 Only half a square kilometer in area, this lake lies outside Shuixi Gate in southwest Nanjing. Its elegance, serenity, green water, and quaint pavilions, chambers, and halls draw many visitors. The lake is said to have been the residence of a girl named Mochou. Tulip was Mochou’s living room and is so called because she was very fond of tulips. Chess Pavilion (Shengqilou) is said to be where the first Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang once played chess with his general Xu Da (1332—1385). As Xu Da won the game, the emperor bestowed on the victor the pavilion together with the entire lake.
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