On October 20, 2008, several media outlets reported the extreme danger of the waters of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China.
Lake Poyan is also known as the "Bermuda Triangle of the East". This "Bermuda Triangle" is located in the northern part of Poyan Lake in Duchang County, Jiangxi Province. On the northern shore of the lake is the Laoi Temple. Therefore, the locals call the waters near the temple - the waters of the Laoi Temple.
Over the course of 30 years (from early 1960 to late 1980), more than 200 boats sank in these waters, leaving 1,600 people missing and 30 survivors mentally ill. Among the boats that disappeared in this area, there were quite large ones - for example, one had a displacement of 2000 tons. On August 3, 1985, 13 boats sank in the waters of the Laoi Temple, which was officially registered. Despite numerous attempts to locate these boats, none of them have been found.
The storm can start anytime
Before fishing, many local fishermen pray with incense or other ceremonies asking for a safe return.
Zhang Xiaojing (51) has been fishing in the waters of Laoi Temple for 20 years. He argues that the storm can start at any moment. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor the lake so as not to miss even the slightest changes, no matter how far they appear.
“I remember how one day, in the winter of 2001, we were at the lake, and everything was fine, but the weather changed dramatically. The waves suddenly became so violent that everyone turned the boats around and swam towards the shore. But not everyone managed to reach the coast. The bow of the boat carrying the sand suddenly tilted, and soon the whole boat disappeared under the water. The storm lasted less than 20 minutes, and very quickly everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. According to Zhang, there are still signs of a severe storm approaching, you just need to carefully monitor the surface of the water, right down to the horizon. However, storms in the waters of the Laoi Temple occur literally in the blink of an eye.
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On April 16, 1945, a Japanese boat sank in the waters of the Laoi Temple. None of the 20 people on board survived. The Japanese sent a rescue squad of submariners. The squad disappeared, only one person returned. When the diving suit was removed from him, everyone saw that he was in a state of daze and fright. Soon this lifeguard went mad. The search continued for several months, but did not yield any results. Moreover, several American rescuers have disappeared.
Another completely incredible incident was told by Han Lixian, a resident of Donggang County. According to him, in 1977, three dams were built in the district, one of which was near the waters of the Laoi Temple. One night the dam, 2,000 feet long, 165 feet wide, and 16 feet high above the water, silently disappeared under the water.
Angry Wind
Quite remarkable is the story of a reporter from the Jiangxi Daily who, along with several scientists, explored the waters near the Laoi Temple. As he stood in the temple, he determined that the wind was blowing from south to north. But when he looked at the water, it looked like on the surface of the water the wind was blowing, on the contrary, from north to south. Thus, the wind blew simultaneously in two opposite directions. In addition, the spray on the lake did not travel in a straight line, but in a "V" shape. The strange winds and strange direction of the spray make it very difficult for fishermen in certain wind directions.
Boats overturned without waves or wind
However, according to locals, it is not strange winds that make the waters dangerous. Jin, the abbot of Laoi Temple, revealed that this year (March 5) a 1,000-ton yacht capsized in the waters of Laoi Temple, although the day was sunny and calm. … The reason for this is not clear to anyone.
The local population believes that a legend can explain what is happening. According to this legend, when Zhu Yuanzhang - the founding father of the Yuan dynasty - waged a war against Chen Yuliang near Lake Poyang, Zhu was defeated and retreated to the lake shore. There were no boats to cross. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant tortoise appeared, which helped Zhu swim across the lake. After Zhu became emperor, he made the turtle a general and built the Laoi Temple next to the lake to commemorate the event. Locals believe that the spirit of this turtle creates problems for the fishermen.