Opening Hours: All Day Long
Entrance Ticket: Free.

How Was West Lake Formed?

No one can resist the intoxicating beauty of the West Lake. But to explain the origin of the lake, people created many beautiful tales. Legend has it that a long time ago, the Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix in heaven found a piece of white jade on the fairy island beside the Milky Way. They polished it for years until the jade became a resplendent pearl. When the Queen Mother of the West found the news, she ordered the pearl to be confiscated. Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix rushed to get the pearl back. They had a rough fight with the Queen Mother. As a result, the pearl was dropped on earth and became the sparkling West Lake. Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix also descended to the earth and became two mountains (Jade Dragon Mountain and Phoenix Mountain) nearby the lake to protect the pearl forever.
Despite the legend, West Lake is a lagoon. In the Qin Dynasty (221.c - 207.c), West Lake was a bay connected to the Qiantang River. Wushan Mountain and Baoshi Mountain towering on the southern and northern sides of the lake acted as two capes nestling the bay. With the tidal eroding, sediments accumulated on the capes, gradually turning into sandbanks and expanding to the east, south, and north. Eventually, sandbanks of the Wushan Mountain and Baoshi Mountain joined each other, forming an alluvial plain and separating the bay and Qiantang River. The original bay became an enclosed lake, which later was referred to as the West Lake.

West Lake Highlights

1.Melting Snow on Broken Bridge

Broken Bridge, located in the east end of the Bai Causeway, is the most famous bridge in West Lake. You may wonder why it's called the Broken Bridge since it's asphalt paved and remains very intact today? We may find something through the fragments of history. According to legend, the broken bridge was built in the early Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and changed into "Baoyou Bridge" during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). Based on the records in "Wulin Old Events" written in the early Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), a couple of Duan family lived by the bridge. People referred to the bridge as the Duan's Bridge. Later, people renamed it as the Broken Bridge as the Bai Causeway stops here. Today's Broken Bridge was restored in 1921.
Broken Bridge is also a bridge of romance. Legend has it that it was here that the White Lady met Xu Xian, her love for life, and became a couple. Later, the happy couple was forcibly separated by the monk Fahai, and Xu Xian was house-arrested in Jinshan Temple. To get her husband back, the White Lady sought help and fought with the monk Fahai. Unfortunately, she was defeated. Years later, the White Lady and Xu Xian met again on the Broken Bridge with mixed feelings. Therefore, the bridge has been deemed a bridge of reunion.
Now, the Broken Bridge is famous for its unique scenery. When the sky became clear after a heavy snowy day, the snow on one side of the bridge melts quickly, while the other side of the snow remains there. What a scene!

2.Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake

Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake lies on the west side of the Bai Causeway. It has a spacious platform emerging out of the water, providing a great moon-viewing spot. Since old times, Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake has been famous. In the Tang Dynasty, Wanghu Pavilion was built here. In the Ming Dynasty, the Tang-era pavilion was rebuilt and renamed Longwang Temple. In the Qing Dynasty, Yushu Tower was built on the site. Of the six times visiting Hangzhou, Emperor Kangxi came here five times. After the Qing Dynasty was overthrown in 1918, a Jewish businessman occupied the place and made it his private villa. In 1927, the National Academy of Art was established here. Today, it's the Xiling Painting and Calligraphy Academy.

3.Listening to Orioles Singing in the Willows

Located on the southeast bank of West Lake, near the Qingbo Gate, Listening to Orioles Singing in the Willows is a big garden with accent plant of spring flowers. It has four scenic spots: Friendship Garden, Orioles Singing Garden, Jujing Garden, and Xiaonan Garden. During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279), Jujing Garden was the biggest imperial garden, in which many rare flowers bloom now.

4.Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds

Twin Peaks are the south peak and the north peak that located in the southwest and northwest of West Lake. The south peak is 256.9m high, and the north peak is 355m high. They are facing each other. When it's cloudy, the two peaks only shows two points. Hence the name Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds.

5.Spring Dawn at Su Causeway

Located on the west side of West Lake, Su Causeway was built under the command of Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo when he was the governor of Hangzhou. Therefore, it's named Su Causeway. On the 2.8m long causeway, six stone arch bridges were built. Today, the causeway was repaved and redecorated with willow, lotus, peach trees, cherry-apple trees, and more. It put up a show of landscape in different seasons, and the best time to enjoy the scenery is the spring morning.

6.Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

When Su Dongpo in the Northern Song Dynasty organized people to dredge the West Lake, the mud piled up to form the foundation of the island. To prevent the West Lake from silting up again, three bottle-shaped stone towers were erected as the observation signs. These towers are hollow inside and have five holes on the surface that are often pasted with thin paper. At a moon-lit night, the towers are lit up and the shadows of the holes cast on the lake, mirroring moons in different angles on the water.

7.Viewing Fish and Lotus Fronds at Flower Pond

Located on the south side of Su Causeway, the Park of Viewing Fish and Lotus Fronds at Flower Pond lies on an island. It used to be the private garden of Southern Song Dynasty magistrate Lu Yunsheng. It was famous for various flowers and beautiful fish. It was abandoned for a long time until Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty repaired the pond and rebuilt the garden. Today, the garden has several scenic spots, including the fish pond, peony garden,  jungle, lawn, and flower pond. People came here for thousands of red crucian and blooming flowers.

8.Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Mountain

Located in the Nanping Mountain, Jingci Temple is one of the four ancient temples in West Lake. It was built during the Wuyue Kingdom period of the Five Dynasties (907 - 960). It's said that Ji Gong the Buddhist Monk used to practice Buddhism here, and he used his divine power to transport wood to build the temple. When night draw and lights are up, the monks began their last activity: ringing the bell. The deep bell sound goes beyond the sky and lingers far.

9.Sunset Glow over Leifeng Pagoda

Leifeng Pagoda offers a perfect spot for the panoramic view of West Lake. The 48-meter high Xizhao Mountain that the pagoda stands on is located on the south bank of the lake, providing a good angle for the view. When the sun sets on the mountain and dusk fall, the pagoda and the lake are covered with golden lights, forming an amazing scene.

10.Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard

With lotus blooming everywhere, West Lake becomes more graceful. Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard has a long history. It's said that there was an official wine-brewing shop here in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the owner planted many lotuses around the pond nearby. When the summer breeze came, the fragrance of lotus and wine mixed and flowed far. Therefore, the place got the name "Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard." There are three key things to appreciate here lotus, classic gardens with mountains and water, and Song Dynasty wine culture.

West Lake Travel Guide

Entrance Fee
Lingyin Temple: 30RMB/Pax
Feilai Peak: 35RMB/Pax
Yuemiao Temple: 25RMB/Pax
Six Harmonious Tower: 20RMB/Pax
Dreaming of Tiger Spring: 15RMB/Pax
Guozhuang: 10RMB/Pax
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon: 20RMB/Pax
Yuhuang Mountain: 10RMB/Pax
Opening Hours
Lingyin Temple (Feilai Peak) Scenic Area: 7:00 - 18:00
Yuewang Temple Scenic Area: 7:30 - 17:30
Six Harmonious Tower Scenic Area: 6:30 - 17:30
Dreaming of Tiger Spring Park: 6:00 - 18:00
Huiyin Gaoli Temple: 8:00 - 17:00
Drum Tower Scenic Area: 9:00 - 21:00
Guozhuang: 8:00 - 17:00
Yuhuang Mountain: 6:30 - 17:00

Three Ways to Visit West Lake

Biking/Walking Around the Lake

West Lake makes an ideal place for biking. Su causeway and Bai causeway allow you to enjoy most of the lake scenery. You can have nice and quiet biking or walking experience as no motor vehicles are allowed there.

Boat Riding on the Lake

If there is a lake, there must be boats. West Lake has many kinds of boats available, including large painted boats, small rowing boats, cruises, and self-rowing boats.

Riding a Battery Car on the Lake

If you have limited time but still want to cover all the sights, a battery car ride is a perfect choice.

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6 Days Shanghai -Suzhou - Hangzhou Trip

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