The West Lake was a lagoon converted from a small bay. Because it is located in the west of Hangzhou, it is called the West Lake. There are hills around the lake on three sides, and the city proper lies just by the lake on one side.
In the ancient time, the West Lake was a shallow bay opening into the Qiantang Rier, and the Precious Stone Hill in the north and the Wu Hill in the South encircled this bay by its mouth. Later the sediment accumulated gradually by the pounding of the ocean tides, the mouth of the bay was blocked and changed into land. Between the Qiantang River and the West Lake, the bay left the river and formed a lagoon. This lake was washed by water flowing down from nearby mountains, dredged and managed by the local population from generation to generation. The West Lake has become a world-famous lake.
The history of the West Lake mainly is a history of the lake being silted and dredged. It was made by nature. But great changes took place in its long history. It was repeatedly dredged and silted up. Therefore the West Lake was also man-made. The aim of dredging and protecting the West Lake in all past dynasties was not only for sightseeing but more importantly, for drinking water and the irrigation of farmland. The Ming Dynasty scholoar Tian Rucheng said:” In terms of dredging the West Lake from ancient times to the present, the best achievements attribute to the three people: Bai Juyi, Su Dongpo and Yang Mengying.” Together with Ruan Yuan in the Qing Dynasty, they did their best to dredge the West Lake and made outstanding contributions. The Bai Causeway, Su Causeway and Yang Gong Causeway, lesser Yingzhou Isle, Mid-Lake Pavilion, Ruan Gong Mound are all man-made an dare historical evidence of the dredging of the West Lake.
In the Tang Dynasty, poet Bai Juyi had the West Lake dredged and made great contributions to the people of Hangzhou. When he completed his term of office as governor and left Hangzhou, the local citizens saw him off to the lakeside with tears in their eyes. He wrote a poem entitled ” Words Written at Parting with Citizens”, two lines from which read:
“What I left behind is a body of water,
for you to tide over the year of famine.”
From December 1990 to March 2003, the West Lake experienced the largest scale dredge ever since the 1950s, and 3400 thousand cubic meters of silt in all was dredged from the bottom of the lake. The average depth of the lake water reached from 1.65 meters to 2.27 meters. The lake area increased from 5.6 square kilometers to 6.5 square kilometers.
The lake is surrounded by hills on three sides. In the south and southwest are Dragon Well Hill, Lian Hill, Southern Peak, Yanxia Ridge, Daci Hill Lingshi Hill, Nanping Hill, Phoenix Hill, and Wu Hill. They are generally known as the Southern Hills. In the north, there are Lingyin Hill, Northern Peak, Fairy Hill, Qixia Ridge, Precious Stone Hill etc., generally known as the Northern Hills, less than 400 meters in altitude. Woods, springs and rock-caves are beautiful. The main brooks which flow into the West Lake include the Gold Sand Harbor, Longhong Brook, and Long Bridge Brook. The floodgates which adjust the water level of the lake are Shengtang floodgate, Yongjin floodgate etc.. Now the water of Qiantang River is drawn into the West Lake by pumps near the White Pagoda Ridge after it is purified, increasing water outlet. Instead of once every year, the West Lake water is replenished once every month. Visibility has also increased from originally less than 60 centimeters to 120 centimeters now.
The West Lake used to be called Qiantang Lake in the old times. The poet Su Dongpo of the Northern Song Dynasty in his poem said: The West Lake is as beautiful as the ancient beauty Xi Zi. Therefore it is also called Xi Zi Lake. The West Lake always looks beautiful in all the four seasons. It offers countless historical and cultural sites. Su Dongpo said:
” The West Lake offers the best sight in the world,
Whether the tourist is foolish or wise,
He enjoys himself in a greater or lesser degree,
Nobody can pretend to be a know-all.”
In the Southern Song Dynasty, the painters of the court wrote down on their landscape paintings the poetic names around the West Lake, and as a result, the Ten Views of the West Lake came into being. In the Qing Dynasty emperor Kangxi made a tour of Hangzhou. His inscriptions of the Ten Views of the West Lake were engraved on stone tablets standing in pavilions. The ” Ten Views of the West Lake” became classical versions.
The Hangzhou Parks Administration initiated the activity of choosing new names for the scenic spots in 1985. The Precious Stone Hill Floating in Rosy Clouds and others were decided on for the ‘ Ten New Views of the West Lake’. IN recent years big efforts have been made to vigorously develop the West Lake. Many old scenic spots were restored, such scenic areas on the southern bank around the lake as Leifeng Pagoda, Yang Gong Causeway and so on. THe scenic area west of the lake and the lake-side parks, ranging from the 2nd Park to the 6th Park for example, have all been rebuilt along with the reconstruction of Beishan Road, making the West Lake more attractive, like a painting full of poetic grace.
In 2011, West Lake was listed as one of the world heritages which will attract more and more people from the world to visit Hangzhou.
Author: Amoytrip---Free China Travel Guide--West Lake
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com
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