West Lake, also known as Qiantang Lake, is located in the West Lake District of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, and is one of the three shining jewels of the Jiangnan region. This beautiful lake, surrounded by mountains on three sides and adjacent to the city on the east, has a vast expanse of 6.38 square kilometers, and its catchment area is 21.22 square kilometers. With its charming scenery, the West Lake mesmerizes people as if they were in a moving picture scroll.
Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Spot is known as “National AAAAA Grade Tourist Attractions”, and the cultural landscape of the West Lake has been included in the World Heritage List, which shows its unique charm and important status.
The natural scenery of West Lake is breathtaking. In the lake, the White Causeway, Su Causeway, Yang Gong Causeway and Zhao Gong Causeway are like green ribbons, which skillfully divide the lake into several waters, and the three islands in the center of the lake are embellished with picturesque scenery surrounded by mountains. As the seasons change, the beauty of the West Lake also changes: in spring, the Su Causeway is in full bloom with peach blossoms and willows; in summer, the Lotus Breeze in the Qu Yuan sends you a refreshing breeze, and the lotus blossoms are in bloom; in autumn, under the autumn moon of the Pinghu Lake, the lake and the sky become one, which is breathtaking; and in winter, the Broken Bridge is full of broken snows, which is just like a fairyland.
In addition to the natural scenery, the West Lake also contains a deep historical and cultural heritage. Each of the ten scenic spots of West Lake, such as Spring Dawn of Su Causeway, Wind Lotus in the Qu Yuan, Autumn Moon in Pinghu Lake and Broken Bridge, etc., carries historical memories from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, which makes people feel as if they have traveled through time and space to enjoy the beautiful scenery with the ancients.
West Lake Su Causeway
Among them, Su Causeway is a forested embankment running through the north and south of West Lake, which was built by Su Dongpo, a great writer of the Song Dynasty, when he was the assassin of Hangzhou, by dredging the West Lake and utilizing the silt to pile up the embankment. The causeway, shaded by willow trees, stretches for nearly 3 kilometers and is spanned by six rustic bridges, making it a paradise for photographers.
West Lake White Causeway
The White Causeway extends from the Broken Bridge in the east to the Autumn Moon of Pinghu Lake in the west, and is about 1 kilometer long (the traditional way of calculating the number of miles may be slightly different from the actual one). The scenery of the White Causeway varies from season to season, with peach blossoms blooming in spring, willow trees clinging to it in summer, fragrant osmanthus blossoms in autumn, and snowflakes flying in winter. Bai Juyi once praised the scenery of this place with his poems, and later generations named this embankment Bai Causeway in his honor.
West Lake Broken Bridge
The Broken Bridge is located on the watershed point between Beili Lake and Outer West Lake, and is known as the three major lovers’ bridges of West Lake together with Xiling Bridge and Changqiao. In the romantic legend “The Legend of the White Snake”, the Broken Bridge is the place where Xu Xian and the White Lady met, full of romantic colors.
West Lake Leifeng Pagoda
Leifeng Pagoda, standing on the top of Xizhao Mountain, is the first colorful copper sculpture pagoda in China. The pagoda is octagonal in shape, covered with copper tiles on each level, with copper arches at the corners, flying eaves and warping corners. Leifeng Pagoda is not only the landmark of West Lake, but also a precious heritage of ancient Chinese Buddhist culture.
West Lake, a tourist attraction integrating natural scenery, history, culture and folklore, is warmly looking forward to your arrival. Here, you can appreciate nature’s ingenious workmanship, feel the bright splendor of human civilization, and also listen to those touching love stories. West Lake, a mesmerizing and unforgettable place, is looking forward to a beautiful encounter with you.