|
West Lake
|
 West lake, lying to the west of Hangzhou, is the most beautiful of the probably thirty lakes in China which bear the same name.The famous West Lake is like a brilliant pearl embedded in the beautiful and fertile shores of the East China Sea. Used to be a small bay at the mouth of the Qiantang River, it was separated from the sea by river sediment to became a lake. The lake with its islands covers about 6 square kilometers. The charming Solitary Hill Islets (Gushan) rises above the water in the north of the lake, which is bordered by hills on three sides. The Su Causeway runs roughly north and south and the Bai Causeway east and west. The lake has several parts called the Inner Lake, the Outer Lake, Yue Lake, West Inner Lake, and Small South Lake. There are three islands in the Outer Lake: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (Santan Yunyue), Mid-Lake Pavilion (Huxinting), and Lord Ruan's Mound (Ruangongdun). The lake covers an area of 5.6 square kilometers. Dozen's of historical sites are scattered about some fifty-square-kilometer scenic area around the lake. The wooded hills surround the lake are studded with pavilions, towers, pagodas, and caves. Springs, steams, and pools are scattered among peaks, rocks, caves, and gullies. The "ten scenic beauties" of West Lake are generally thought to be as follows: Spring Dawn at the Su Causeway (Suti Chunxiao), Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor (Huagang Guanyu), Autumn Moon on Calm Lake (Pingnhu Qiuyue), Listening to Orioles Singing in the Willows (Liulang Wenying), Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds (Shuangfeng Zhayun), Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (Santan Yunyue), Evening Sunlight at Thunder Peak Pagoda (Leifeng Xizhao), Late Bell at Nanping Hill (Nanping Wanzhong), Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard (Quyuan Fenghe), and Melting Snow at Broken Bridge (Duanqiao Canxue). |
|
|
