From the blossoms of spring to the golden autumn, Dongping Lake in Taian, Shandong, is a picture-perfect paradise all year round.

Dongping Lake covers 626 square kilometers, with a perennial water surface of 208 sq km, and is a national AAAA-level scenic spot. The lake is like a pearl embedded into Tai'an. The Yellow River skirts the western part of the lake, the Daqing River runs through it like a jade belt from east to west, and the Grand Canal meanders through it, connecting the north and south. Additionally, Dongping Lake is a key hub for the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

The confluence of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers here is a rare spectacle in the history of Chinese water conservancy. The cultures of the Yellow River, the Grand Canal, and Shuihu (Shuihu Zhuan, or the Water Margin, is one of the Four Great Classics of Chinese literature) converge and shine here, with a rich and long-standing heritage.

Surrounded by green mountains, with willows draping the banks, the lake's waves ripple under the sky where silver gulls soar, creating a naturally beautiful and majestic landscape.

In spring, Dongping Lake in Tai'an, Shandong, awakens from its winter slumber with a burst of life. [Photo/WeChat account: SDTXTA]