Legend says a jade ball fell to earth. This jade ball transformed into the enchanting West Lake. The West Lake in Hangzhou has been celebrated for centuries. Its beauty has captivated countless visitors.
Here at West Lake, mountains embrace the waters on three sides. Gardens, bridges, pagodas, and temples adorn its shores. It is easy to see why West Lake has inspired poets and painters through the ages. Their art captures the perfect harmony of nature and Chinese architecture here at West Lake.
West Lake earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2011. This recognition highlights its influence on garden design across China, Japan, and Korea. West Lake embodies an idealized fusion of humanity and nature. The 2.5-square-mile West Lake offers endless photographic opportunities.
The Ten Scenes of West Lake are particularly famous. These vistas gained popularity during the Qing Dynasty under Emperor Kangxi. Viewing Fish at Flower Harbour and Moon Reflected on Three Ponds are among these scenes.
Once upon a time, a golden buffalo helped create West Lake. Legend says that 2,000 years ago, during the Han Dynasty, the area would dry up. The golden buffalo would appear and spew out water. This action refilled the entire lake.
The Jixian Pavilion was built during the Qing Dynasty. It attracted scholars and poets to Hangzhou. This strategy proved successful. Hangzhou became an important cultural hub. The original pavilion collapsed. A rebuilt version stands here today.
The West Lake has inspired tales of romance. The Legend of the White Snake is one of the most famous. It tells of a white snake and a green snake who transformed into beautiful women. They strolled around West Lake. A scholar named Xu Xian offered them his umbrella during a rain shower. The couple fell in love and married.
The monk Fahai told Xu Xian that his wife was a demon. He imprisoned Xu Xian at the Gold Mountain Temple. Lady White Snake battled Fahai to release her husband. The monk trapped Lady White Snake in Leifeng Pagoda. He declared she would be imprisoned until the lake dried up or the pagoda fell.
The Leifeng Pagoda collapsed in 1924. Some claim a woman was seen helping a beautiful woman from the rubble. A new pagoda was built in 2002 on the original site.
Hangzhou is sometimes known as the city of love. Leifeng Pagoda is a popular spot for bridal shoots. Scholars will also know China’s Four Great Folktales. Two of these take place at least in part on the West Lake.
Hangzhou was China’s capital during the Southern Song Dynasty. Hefang Street has stood the test of time. It survived the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
Marco Polo visited West Lake. He described the lake as surrounded by beautiful palaces and mansions. He also saw abbeys and churches. Two islands stood in the middle of the lake with rich and spacious buildings.
West Lake has many temples, pavilions, and arched bridges. Numerous islands are reachable by boat. The natural beauty has inspired Chinese garden designers. In 2011, West Lake became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its design influenced gardens in China, Japan, and Korea.
Orioles Singing in the Willows is one of the entrances to West Lake. The path passes under an ornate archway. It continues through a courtyard lined with willows. It opens on a set of ponds covered with lotus leaves.
The perennial scene here evokes birdsong and elderly residents chatting. They are often crooning odes from classical Chinese opera. People are almost always doing taichi in China. This is a particularly nice spot to do it.
Aesthetic appreciation of landscapes became a popular business. Diverse entertainment options emerged. These involved standardized routes and viewing orders. Tour guides, seasonal markets, and specialty shops catered to preferences and budgets.
West Lake was dredged and renamed the Pond of Freeing Captive Animals under Kublai Khan. Parts of the lake area were cultivated into farmland. The emperors revived the Ten Scenes of West Lake. The Kangxi Emperor inscribed titles for these scenes. The Qianlong Emperor composed poems during his visits.
The West Lake is a magical place. It deserves a visit to be inspired like the many poets and painters that have visited over the centuries.