Located just outside Jiangyan City (Jiāngyàn Shì, 姜堰市), Qin Lake (Qín Hú, 秦湖) is a tranquil national wetland park made up of several interconnected lakes and a marsh. Among the flora and fauna in the park are cranes and Père David’s Deer (mílù, 麋鹿), a Chinese deer driven to extinction outside captivity during the decline of the Qing Dynasty.

Like Yangcheng Lake near Suzhou, it’s also known for its hairy crabs (dàzhá xiè, 大闸蟹). Qin Lake crabs are said to be more muscular, owing to the lake’s distance from the Yangtze River where the crabs spawn. They are served boiled whole, which means a bit of work to get to the meat and roe, with vinegar for dipping.

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