The ancient poems describing the lake include:
"Drinking on the Lake at First Sunny and Later Rain·Two Poems"
Song Dynasty: Su Shi
It is good when the water is shining and clear, but the mountains are also strange when they are empty and covered with rain. (Mengtong: Meng)
If you want to compare the West Lake to the West, it is always appropriate to put on light makeup and heavy makeup.
"Inscribed on Qingcao Lake, Longyang County"
Yuan Dynasty: Tang Gong
The west wind blew the old Dongting waves, and the king of Xiang had many white hairs overnight.
After being drunk, I don’t know that the sky is in the water, and the boat is full of clear dreams that overwhelm the stars.
"Spring Tour to the Lake"
Song Dynasty: Xu Fu
When will the swallows fly back? Peach blossoms bloom when dipped in water.
The spring rain breaks the bridge and no one can cross it, so the small boat pushes out of the willow shade. (The first work of "Du": Du)
"On the Lake"
Song Dynasty: Xu Yuanjie
The flowers are blooming, the mangroves are chaotic and the orioles are singing, the grass is growing and the egrets are flying across the lake.
The weather is sunny and people are in good spirits, and the boats are returning home with flutes and drums at sunset.
"Lake Pavilion"
Tang Dynasty: Wang Wei
A light boat welcomes guests as they come up the lake.
When the pavilion is full of wine, hibiscus blooms on all sides. (One work: Pair of Bottles of Wine)
Lake, as a common image in ancient poetry, occupies a large proportion in the content of ancient Chinese literary works. The reason why the ancients preferred the image of "lake" is probably because road transportation was underdeveloped in ancient times. Water transportation became the first choice for people to travel long distances due to its natural advantage of low cost. However, for ancient literati and nobles, it was obviously not the case. If people are simply satisfied with the convenience of traveling, then luxury consumer goods such as "painted boats" emerge as the times require. The "Lake" became a good place for ancient literati and nobles to visit, and literary and artistic creations often came from the upper class of society who had no worries about food and clothing. Therefore, the lake has naturally become an important image in literary creation.