Embraced by Hefei, Chaohu Cities and Lujiang County, Chaohu Lake is situated in the central area of Anhui Province and is one of the five largest fresh water lakes in China. Covering a water area of 750 square meters, it measures 54.5 kilometers from east to west and 21 kilometers from north to south.
 
Chaohu Lake is the most beautiful place in the vast land of Jianghuai (a region between Huaihe River and the Yangtze River). There is a pair of long couplets in the Mushan Hill Temple in the lake, of which one depicts an enchanting sunny spring view after a drizzle of the faraway mountains with deep forests around the vast waters commanded from a pavilion window，the other described the moonlight-reflected golden tint of the lake surface in autumn when the surges calmed down as the author was departing the lake in an islet. It summarizes a vivid description of the picturesque landscapes of this famous and time-honored lake.
 
With its 3 sides facing the water, Zhongmiao, also known as the Middle Temple, sits on a protruding red reef called “Phoenix Platform”. It was originally built in the 2nd year of Chiwu Period of Wu Kingdom (about 1,700 years ago), and damaged by wars and rebuilt many times in history. To its east is Chaohu Lake, to its west is Mountain Shushan, and to its south is Mountain Laomu. The existing temple survived from the late Qing Dynasty with triple entrances and over 70 rooms. The Goddess enshrined in this temple is called Bixia.
 
As recorded in ancient books, when the temple was in its prime time, people from far and near would swarm to worship the Goddess with joss stick burning in sunny spring days. At that time, they came here for blessings from the Goddess, yet nowadays, people visiting the temple are more for the enjoyment of the magnificent sceneries of Chaohu Lake.
 
There is an islet in the lake a little bit far ahead of the Middle Temple. It looks like a huge sea turtle riding on the waves from the distance, yet when you are near, it resembles an old woman holding her cheeks with her hands as if she is expecting her son back. This is the mysterious Laolan Islet.