Travellers: West Lake

An old Chinese word says that, “There is heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.” My hometown is located in Hangzhou which is well known in the world for its beautiful West Lake and also attracts more and more tourists both China and abroad.

There are numerous historical sites and fascinating scenes around West Lake.

Viewed at Leifeng tower

West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou is located in the southwest of the city which is around 60 square kilometers. There are 4 sections around the whole West Lake, including the Outer Lake, North Inner Lake, Yue Lake and Little South Lake.

There are various names of West Lake, such as Wulin Water, Mingsheng Lake, Jinzhong Lake, Longchuan, Qianyuan, Qiantang Lake, and Shang Lake, etc. These names are taken before the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, a Chinese famous poet wrote a poem to praise the West Lake and compared it to Xizi who is one of the four ancient beauties of China. Therefore, the West Lake has another beautiful name—Xizi Lake.

Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring

Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond

As we all know, there are ten scenic spots around West Lake, which are known as “Ten Scenes of West Lake" Ten of the most beautiful sites include: 1. Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring. 2. Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer. 3. Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn. 4. Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter. 5. Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset. 6. Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds. 7. Orioles Singing in the Willows. 8. Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond. 9. Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon. 10. Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill