Thirty-Six Feet Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in South China's Fujian province, used to be the only source of fresh water for residents of the island city Pingtan.

The lake has a perimeter of 165 kilometers, occupying a gross area of 2.1 million square meters. It has a water retention capacity of 1,290 cubic meters, with a maximum water depth of up to 16 meters.

The lake's distinctive name comes from a local folk legend, according to which the Black Dragon and Carp Princess from the East China Sea once went on a tour of the lake and were so amazed at its enchanting views that they conspired to turn the lake into their own private dwelling.

One day, the Black Dragon and Carp Princess created a huge storm, whose huge waves and strong gusts of wind drove away all the local fishing boats, drowning many fishermen in the process.

Later, Tieguaili, one of the Eight Immortals from Chinese folklore, heard about their devilry and killed the Black Dragon and other monsters with the help of a young fisherman named Bi Jia. All of the monsters sank down into the water and became part of the lake after death. Since they had 36 feet in total, the lake was named Thirty-Six Feet Lake.

In 1982, Thirty-Six Feet Lake was made into a nature reserve. With its picturesque views, it has already become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Pingtan.

A picturesque view of Thirty-Six Feet Lake in Pingtan, Fujian province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]