West Lake

The West Lake came from a shallow bay in ancient times where the Qiantang River ran into the sea. It was formerly named Wulin Waters, Golden Buffalo Lake, Qiantang Lake, and Xizi Lake. As it lies west of Hangzhou, it was later named the West Lake.

It covers an area of 6.38 km, the average depth being 2.27 m and the deepest being 5 m. It has mountains on three sides and the city on the remaining side. The lakes and mountains are magnificent.

Melting Snow at the Broken Bridge

The snow scenes of the West Lake are really enjoyable, especially the view of “melting snow at the broken bridge”. Many people wonder why it is called “melting snow on the broken bridge”. There are many different reasons. One of them is that it snows almost every winter in Hangzhou, and when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers.

Looking from a distance or a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. Many people stop over there and view this gorgeous snow melting, especially on fine winter days after the snow has melted. People stand on the bridge to feast their eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting. The famous Chinese folk story “The Tale of White Snake” brings the broken bridge even more romance.

Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor

Started in the Southern Song, this beauty spot was located at the foot of Huajia Hill on the western bank of the West Lake initially. It used to be a private garden villa that belonged to a palace eunuch named Lu Yunsheng. It was listed as one of the “Ten Views of the West Lake” because of its beautiful scenery. In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi rebuilt the garden, which lay between Western Hill and Su Causeway.

The major expansion projects after 1952 had turned the former garden into a grand park, covering an area of 50 hectares. The big fish pond keeps a few thousand red carp. Bending over the rails of the bridge and watching the red carp noisily scrambling for food thrown to them is a delicious experience. The bank of the pond is planted with a rich variety of trees and flowers, and the reflections in the water are fantastic.

Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill, is situated on the southern shore of the West Lake. The 7-story pagoda was a storied pavilion-type structure, built out of bricks and wood. In ancient times, Leifeng Pagoda and Baochu Pagoda stood far apart, facing each other. Leifeng Pagoda appeared to be an old gentleman, but Baochu Pagoda appeared to be a beauty. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow and looked radiantly beautiful.

It was therefore named “Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow”. In 2000, the old Leifeng Pagoda was rebuilt and renovated with escalators and elevators, and turned into a new pagoda with glass windows all around. Since then, it has been the best-known place for the view of the city skyline after sunset. Standing on the top level, from the glass windows, you can overlook the West Lake; the scenery is just fabulous and unforgettable.

Evening Bell Ringing at Nan Ping Hill (Nan Ping Wan Zhong)

Evening Bell Ringing at Nan Ping Hill is one of the “Ten Views of the West Lake” with the longest history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, painted a painting entitled “Evening Bell Ringing at Nan Ping Hill”. Nan Ping Hill offers different views due to the different weather. On fine days, the green woods over the hill grow more enchanting. On rainy days, the hill, partially covered with clouds and fog, creates a beautiful scene.

The history of Nan Ping Hill dates back to 972 A.D. A famous temple, named “Xingjiao Temple,” was built on Nan Ping Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nan Ping Hill was locally called “Buddhism Kingdom Hill”. Formed of limestone, the Nan Ping Hill contains a lot of caves and cavities.

The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell rings in the evening, its sonorous sound echoes through the caves and cavities, and reaches as far as the other shore of the West Lake, and then the Ge Hill located there sends back a big echo over the lake. Nowadays, its Chinese name, Nan Ping Wan Zhong, is well known.

Autumn Moon over the Clam Lake

Situated at the west end of the Bai Causeway, it affords the broadest view of the West Lake. Furthermore, it is a nice garden with delicate pavilions, small zigzagged bridges, an odd-shaped rockery, and a rich variety of plants. On the night of the Middle Autumn Festival, it would be a good place along the lakeside to enjoy a beautiful full moon.

While sitting on the terrace to enjoy the middle autumn moon, you would be impressed by seeing the reflections on the water, the clouds, and the moon mingling with each other, the moonlight and the lake light enhancing each other’s beauty. A famous couplet is dedicated to this scene: “The vast, calm lake is bright as a mirror; the year-round moon is the brightest in the autumn.”

Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds

The twin peaks are the Northern Peak and the Southern Peak. One is located southwest of the West Lake, and the other is located in the northwest. Northern Peak has an elevation of 256.9 meters, Southern Peak has an elevation of 355 meters. The two peaks face each other at a distance of more than 5 kilometers.

On a drizzly day in spring or autumn, visitors may find a spectacular view of the two peaks while they look up from the Hongchun Bridge. It seems as if an enchanting landscape painting was hanging before them, with the peaks disappearing and appearing amidst drifting clouds. Therefore, it has become known as Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds, one of the “Ten Views of the West Lake”.

Orioles Singing in the Willows

The park was part of the Southern Song Dynasty’s Royal Garden before. After liberation, the park covers a total area of 300 acres for renovation and enlargement. It is a wonderful leisure place with the green willow leaves and orioles warbling. In springtime, the vernal breezes stroke the willows, their branches sway gently, bending over to kiss the rippling water. Walking in the garden, the orioles singing, the willows dancing, what a wonderful time it is.

Now the park is composed of three gardens: Orioles Singing Garden, Friendship Garden, and Collected Scenery Garden. The eastern part of the Garden serves as a traditional public entertainment site. An open stage is built there. It is a good place for Hangzhou citizens and tourists to enjoy themselves. In summer or autumn, the garden served as an “evening garden”. The lantern exhibition, the traditional folk performances, and the cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

The islet is one of the three islands in the West Lake; it is named “Lesser Yingzhou,” which means the “Fairy Islet”. Among the three islets in the lake, the Lesser Yingzhou is the biggest and finest one. And it is recommended as “The best scenic spot in the West Lake”. The islet covers an area of 7 hectares, including the water surface, and features “a lake within an island and an island within a lake”. The wonderful garden design makes this islet unique among the top ten views.

This island was built in 1607 with dredges from the lake to create a lake within a lake initially. Afterward, three small gourd-shaped pagodas were built in the southern lake of the islet called “three pools”. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, a general named PengYulin, after retiring from his official post, built for himself a garden villa on the island, and then zigzag bridges and pavilions were added.

After you go ashore on the port located on the north of the islet, two buildings will meet your eyes first. Then, you will walk along the zigzagged bridge, which is better known as the “Nine Turn Bridge”. There are a total of four pavilions along this bridge, including the Open Net Pavilion, Tingting Pavilion, Emperor Kangxi Stele Pavilion, and “Heart Linking to Heart” Pavilion.

Spring Dawn at Su Causeway

Su Causeway is as long as three kilometers. It was built on the dredges of the West Lake when Su Dongpo, a Northern Song Dynasty poet, organized a large-scale dredging of the lake during his term as the city’s governor. Therefore, it was named “Su Causeway”.

Walking along the causeway in spring, you will see the willows tossing among blooming peach flowers. There are six bridges along the Su Causeway offering different views. Especially after a spring rain, you may stand on the causeway and feast your eyes on the lake far and near through the willow branches. The distant view is covered by the light fog and grows more charming. This scene was named “Six Bridges in Misty Willows”. With this special scene, the causeway and its bridge became a very popular attraction.

Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden

Breeze ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden, which features Lotus ranked the 2nd of the Top Ten Views, just after Spring Dawn at Su Causeway. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Quyuan Courtyard was an official vineyard located on the bank of the West Lake beside the Hongcun Bridge on the Linyin Road, where many lotuses were planted.

In summer breezes, the air is scented with the delicate fragrance of lotus intermingled with the tasteful bouquet of wine. However, the courtyard was neglected, and the nearby lake silted up. It became a small garden with a small pavilion, a veranda, and a few lotus flowers planted in the water in front. Starting in 1983, an extension project was underway to develop it into a huge park.

Currently, the park includes five sections: Yue Lake, Bamboo Garden, Lotus Garden, Winding Garden, and Lakeside Forest. Therefore, it is a very popular attraction for tourists with General Yuefei’s Tomb, Guo’s Villa, and Hangzhou Botanical Gardens.