The Alluring Xizi—West Lake

Lying on the west edge of Hangzhou city, the beautiful West Lake covers a total area of 6 square kilometers with and average depth of 1.5 meters. It is divide into 5 sections by the renowned scenic spots of Su Causeway, Bai Causeway and Yanggong Causeway, namely the Oulter Lake, North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Little South Lake.

Embraced by mountains and hills on three sides, the lake contains glittering blue water. Three islets of lesser Yingzhou, Mid-Lake Pavilion and Ruangong Dun tripartitely stand at the centre of the lake which is girdled by myriad blossoming flowers and dense trees. The surrounding scenes hills home miraculously shaped peaks and serene forests and springs, providing scenes to supplement those of the Lake.

The West Lake is a romantic poem, a natural picture and there will be beautiful stories  happened here everyday. Everyone will be greatly moved by the unparalleled fairness of the scenic lake. Different views can be seen in different seasons.

In spring, the green meadow along the lake attracts the birds that are flying to stop here; peach blossoms and plum blossoms are flourished everywhere. You can spend a whole day to tour on foot, by bike or hire a boat for seeing a good view of the entire lake.

Summertime, pretty water lilies on the lake surface make you feel a little bit cooler in the heat. In autumn the full moon shines and reflects itself clearly on the West Lake, the coolness of the season in Hangzhou make the scenery very lovely, and you will see fish swimming freely.

The essence of the scenic lake can only be seen during and after a snowfall, the lake’s “Broken Bridge” becomes “rejoined” by the white snow, the ancient trees along the lake are decorated by the heavenly thing, when you are lucky to be here, you may feel you’re really in a paradise.

Near to the lake can be found the Ling Yin Temple in its woodland setting near to Fei Lai Feng. Legend says that the limestone peak flew from India where it had formed part of a holy mountain. These are of particular interest to Buddhists and those who love sculpture and art.

The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei is a monument to the patriot who was murdered in 1141 at the behest of his arcrival Qin Hui, the prime minister of Song Dynasty. These buildings like others in the vicinity of the lake such as the Six Harmonies Pagoda add to the calm and beauty of their surroundings.

No visitor to the West Lake and Hangzhou can fail to learn something of this city’s most famous products, namely silk and Dragon Well Tea. Since the Tang Dyansty (618-907) silk products from Hangzhou have found their way all over the world. The National Silk  Museum is the first Chinese national museum to be dedicated to silk culture. The similar museum, the National Tea Museum is dedicated to tea, providing a fascinating insight into the history and production of Chinese tea.

Another natural spectacle to be found here is the tidal bore of the Qiantang River that has enthralled people for centuries. Standing at the 13 storey high Six Harmonies Pagoda, visitors could overlook the river estuary. Dating from 970 and built o the site of an earlier pagoda that served as a lighthouse, the name refers to the six codes of Buddhism i.e. harmony of the body, speech and thought and the renunciation of personal pleasure, opinions and wealth. A climb to the top of pagoda carries the reward of an impressive view over the tidal bore.

Hopefully, this introduction to the delights of the area surrounding the West Lake will tempt you to visit them for yourself. You can be assured that the splendid and diverse landscape will remain long in your memory as you call to mind tour sites to be found south of the Yangtze River.