Avatar:Lake Laogai
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- This article is for the location. For the episode with the same name, see "Lake Laogai (episode)".
<infobox theme-source="nation"> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Lake Laogai</default></title> <group> <header>Physical information</header> <label>Location</label> </group> <group> <header>Government</header> <label>Position</label> <label>Capital</label> <label>Form of government</label> <label>Head of state</label> <label>Religious authority</label> <label>Currency</label> <label>Ruler</label> <label>Owner</label> <label>Leader</label> <label>Administrator</label> <label>First appearance</label> <label>Last appearance</label> </group> <group> <header>Location on map</header> </group> <header>Image gallery (1)</header> </infobox> Lake Laogai is a large body of water located within the Agrarian Zone of Ba Sing Se. Hidden beneath the lake was a high-security underground prison, the existence of which was initially relatively well known[1] until it was repurposed and became surrounded with secrecy during the Conspiracy of Ba Sing Se. Long Feng began to use Lake Laogai for his personal purpose of interning anyone there whose actions were contrary to his plans, while his agents such as Joo Dee declared the area to be a vacation spot.[2] The hidden location eventually became one of the Dai Li's main bases of operations, serving as a center for brainwashing and other efforts to suppress dissent.[3] However, it was flooded and destroyed by rebels in the aftermath of the Fire Nation conquest of Ba Sing Se.[4]
History
Centuries before the Hundred Year War, Lake Laogai was used as a high security prison by the Earth Kingdom for criminals of note, where escape was nearly impossible.[1] Early in Avatar Kyoshi's life, the notorious waterbending pirate Tagaka was imprisoned under the lake after she was brought to justice.[5] Several Fifth Nation pirates planned to free Tagaka,[6] and, at one point, the prison was infiltrated by a group of adventurers who sought to question the pirate queen.[7] Ultimately, Tagaka herself organized a brutal breakout and managed to escape from the prison.[8]
By the latter years of the Hundred Year War, the large underground facility had become a secret prison and headquarters, run by Dai Li agents and overseen by the Grand Secretariat, Long Feng. During this time, the base contained several chambers and tunnels with prison cells and training facilities, including rooms spacious enough to hold large animals, which the Dai Li used to conduct numerous covert operations.[3] Among the most notable operations was the brainwashing of people in Ba Sing Se who discovered or discussed the seriousness of the war into forgetting it ever happened. The Dai Li would target anyone who rose to enough prominence to cause trouble or otherwise made themselves an enemy of Long Feng, dissidents and refugees alike. Captured victims were put through a "re-education" process, in which they were forced to look at a bright flashing light while the phrase: "There is no war in Ba Sing Se" was repeated by a Dai Li agent. Once brainwashed into forgetting about the war, the person was released back into their old life.[9]
The Dai Li also used the facility to hypnotize women into adopting the name "Joo Dee" and becoming guides for important visitors to the city in order to neutralize unwanted outside influences.[10] Utilizing a similar process to those who stirred trouble or discussed the war, the Dai Li hypnotized the Joo Dees into memorizing different mantras, such as "I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se" and "We're so lucky to have our walls to create order".[3] Long Feng was not above using the facility to create unwilling spies.[11] In addition to becoming brainwashed, Jet was used by Long Feng in an attempt to mislead Team Avatar that Appa was shipped to Whaletail Island.[3]
Meeting up with Longshot and Smellerbee allowed Team Avatar to determine that Jet had been brainwashed by the Dai Li, and uncover their base. Meanwhile, Zuko had also followed the captive Appa there in the hopes of capturing Aang for his family honor, but Iroh who was also there convinced him not to go through with his plan to use Appa as bait and released him from his cell. While looking for Appa, Team Avatar encountered and fought Long Feng and his Dai Li agents. At one point, faced with Aang and Jet, Long Feng triggered Jet's brainwashing, ordering him to fight Aang, who was able to hold him back long enough to trigger Jet's personality back. Jet attacked Long Feng, who retaliated fatally. Smellerbee and Longshot stayed back with Jet, while Team Avatar resumed pursuit of Long Feng. Outside, they were surrounded by walls and Dai Li agents, who were timely attacked by the recently released Appa, allowing their escape.[3]
After Team Avatar's infiltration, the Dai Li blocked the base's main entrance, though the complex remained in operation.[12] Throughout this time Smellerbee and Longshot managed to remove Jet's body from the base. When Team Avatar tried to convince Earth King Kuei of Long Feng's conspiracy, they brought the monarch to Lake Laogai to expose the facilities to incriminate Long Feng. Yet Toph raised the ground under the lake with earthbending only to uncover a destroyed entrance to the base.[13]
In the meantime, Smellerbee and Longshot developed plans to infiltrate the base after Jet's death, seeking ways to strike back at the Dai Li. After the Coup of Ba Sing Se, Smellerbee shared these plans with her new comrades in the Silver Fangs, Jin and Xuan, reasoning that Jin's missing friend Suyin Wen might be held at the base and subjected to brainwashing.[14] As the Dai Li were distracted by assisting in the Fire Nation conquest of Ba Sing Se, Jin's team was subsequently able to start the mission and get into Lake Laogai. The complex was largely deserted,[12] though the rebels found General Sung and several Joo Dees-training still held captive, Suyin, however, was not among the prisoners.[12][4] Realizing that some guards had alerted the Dai Li about their presence, Jin's rebels decided to try to destroy the base. Sung explained the structural foundation of the complex and helped devise a plan involving the base's main pillars.[4] Afterward, Sung, Jin, as well as Smellerbee used earthbending and blasting jelly (found in the local storage rooms) to shatter the key pillars holding the base, causing a massive flooding before escaping. Lake Laogai's operational capacity was permanently destroyed.[4][15]
In 171 AG, Avatar Korra, Tenzin, and Jinora went to Lake Laogai at Mako's suggestion, believing the Dai Li had reestablished their base to hold captive airbenders for the Earth Queen. However, when Jinora projected her spirit to scout the place, she discovered that the underground base had still been flooded.[16]
Trivia
- The term Laogai is an abbreviation for Láodòng Gǎizào, 勞動改造
(Láodòng gǎizào) (simplified 劳动改造
(Láodòng gǎizào)), which means "reform through labor", and referred to the system of reeducation camps in the People's Republic of China. These camps used forced labor and ideological study sessions to convert opponents of the Communist Party of China, similar to how Lake Laogai was used in the series. - During the era of Yangchen, Lake Laogai was a common place for Earth King Feishan to hold floating feasts on giant rafts over the Lake.[17]
- After the Hundred Year War, a pro-bending team named the Laogai Lion Vultures was formed.[18]
- The exterior views of Lake Laogai were redesigned in The Legend of Korra by Lauren Zurcher to more closely resemble Lake Tahoe.[19]
References
de:Laogai See es:Lago Laogai fr:Lac Laogai nl:Laogai Meer pl:Jezioro Laogai ru:Озеро Лаогай