What are the Ten Scenery Spots of West Lake?

West Lake is currently the most culturally and historically significant lake in China. The historical figures and myths related to West Lake are also the most widely spread. Everyone can together imagine the future and the past in West Lake. Below is a detailed introduction to the Ten Scenery Spots of West Lake.

During the three-day May Day holiday, I made a trip to the enchanting West Lake with a friend, and luckily we perfectly avoided the crowds that are as famous as the beautiful scenery. We enjoyed the natural scenery where mountains and water coexist, which was truly fantastic. With this joy, I would like to share the beauty of the ten scenic spots with you.

First: Broken Bridge in Snow

Speaking of the Broken Bridge, we naturally cannot forget the ancient legend of Bai Suzhen who, after thousands of years, finally waited for her benefactor Xu Xian on the bridge. Through her sweet cunning, she finally became his wife. Not only was their previous relationship able to continue, but the story left behind the famous phrases like “waiting for a thousand years” and “if destined, we will meet even a thousand miles away,” which have touched countless kind-hearted men and women for generations. The Broken Bridge also made West Lake famous.

Broken Bridge in Snow

As for the snow, I wasn’t sure how to write about it. But when I saw this photo above for the first time, I was deeply moved by how the words and image fit together so perfectly. This image from the internet perfectly captures the mood that “Broken Bridge in Snow” aims to convey. The white snow covers everything, making the sky and the earth the same color. The person walking carefully on the Broken Bridge with an umbrella seems to remind the viewer that this is not a painting but a vivid scene. The slightly bent back reveals the conflicting psychology of the tourist who wants to enjoy the scenery while walking but is afraid of falling. This creates another kind of charm. Although the gentleness of the lake is not enough to arouse the thousands of piles of snow on the shore, it generously embraces the foreign object in its calmness, making the scene of “Broken Bridge in Snow” complete. I think that some thoughtful person who passed by in those days, upon seeing a similar scene, was moved and thought of the beautiful name “Broken Bridge in Snow”.

My friend and I walked along Bai Causeway to the Broken Bridge. We didn’t realize that this was the legendary Broken Bridge. It was early summer, and we didn’t see any snow. We walked onto the bridge facing the oncoming crowd and realized that the ground we were stepping on was the same place where Bai Suzhen lingered in the rain. It was not as good as the side view in the image above. It was difficult to feel the bridge directly from the front. The arch of the bridge was not large, but because of the influence of the story of a rainy encounter with a beautiful woman on the bridge, even walking across it in the hot sun made my heart jump with joy. That’s why I’m smiling so brightly in my friend’s photo, without a trace of regret.

Second: Evening Bell of Nanping

Across from Leifeng Pagoda is Nanping Mountain. At the northern foot of Nanping Mountain lies Jingci Temple. “Evening Bell of Nanping” refers to the deep, clear bell sound of Jingci Temple at dusk. As the earliest of the ten scenic spots of West Lake, it once attracted the Northern Song painter Zhang Zeduan to paint “Evening Bell of Nanping”.

Nanping Mountain has towering peaks and exquisite rocks. Located south of Hangzhou, it has a stone wall that looks like a screen, hence the name. Jingci Temple is hidden in the mountain, perhaps not as famous as Lingyin Temple nearby, but it is also the place where the benevolent and generous Ji Gong, the crazy monk, lived and practiced for a long time. On this trip, I did not hear the sound of the bell that has resonated for thousands of years, nor did I go to the temple to search for the traces of Ji Gong, who is known for his madness. I can only make up for my regret with these words.

Third: Flower Harbor Watching Fish

Flower Harbor Gate

It is said that the name Flower Harbor comes from a clear stream that originated in Huajia Mountain and flowed through here into West Lake. When Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty made his Southern Tour, he rebuilt a pool in this abandoned area, raised fish, built a pavilion and garden, erected a stone tablet, and inscribed the four words “Flower Harbor Watching Fish”. At the end of Su Causeway, opposite Leifeng Pagoda, is the stone archway of Flower Harbor Watching Fish. As soon as my friend entered Flower Harbor, he exclaimed, “Finally, I see colored fish!” Unlike the other lakes of West Lake, which are full of gray little fish, the fish in Flower Harbor are big, numerous, and colorful. They really lived up to our expectations of coming to see the fish.

Lin Huiyin Statue

While we were teasing the fish by the lake, a group of tour groups happened to pass by. In addition to introducing the origin of Flower Harbor Watching Fish, the tour guide also said that the tall, towering camphor tree with lush leaves next to it was more than a thousand years old, and was born at the same time as the fish. He also told us in a serious tone not to take pictures with the ancient trees, because they are all very old, and it is easy to shorten our life span. The tourists looked at each other and put down their phones and cameras. Seeing this, I became even more interested. I followed the tour guide into the next area of explanation, where the Lin Huiyin statue is. The reason there is a statue of her here is because she was born in Hangzhou. She also wrote the beautiful prose “The Most Beautiful April in the World.” Later generations erected this statue in memory of this woman who inspired countless literati to bend over in admiration. Hearing this, my friend and I left Flower Harbor and went to search for the traces of our ancestor Dongpo.

Fourth: Willow Waves Hearing Orioles

Willow Waves Hearing Orioles

During the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Xiaozong built the largest imperial garden in the capital, Jujing Garden, for the sake of his father Gaozong. In spring, countless orioles sang in the thick willow shade. “Willow Waves Hearing Orioles” got its name from this. As an old man who takes 30,000 steps a day, I really can’t take it anymore, so I gave up enjoying this scenic spot and just stole a picture to enjoy. The green is all very good.

Fifth: Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds

Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds

Ah, another scenic spot I haven’t seen. Or perhaps I saw it but my eyes were too dim to recognize it. I think that the scenery that I have not personally experienced is not worth mentioning to others. As usual, I will list the historical anecdotes here. If you are interested, you can go there directly. I can also brag that I have a part in the medal of merit.

The Twin Peaks refer to Nan Gaofeng and Bei Gaofeng. The two peaks stand opposite each other, about ten miles apart. The small mountains in between rise and fall, winding and twisting. In spring, autumn, and rainy days, looking from the northwest of the lake, the clouds are as thick as distant mountains, and the distant mountains are as light as clouds. The peaks appear and disappear in the mist and light clouds. Looking at them, they seem to pierce the clouds, hence the name.

When I saw this picture, I realized that I really did miss this scenic spot because of my dim eyes. At that time, my friend and I were walking side by side along Su Causeway. Suddenly, my friend shouted and pointed to the other side. There was a small bridge, the arch bridge in the picture, which looked particularly beautiful in the sunshine. Unlike the picture, which has a hazy atmosphere, the sunny weather also has a different kind of charm. I was only focusing on admiring the beauty of the bridge, which is small but delicate, and didn’t even realize that behind the bridge was one of the Ten Scenery Spots, “Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds”. It really is true what the saying goes, “There is no shortage of beauty in the world, only a shortage of eyes to see it.”

Sixth: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

Regarding Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, I still remember the description from my elementary school textbook:

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

How can there be such a small island in the heart of the lake? Legend has it that it was the “masterpiece” of the great Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo when he was a local official in Hangzhou. At that time, he mobilized the people to dig deeper into West Lake so that it could hold more lake water to fight drought and irrigate the fields. The mud dug up from the lake was piled up to form a long causeway and a small island. Later, people erected three stone pagodas in the deepest part of the lake as deep-water markers, which are the current Su Causeway and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.

These three stone pagodas are beautifully and uniquely shaped, all pointed at the top and small at the bottom. The middle is carved out into a hollow sphere, like a precious gourd. Now, people have taken these three stone pagodas as a symbol of Hangzhou’s West Lake.

But why is it called “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon”? It turns out that every year on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon is roundest and brightest, it shines directly on the center of the lake. At this time, people light up bright lights in the three stone pagodas and cover each small round hole of each pagoda with transparent white paper. In this way, the lights are reflected in the lake, just like round moons. Each pagoda has five small round holes, and there are three pagodas, so there are fifteen such moons. Adding the moon in the sky that is reflected in the center of these “moons”, there are sixteen moons in the clear lake water.

Because of seasickness, I was unable to visit the island. Standing on the shore and looking at the distribution of the stone pagodas from afar, connecting them with the description in the textbook, I felt that this was enough.

Seventh: Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset

Sunset

Located on Leifeng Mountain, which is located in the south of West Lake and in front of Jingci Temple, Leifeng Pagoda is famous for the fact that at dusk, the setting sun envelops the tower and it looks like a Buddha’s light shining. In fact, I think Leifeng Pagoda itself is even more famous. Legend has it that Fahai imprisoned Bai Suzhen under the pagoda and chanted a spell: “If Leifeng Pagoda falls, then West Lake will dry up.” At that time, Fahai tricked Xu Xian into Jinshan Temple and imprisoned him. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing fought against Fahai, resulting in the flooding of Jinshan Temple, which harmed other creatures. Bai Suzhen, who violated the heavenly rules, was taken into Fahai’s bowl and imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda after giving birth to her child. Later, Xu Shi Lin grew up, passed the imperial examination and became a high official. He knelt down and bowed nine times, praying for his mother’s life of hardship. The kind Wenquxing moved the gods with his filial piety, and finally the pagoda collapsed, freeing his mother and allowing the family to reunite. Since then, the legendary story has been passed down from generation to generation. Whether it is true or not, people are willing to believe in the existence of the beautiful Bai Suzhen, and Leifeng Pagoda has become famous.

The Leifeng Pagoda Scenic Area requires a ticket to enter. Before my trip, my uncle, who lives in Hangzhou, repeatedly told me to be sure to go up Leifeng Pagoda and see it for myself, to experience the preciousness of Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian’s hard-won reunion, and said that the view from the pagoda would definitely inspire my writing. But I chose to give up in front of the winding and turning lines of people. I left after looking at Leifeng Pagoda from a distance, and only took the long-distance view below. At this point, the sun was beating down, and I could not see the beauty of the sunset. But the blue sky and vast waves still made the distant Leifeng Pagoda appear solemn, even giving rise to the idea that “it is better to look at it from afar than to approach it”.

Azure Waves

Eighth: Spring Dawn on Su Causeway

My friend and I walked hand in hand from morning to noon, still on Su Causeway. In addition to the fact that we couldn’t walk the entire length because it was so long, we were also deeply attracted by the natural scenery on both sides and forgot to move forward. Although West Lake is on the blacklist for holiday travel, because of the hot sun at noon, people who love beauty choose to stay indoors, making Su Causeway unusually empty. The tall and leafy trees on both sides of the pedestrian path meet in the middle, providing shade for the people passing by underneath. A gentle breeze blew from the distant lake, and I felt refreshed, surrounded by green. I felt refreshed and my heart was filled with joy. My friend and I couldn’t stop clicking away with our cameras. We clicked and clicked, but we could not capture the vibrant spring of Su Causeway. All we could do was take deep breaths of the fresh air mixed with the smell of leaves, and gaze at the scenery from afar, using our eyes’ highest pixel count to record the lush green in its entirety. We could only use our hands to touch the rough bark, the green leaves, and the clear water. It felt like only this way could we merge with the spring light of Su Causeway and become a vibrant and growing flower of our motherland.

Encountering a Reader on Su Causeway

Looking back now, the origin of “Spring Dawn on Su Causeway” is probably because the willow and peach trees on the causeway always inform people of the arrival of spring in a timely manner. A Su Causeway, a spring, a green, a beautiful painting.

Ninth: Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake

Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake

Hangzhou’s West Lake has always been regarded as a holy place for moon viewing. West of Bai Causeway, with a clear moon and a cool breeze, is “Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake.” With Gushan Mountain at its back and the outer lake in front of it, the scenery is arranged along the lake, including the Imperial Tablet Pavilion, the water platform, the Four-Sided Hall, the Octagonal Pavilion, and the Sky and Lake One Color Pavilion. The platform extending into the water is very wide, with a very open view. It is therefore a first-class moon-viewing spot. “Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake” is surrounded by water on three sides. Looking out at the mountains and lakes from here, whether it is spring, summer, autumn or winter, sunny or rainy, cloudy or clear, it will make you feel full of interest, truly “water, water, mountain, mountain, everywhere clearly and beautifully, sunny, rainy, time after time, good, good, strange, strange”.

Unfortunately, I was walking on Bai Causeway and only focused on admiring the scenery in front of me and to my left. I completely forgot that the right side of the causeway was where “Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake” was located. Of course, it was impossible to see the hazy beauty of the moon during the day. But on second thought, every year on the fifteenth of August during the Mid-Autumn Festival, “Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake” will surely attract Hangzhou people to come and enjoy it. After all, it once made the poet Dongpo, who was there, sigh that his hometown did not have such beautiful mountains and lakes.

Tenth: Winding Courtyard and Windborne Lotus

A Different Kind of Red

When I first heard the name “Winding Courtyard and Windborne Lotus”, the image that appeared in my mind was exactly like the picture. “Countless lotus leaves are as green as the sky, and the lotus flowers facing the sun are a different kind of red.” But May Day is not June 1st, and West Lake is not in the middle of June. All I could see was a pool of spring water, which was a pity. If you want to see the small lotus corners that don’t change with the seasons, I suggest you go in June. I have to say that this was our first stop at West Lake. The white bricks and blue tiles of the gatehouse were also unique, making for a very artistic photo.

Nodding and Smiling

This concludes the introduction of the Ten Scenery Spots of West Lake. Originally, because I did not have a detailed travel guide for this trip to West Lake and could not appreciate all of the ten scenic spots, I was unaware of some of them even when I was there. Although I was able to see the beautiful scenery where the mountains and waters of West Lake are equally beautiful, I still felt a little regret, especially for not being able to personally climb Leifeng Pagoda to experience Bai Suzhen’s wait and helplessness in the tower. So I wanted to write this article to console myself, and it can also serve as a reference for those who will go there in the future. I did not plan a complete itinerary in the article, because I felt that the scenery is beautiful wherever you go, and there is no need to be constrained by a planned route. The main focus was to introduce the historical anecdotes of each place. We are here in West Lake, appreciating the same scenery as those who lived a thousand years ago. This is the magical power of nature, and it is a precious treasure left to us by our ancestors.

Finally, let me write these ten four-character combinations again. They are truly beautiful.

Spring Dawn on Su Causeway, Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Flower Harbor Watching Fish, Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset, Willow Waves Hearing Orioles, Broken Bridge in Snow, Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake, Winding Courtyard and Windborne Lotus, Evening Bell of Nanping