There is a saying that ‘Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou’, referring to the outstanding people and beautiful scenery of Hangzhou. And if we talk about the most dazzling pearl of Hangzhou, it must be the West Lake. Since ancient times, it has been the ‘darling’ of literati, the protagonist of films and songs, and an ‘unmissable’ destination for countless travelers. If the West Lake is the representative of Hangzhou, then the famous Ten Views of the West Lake are the epitome of it.
The so-called ‘Ten Views of the West Lake’ are not only about charming natural scenery, but also have a unique cultural atmosphere here. ‘Ten Views of the West Lake’ can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty at the earliest. Now, with the changes of the times, the names, locations and numbers of its landscapes are changing, so there are differences between the old and new Ten Views of the West Lake. But among them, the ten views passed down from the Southern Song Dynasty still have profound artistic conception and the greatest reputation. Although the Ten Views of the West Lake are there all year round, the scenery is quite different when viewed at different times. If you visit in different seasons, you can focus on appreciating some ‘key’ landscapes and see the most beautiful scenery in the most suitable season.Tips: All the scenic spots involved in the Ten Views of the West Lake are free of charge.
Key points to see in spring: Spring Dawn at Su Causeway is the ‘top of the Ten Views of West Lake in Hangzhou’. This long causeway starts from the foot of Nanping Mountain in the south and reaches the foot of Qixia Ridge in the north, with a total length of nearly 3 kilometers. It was built by Su Shi, a famous poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, when he served as the prefect of Hangzhou. To dredge the West Lake, he piled up the lake mud dug out. Later, people named this place ‘Su Causeway’ in memory of Su Shi’s good governance of the West Lake. ‘In spring dawn, the misty bridge and the green scenery are low. The fragrant wind dyes Su Causeway in four seasons.’ The spring scenery of Su Causeway is the most famous. Every spring, when the gentle breeze blows, the willows flutter, reflecting the lake like a mirror, which is extremely beautiful. Now at the southern end of the Yadi Bridge on Su Causeway, you can still see the stone tablet of ‘Spring Dawn at Su Causeway’ inscribed by Emperor Kangxi. This is the only original stone tablet among the stone tablets of the Ten Views of the West Lake that has been preserved to this day. ·Su Causeway runs through the north and south of the West Lake. It was built by Su Dongpo when he was an official in Hangzhou. It is also called ‘Su Gong Causeway’. ·Because of its charming spring scenery, it is called ‘Spring Dawn at Su Causeway’ and is the top of the Ten Views of the West Lake. ·With a total length of nearly 3 kilometers, there are six stone bridges from south to north, namely Yingbo Bridge, Suolan Bridge, Wangshan Bridge, Yadi Bridge, Dongpu Bridge and Kuahong Bridge. ·Yadi Bridge is suitable for viewing the panoramic view of the West Lake. At the imperial stele pavilion at the south end of the bridge stands the stone inscription of ‘Spring Dawn at Su Causeway’ inscribed by Emperor Kangxi. ·The scenic spots at both ends of Su Causeway are relatively concentrated. At the southern end, there is the Su Dongpo Memorial Hall which can be visited for free. At the northern end, there are scenic spots such as Yue Fei Temple and Lotus in the Breeze Courtyard at Quyuan. Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor During the Southern Song Dynasty, Lu Yunsheng, an internal official, built a private garden ‘Lu Garden’ in the area of Huagang. He specially dug a large pool in this garden and raised various ‘imported fish’ in it. At that time, it attracted many literati and poets, so there was the saying of ‘Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor’.After years of renovation, it has now become a large park. The Red Fish Pond is the essence of ‘Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor’. The spring scenery here is particularly charming. When a breeze passes, fallen flowers are in profusion and float on the water surface, presenting the scene described in the poem ‘Flowers on fish bodies and fish sipping flowers’. Address: Near the entrance of Su Causeway. Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor is located in the south of West Lake and was once a private garden of officials in the Southern Song Dynasty. The whole garden is divided into five scenic areas: Red Fish Pond, Peony Garden, Flower Harbor, Large Lawn, and Dense Forest Area. The most famous thing in the garden is the groups of red carp in the Red Fish Pond. There are always adults and children happily feeding the fish with feed and breadcrumbs. The park has three main entrances. The south gate is on Nanshan Road. The west gate is located on Yanggong Causeway. You can also walk to Su Causeway by going north. Orioles Singing in the Willows refers to the scenery of the imperial garden ‘Jujing Garden’ in the Southern Song Dynasty. Now it is a small scenic area in the lakeside area of West Lake. The park is named after its verdant willow colors and melodious oriole chirping. Now, strolling on the embankment along the lake that is one kilometer long and passing by various willows such as weeping willows, lion-headed willows, and drunk willows along the way, you can still feel its vitality. Address: No. 87, Nanshan Road, Shangcheng District. Key attractions in summer: Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard. The so-called ‘Crooked Courtyard’ was actually a workshop for brewing official wine at Hongchun Bridge during the Southern Song Dynasty. It was famous all over the country for making koji wine with the stream water of Jinsha Stream. The lotus scenery area here is the best place to enjoy lotus in summer. In midsummer, red lotuses, white lotuses, double-petal lotuses and other kinds of lotuses are in full bloom everywhere, filled with charming lotus fragrance and wine fragrance, immediately reminding people of the poem ‘The lotus leaves in the sky are boundlessly green, and the lotus flowers under the sun are extraordinarily red’. Address: No. 89, Beishan Street (in front of Yue Fei Temple). Key attractions in autumn: ‘Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake’ is also one of the ‘Ten Scenes of West Lake’ in the Southern Song Dynasty. The specific location is mainly on the south side of the western end of Bai Causeway, backed by Solitary Hill, and facing the outer lake of West Lake. This is the best place to view the panoramic view of West Lake’s waters and enjoy the moon on autumn nights. On autumn nights when the bright moon is in the sky, climbing up to enjoy the moon here is truly a unique sight. Emperor Kangxi once toured West Lake and took the lakeside courtyard in the southeast corner of Solitary Hill as the location of this scenic spot and inscribed the plaque ‘Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake’. Address: South side of the western end of Bai Causeway. Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake in the West Lake Scenic Area. Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake is located at the western end of Bai Causeway. It is a long and narrow lakeside garden and the best place to enjoy the moon over West Lake. Backed by Solitary Hill and facing the outer lake of West Lake, the landscape is open along the lake. It is one of the ten scenes of West Lake. Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake includes buildings such as the imperial stele pavilion, water platform, four-sided hall, octagonal pavilion, and Lake and Sky Azure Tower. In the 38th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign, the original Dragon King Hall here was changed into an imperial library. In front of the building hangs the plaque ‘Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake’ inscribed by Emperor Kangxi.
If you observe the reverse side of the one-yuan Renminbi note carefully, you will see the ‘First Scenic Spot of West Lake’ – SanTan YinYue. As the most emblematic landscape of West Lake, it is located on Xiaoyingzhou, which is the only accessible small island for visitors within West Lake. The term ‘SanTan’ refers to the three stone pagodas standing in the lake, originally erected by Su Shi after dredging West Lake. They were destroyed in the Yuan Dynasty, and the ones we see today were reconstructed by Yang Wanli, the prefect of the Ming Dynasty. This place is also an ideal spot for moon viewing during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that on a moonlit Mid-Autumn night, when thin paper is pasted over the holes, the light from the lamps shines through the paper, indistinguishable from the real moonlight. How to get there: To visit, you must purchase a boat ticket, but not all cruise ships can reach the island. You should inquire in advance before buying the ticket. For information on how to choose a boat ticket, please refer to ‘Which Cruise Ship Should You Choose for West Lake Tour?’. Warm reminder: If you wish to watch the sunset on the island, you can take the last boat leaving the island (17:00-17:30), which is only suitable for spring, autumn, and winter. Location for sunset viewing: For sunsets, head to the west side of Xiaoyingzhou Island, where ‘My Heart Echoes Pavilion’ is recommended. When it comes to West Lake, many people’s first impression might be the Broken Bridge. The story of Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen meeting in ‘The Legend of the White Snake’ adds a lot of romantic imagination to this long bridge. In reality, the Broken Bridge is located at the east end of Bai Causeway in West Lake, backed by Gem Hill, facing Hangzhou City, and is the starting point for many people’s tour of West Lake. Every winter, the Broken Bridge becomes the best spot for snow viewing. After a snowfall and when the weather clears, standing on Gem Hill and looking south, the arch of the stone bridge melts in the sunlight, while the shaded side is still covered with snow, creating the illusion of a ‘broken bridge’ from afar. The earliest record of ‘Broken Bridge Snow’ is by Zhang Hu of the Tang Dynasty in his poem ‘Inscription on Hangzhou Gushan Temple’: ‘Pavilions and towers rise on the green hills, a path leads into the lake’s heart. Without rain, the mountains are always moist; without clouds, the water is naturally dark. The broken bridge is covered with rough moss, and the courtyard is deep with fallen flowers. I still remember the moon over the west window, and the bell’s sound in the northern forest.’ Lei Feng Pagoda – Sunset: When it comes to Lei Feng Pagoda, we inevitably think of the story of Bai Suzhen being suppressed under the pagoda by Fa Hai. In reality, Lei Feng Pagoda was originally built by the King of Wu and Yue during the Five Dynasties to celebrate the birth of a son to Huang Fei, and was first called ‘Huang Fei Pagoda’. As the largest octagonal double-tube structure pagoda in China, it is famous for the ‘Lei Feng Pagoda Sunset’ scenery. Every dusk, the sunset casts a golden glow on the pagoda, making it a breathtaking view. Tips: For sunset, you can go to Jingci Temple and climb to the Shakyamuni Hall, which is one of the best places to view Lei Feng Pagoda. Admission: Lei Feng Pagoda offers a panoramic view of West Lake. Adult tickets are 40 yuan, and student tickets are 30 yuan (only sold in July and August). Opening hours: From March 15th to November 15th, 8:00-20:30; from November 16th to March 14th of the following year, 8:00-17:30. Nanping Evening Bell: Hangzhou is not short of temples, with the famous Lingyin Temple and the newly popular Faxi Temple, but Jingci Temple can still be considered a treasure.
Located at the foot of Nanping Mountain, the famous ‘Nanping Evening Bell’ refers to the bell sounds here. During the Lei Feng Sunset, as the dusk falls, the lingering bell echoes over West Lake, stirring the soul with its lingering reverberations. Besides sightseeing, visitors can also experience the ritual of ringing the bell and making a wish. Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan once painted ‘Nanping Evening Bell,’ which, although not as renowned as his ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival,’ is recorded in the Ming Dynasty’s ‘Tianshui Ice Mountain Record.’ Admission to Jingci Temple is 10 yuan, and there is an additional fee of 10 yuan per person for ringing the bell. Opening hours are from 7:00 to 17:00. It is recommended to visit around 4 pm to witness the Lei Feng Sunset. If you plan to ring the bell or visit the art museum, it is advised to arrive earlier. Tips: The highest point in Jingci Temple is the Shakyamuni Hall. Looking to the northwest, one can see the layers of West Lake and mountains, while to the northeast, one can view the Leifeng Pagoda. The temple also houses the Jingci Temple Art Museum, which is included in the admission fee and displays precious cultural relics unearthed from the Leifeng Pagoda, making it well worth a visit. The Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds refers to the southern and northern peaks in the western mountains of West Lake. During the Southern Song Dynasty, each peak had a pagoda. When the clouds and mist envelop the area, looking west from West Lake, the two peaks appear to gaze at each other from afar, with the mountain ranges obscured and the pagoda tips distinct, resembling peaks piercing through the clouds, hence the name ‘Twin Peaks Piercing Clouds.’ Although the pagodas are no longer visible, we can still catch a glimpse of the grandeur of that era through the paintings left by our ancestors.
