The West Lake is a poem, a painting, a beautiful story. It has overwhelmed both those who live by it and the travelers. The city of Hangzhou is famous for its natural scenery, and most of all, it is famous for the West Lake. The West Lake is one of the most renowned tourist attractions in China. There is also a famous saying in China that “Heaven is for the sky and Hangzhou for the earth”. From the ancient times, there have been numerous poems that praise the lake’s scenery, and people compare the lake with Xishi, reputedly the most beautiful woman in ancient China. Marco Polo visited the city during his travel and exclaimed that it was “the most beautiful and richest city in the world”. The West Lake is a must-visit if you come to China.
The scenery of the West Lake is absolutely amazing. The calmness and serenity of the scene is just like a Chinese wash painting brought alive. In spring, the peach trees along the lake are all in pink blossom and the willows have sprouted; the distant mountains are verdant. The lake is as calm as a mirror and is dotted here and there with boats. If you walk along the dam, you will marvel at the intoxicating scene before your eyes.
The West Lake is just as breathtaking in other seasons. In summer red, yellow and white lotuses thickly decorate the lake’s surface and make it colourful and vivid; and a cool moonlit autumn night is extremely tranquil and soothing; in winter, clusters of red plum blossoms capped in snow bring vitality to the snowy lake area. The West Lake is beautiful in many ways, and you can enjoy different scenery at different times.
There are ten most famous sights on and around the West Lake. They date back to the Southern Song Dynasty and represent the essence of the lake’s beauty. If you go there, make sure you do not miss them. Besides the ten scenic spots, around the lake there are more than 90 parks of distinct features. Apart from the elegant natural scenery, the West Lake is also a place of cultural heritage. It is also a place that has inspired many enchanting legends and tales. On the whole, the West Lake is a place of natural, cultural, historical and artistic values.
The West Lake Attractions:
The West Lake Stories:
1. How did the West Lake come into being
There are many beautiful folk tales and legends about the origin of the West Lake. One of them says that a long time ago the Jade Dragon and the Gold Phoenix found a white jade on an island beside the Milky Way. They spent many years sculpting it and it became a beautiful shining jade pearl. All the trees and flowers touched by its rays would flourish and blossom. However, the pearl was discovered by the Mother of the Western Sky, and she wanted to take the pearl by force. The Jade Dragon and the Gold Phoenix would not let it go, and they fought over it. During the fight, the Mother of the Western Sky accidentally dropped the pearl and it landed on the earth to become the beautiful Western Lake. The Jade Dragon and the Gold Phoenix followed the pearl to the earth. They became the Jade Dragon Mountain and the Phoenix Mountain to guard the lake forever.
2. The Broken Bridge
The Broken Bridge of the West Lake is one of the most famous in China because of the love story between Xuxian and Bainiangzi.
Bainiangzi was a white snake in the wild. One day it was caught by an old man. When he was about to kill it, a shepherd boy saved it and let it go. 1,700 years later the snake turned into a beautiful woman. She wanted to look for the man who had saved her life. She went to the Goddess of Mercy for help. The Goddess told her that if it was fate that she and the man should meet each other after thousands of years, she should go to the West Lake to look for him. Bainiangzi went to the West Lake and saw the man, Xuxian, who had saved her, standing on the broken bridge. They recognized each other and fell in love. In the end they got married and spent the rest of their days together. Their love story makes the West Lake a romantic place for those who are in love.
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