Impression of West Lake
West Lake, located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, has a total area of 60.04 square kilometers as of March 2023. It starts from Songmuchang and Baolu in Hangzhou City in the east and turns to the north of the Children's Palace Square. It starts from Gulou along the foothills of Wushan, Ziyangshan and Yunju Mountain in the south, and from Liufangling, Zhuganshan, Jiuquling and Mingrenling to Meirenfeng in the west. It turns 30 meters north of Qingzhiwu Road from the foothills of Laohe Mountain in the north. West Lake was formerly known as Wulin Water, Qiantang Lake, Mingsheng Lake, Jinniu Lake, etc.
West Lake is surrounded by mountains on the north, west and south sides, and the east side is the urban area. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and a city on one side. The outline of the lake is approximately elliptical. Baidi and Sudi divide the lake into five parts: Outer Lake, Inner Lake, Yue Lake, Xili Lake and Xiaonan Lake. There are four islands in the lake: Gushan, Xiaoyingzhou, Huxinting and Ruangongdun. In 2011, "Hangzhou West Lake Cultural Landscape" was included in the World Heritage List.
In ancient times, West Lake was a shallow bay connected to Qiantang River. Due to siltation, the sea was blocked and the seawater inside the sand spit became a lagoon. When poets Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo served as local governors in Hangzhou, they carefully managed West Lake, forming the beautiful scenery of three islands in the lake, Baisu two dikes, and the shadow of the tower on the lake.
When boating on West Lake, every beautiful scenery that comes into view is unadorned and natural. The beauty of West Lake lies in its tranquility and naturalness, its freshness and pleasantness, and its exquisiteness. Especially in the rain, West Lake has a different scene. I saw the drizzle falling in West Lake, like countless silver silk threads connecting the sky and the lake, making a rustling sound, as if someone was singing happily; the willow girl kept swaying in the breeze and drizzle, as if dancing happily.
"The water is bright and beautiful when the weather is sunny, and the mountains are misty and beautiful when it rains.
Transportation
Bus: Take Hangzhou Metro Line 1 to Longxiang Bridge Station, walk 400 meters from the station to the core attractions of West Lake.
Subway: Take Hangzhou Bus K4, You 2 and get off at Su Di Station; take Bus 28, 15 and get off at Yuquan Station; take Bus 27, 7 and get off at Yuefen Station to reach the core attractions of West Lake. #trip