Karst Lake Landscape

This is a landscape composed of groups of lakes in karst areas. A karst lake specifically refers to a large perennial water body in an enclosed karst depression. Typical examples are Xitang Karst Lake in Yangshuo County in Guilin, Huaying Mountain Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) in Sichuan Province, Dalong Pool in Liuzhou, Lingshui Lake in Wuming and Dun Lake in Xin City. These karst lakes can form under different conditions. Some form by the blockage of dolines or sinkholes, some are directly associated with the underground aquifer that supplies water for the entire year, and some are supplemented by water from karst springs. In a broad sense, karst lakes include artificial ponds and reservoirs constructed in karst areas. Hongfeng Lake, which was constructed along the Tiaomao River, and several large reservoirs built along the Hongshui River in Guizhou Province are important examples. Many karst lakes have been used for tourism, and some have become national scenic areas (Fig. 15).

Fig. 15

Kar...