洞庭湖是中國第二大淡水湖。洞庭湖畔的岳陽樓，是中國三大名樓中唯一保持原址原貌的國家重點保護文物。岳陽樓所處的位置極好，它屹立于岳陽古城之上，背靠岳陽城，俯瞰洞庭湖，遙對君山島，北依長江，南通湘江。自古以來，就是人們觀光旅游的好地方。

　　Lake Dongting is China’s second largest freshwater lake. Yueyang Tower, which is located on its shores, is a national key cultural relic for protection as the only one of China’s famous towers that is kept in its original condition at its original site. The tower is very favorably located, standing as it does on Yueyang’s ancient city wall with the city behind and overlooking Lake Dongting to the distant Junshan Isle; to its north is the Yangtze River and to the south the Xiang River. Since ancient times, the tower has been a good place for sightseeing and touring. (Picture)