West Lake
When tourists travel in Hangzhou, The West Lake is always the most charming attraction in Hangzhou travel. As a must-see scenic spot in Hangzhou, The West Lake not only possesses the alluring scenery but also embeds the everlasting track of Chinese literature and history.
The West Lake is an elliptical landscape covered with a water surface of 5.66 square kilometers. The renowned scenic spots of Su Causeway, Bai Causeway and Yanggong Causeway have divided The West Lake into parts with different attractive views which are representative and outstanding in China Tour.
Other attractions include Gushan, Xiaoyingzhou, Huxin Ting and so on. All the scenic spots combine together for the worldly famous "Scenes of The West Lake".
Scenes of The West Lake:
Spring Dawn at Su Causeway (The West Lake)
With the well-known reputation of the prime scene of the Ten Scenes of The West Lake in Hangzhou tour, Su Causeway was the achievement of Su Dong Po when he was the governor in Hangzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty and the name of Su Causeway was also in memory of this great statesman and poet. Su Causeway prolongs for around three kilometers and it reveals the enchanting beauty of The West Lake when tourists indulge in the poetic atmosphere of romantic China travel.
When tourists travel in China, tourists can appreciate the beautiful scenery of The West Lake and the causeway when tourists take a stroll along Su Causeway. All the six arch bridges along Su Causeway have poetic and beautiful names, Ying Po, Suo Lan, Wang Shan, Yia Ti, Dong Pu and Qua Hong from south to north accordingly and each has its particular scenery. And the stele with the engraved letters, Spring Dawn at Su Causeway, erects at the south of the bridge.
Breeze – ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden (The West Lake)
With the joyful theme of Summer Lotus, "Breeze - ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden" is positioned as the beautiful view second to "Spring Dawn at Su Causeway" of the Ten Scenes of The West Lake. In the summer, tourists will experience the breeze mixed with the alluring fragrance of lotus and a wide variety of lotus is fully blossomed in the pools. When tourists have cheerful Hangzhou tour in The West Lake, tourists can take a relaxing stroll along the lovely bridges, surrounded by the widespread lotus.
Lingering Snow on Broken Bridge (The West Lake)
Located in the east to White Causeway, Broken Bridge is the most famous one among the bridges in The West Lake in ancient and modern times for tourists to appreciate the alluring scenery in Hangzhou tour. It's said that Broken Bridge had been built in the Tong Dynasty and the present bridge was reconstructed in 1921.
The name of Broken Bridge has often appeared in the literature masterpieces and the bright scenery of "Lingering Snow on Broken Bridge" is the most attractive to tourists in Hangzhou travel, especially in the snowing season. The scene is very precious because the snowy days are relatively few in Southern part of China, not to mention the heavy snowy days which make the scenery more attractive in China tour.
The classical and traditional style of Broken Bridge has been completely reserved and tourists always cannot help but indulge in the beautiful scenery unknowingly when tourists travel in Hangzhou.
Leifeng Pagodain Evening Glow (The West Lake)
In Hangzhou travel, the most attractive part is to visit the site at sunset because the pagoda looks extraordinarily beautiful bathed in the evening glow.
With the reputation of one of the Ten Scenes of The West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow, Leifeng Pagoda is a classical Chinese architecture with seven stories, consisting of ladders and pavilions.
In ancient times, Leifeng Pagoda and the opposite Baochu Pagoda stood far apart facing each other. When the sun was setting, the pagoda, the trees and the lake are overwhelmed in a mysteriously alluring atmosphere. So the view contributes to the enchanting reputation, Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow.
Unfortunately, Leifeng Pagoda was seriously damaged by the Japanese bandits in the Ming Dynasty and finally collapsed in 1924. Nowadays, tourists can appreciate the new look of Leifeng Pagoda after reconstruction when tourists travel in Zhejiang.
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (The West Lake)
Among the three islets in The West Lake, the one islet which is also called "Lesser Yingzhou" is the biggest and finest one. Possessing the beautiful view of "a lake within an island and an island within a lake", Lesser Yingzhou is therefore the very unique view among Scenes of The West Lake. The three lovely islets and the peaceful lake compose the poetic image of "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon" in Hangzhou Tourism.
When tourists visit the site, there are three gourd-shaped pagodas, forming the images of three pools, zigzag bridges, and pavilions scattering on the islets.
Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor (The West Lake)
Adjacent to Su causeway, Flower Harbor (Huagang) consists of Red Fish Pool, Flower Garden, Peony Garden, widespread lawns and woods. Originally, Flower Harbor was a private place and it became more and more famous in Hangzhou because of the abundant flowers, trees and goldfish. Later, it turned out to be a recreation resort for the common public to visit in Hangzhou tour. Many painters and poets beautifully depicted the place with their inspirational masterpieces.
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Flower Harbor during his inspection trip to Southern China. The Emperor was so pleased with the place that he wrote a poem to praise the fabulous site.
Renowned for the half-an-year-long flower scenery, Flower Harbor presents its great time of viewing flowers when spring translates smoothly into summer. In the delightful Hangzhou travel, tourists will indulge in the scenery of numerous blossoms and verdant trees while the red fishes elegantly are swimming in the pool.
For the convenience of your Hangzhou travel in China, below is a selection of nearby hotels.
For more sightseeing attractions in Hangzhou, please visit our Hangzhou Tourism website for a map to guide your China tour and to find your ideal China hotel.