban and Resources Science, Nanjing University (Chinese). 27 (8): 1531–1536. PMID 17111606.
  17. ^ Luo, Yi; Zhang, Yueyue; Yang, Kun; Yu, Zhenyu; Zhu, Yu (2019). "Spatiotemporal Variations in Dianchi Lake's Surface Water Temperature From 2001 to 2017 Under the Influence of Climate Warming". IEEE Access. 7: 115378–115387. Bibcode:2019IEEEA...7k5378L. doi:10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2935767. ISSN 2169-3536.
  18. ^ Zhang, T.; Zeng, W. H.; Wang, S. R.; Ni, Z. K. (2014-04-23). "Temporal and spatial changes of water quality and management strategies of Dianchi Lake in southwest China". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 18 (4): 1493–1502. Bibcode:2014HESS...18.1493Z. doi:10.5194/hess-18-1493-2014. ISSN 1607-7938.
  19. ^ Wu, Qiuju; Yang, Renyi; Yang, Zisheng (2022-09-13). "A Study on the Rationality of Land Use Change in the Dianchi Basin during the Last 40 Years under the Background of Lake Revolution". Sustainability. 14 (18): 11479. doi:10.3390/su141811479. ISSN 2071-1050.
  20. ^ Liu, Wenbin; Wang, Shengrui; Zhang, Li; Ni, Zhaokui (September 2015). "Water pollution characteristics of Dianchi Lake and the course of protection and pollution management". Environmental Earth Sciences. 74 (5): 3767–3780. Bibcode:2015EES....74.3767L. doi:10.1007/s12665-015-4152-x. ISSN 1866-6280.
  21. ^ Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: Yunnan Lakes. Archived 2017-01-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Wang, Wang, Li, Du, Yang, Lassoie, and Hassan (2013). Six decades of changes in vascular hydrophyte and fish species in three plateau lakes in Yunnan, China. Biodivers. Conserv. 22: 3197–3221. doi: 10.1007/s10531-013-0579-0
  23. ^ Chen, X.-Y. & Du, L.-N. (2008). "Anabarilius alburnops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135163A4069106. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135163A4069106.en. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  24. ^ Nguyen, T.T.T., and S. S. De Silva (2006). Freshwater finfish biodiversity and conservation: an Asian perspective. Biodiversity & Conservation 15(11): 3543-3568
  25. ^ Chen, X.-Y. & Yang, J. (2008). "Schizothorax grahami". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135149A4067169. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135149A4067169.en. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  26. ^ Chen, X.-Y. (2011). "Yunnanilus nigromaculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T23175A9425121. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T23175A9425121.en. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  27. ^ Yang Datong; Michael Wai Neng Lau (2004). "Hypselotriton wolterstorffi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T59445A11942589. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59445A11942589.en. Retrieved 14 January 2018.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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