Kunming Lake
Prior to the Taiye Lake watershed system in Beijing that still exists today known as North, Central and South Seas, the name "Taiye" had honored several lakes in imperial gardens or palaces in various locations that once served as capital cities of imperial China. An early example of Taiye Lake is located in the city of Xi'an. There were two lakes named Taiye existed in Xi'an (known as Chang'an). The earlier Taiye Lake was excavated in Han dynasty by Emperor Wu of Han in the 1st century BC as part of his Jianzhang Palace (, "Jiànzhānggōng"). This lake, along with the Kunming Lake, was a necessary addition to the city's water supply after the expansion of the capital city under Emperor Wu's reign.