The chinampas in use today go back about a thousand years, to when Aztec farmers began building rectangular fields on top of vast lakes and growing food for what was then the city of Tenochtitlan.

Chinampas are still used today in Xochimilco, a historic lake ecosystem south of Mexico City, where they support the cultivation of flowers, vegetables, and other foods.

Meet the axolotl, Mexico City’s endangered, smiling salamander. In the southern part of Mexico City lies Xochimilco, a maze of canals filled with boats, music, food and tourists. It’s also one ...

Their capital, Tenochtitlan, was built on marshy islands and featured advanced agricultural techniques, including floating gardens. The Aztecs engaged in trade, bartering goods like corn, cotton ...

“This great system (chinampas) is all that’s left from the lake city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, so I always tell our visitors that Xochimilco is a living archeological zone,” Cruz said.

"This great system [chinampas] is all that's left from the lake city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, so I always tell our visitors that Xochimilco is a living archaeological zone," Cruz said.

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Legend has it the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico's most beloved salamander and efforts to prevent its extinction flourished, it was a sneaky god.

All over Mexico, the peculiar, dragon-like amphibian can be spotted in murals, crafts and socks.

All over Mexico, the peculiar, dragon-like amphibian can be spotted in murals, crafts and socks.

“This great system (chinampas) is all that’s left from the lake city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, so I always tell our visitors that Xochimilco is a living archeological zone,” Cruz said.

“This great system (chinampas) is all that’s left from the lake city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, so I always tell our visitors that Xochimilco is a living archeological zone,” Cruz said.

“This great system (chinampas) is all that’s left from the lake city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, so I always tell our visitors that Xochimilco is a living archeological zone,” Cruz said.