West Lake
Named for its location in the western part of the city, West Lake has existed longer and wielded more influence than any other “cultural lake” in China. The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou is the only lake landscape in China to be designated a World Heritage Site. It is composed of six elements: the natural landscape of West Lake; the distinctive spatial relationship between the city and the lake, which is surrounded by cloud-clad peaks on three sides and the city on the other; the landscape created by “two causeways and three islands;” the “ten scenic views of West Lake;” cultural and historic sites; and characteristic flora. The lake has had a strong, lasting influence on landscape design around the world, and has played an important role in cultural exchanges between East and West. 
The result of interactions among nature, culture, and the city, West Lake is the perfect fusion of natural and man-made beauty. While the lake’s natural beauty reflects cultural ideas such as traditional Chinese philosophy, aesthetics, and architecture, the lake’s man-made beauty is permeated with images of nature and seasonal changes. At its core, West Lake is a cultural phenomenon that is ever evolving and never static. An Eastern appreciation of beauty has helped West Lake, built upon the scenery of hills and waters of the physical world, become the epitome of a traditional Chinese landscape.
West Lake was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the category of cultural landscapes in 2011.
(Source: Hangzhou Municipal Administration of Gardens and Cultural Heritage)
Spring Dawn at Su Causeway
Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard
Orioles Singing in the Willows
Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset
Lingering Snow at Broken Bridge
- Add：Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area
- Tel：87179617
- Transportation：Take No.7, No.27, No.27 (Timing), No.87, No.103, No.103 (Interzonal), No.103 (Night Line), No.807, J13, or Y6 bus.
Source：www.ywhangzhou.cn Editor：XU Jiawei
