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West Lake




Lying on the west edge of Hangzhou city, West Lake is the symbol of Hangzhou as well as one of the most beautiful sights in China. Early in the Song dynasty, the famous poet Su Shi compared the lake to Xizi (also known as Xishi), a Chinese Cleopatra: "Ripping water shimmering on sunny day; Misty mountains wonder in the rain; Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi; the West Lake is always alluring". So the Lake is also known as Xizi Lake. With an area of 6 sq km and a circumference of 15 km (9 miles), West Lake, surrounded in three sides by rolling wooded hills, has captivated countless visitors for centuries.

Legend has it that West Lake was originally a jewel fallen from heaven. Actually it is a lagoon formed as a result of natural changes and human efforts. Ten thousand years ago, the lake was much larger than its present surface of 5.6 square kilometers. Later, as silt accumulated and weeds overgrew, the lake shrank in size. The present West Lake consists of 5 sections, namely the Outer Lake, North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake.

The beauty of the West Lake lies in a lingering charm that survives the change of seasons in a year, of hours in a day, and of different weathers. In order to display the best beautiful aspect of West Lake, ten sights were named by people as the most beautiful, which include Melting Snow at Broken Bridge, Spring Dawn at Sudi Causeway, Sunset Glow over Leifeng Hill, Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard, Autumn Moon on Calm Lake, Listening to Orioles Singing in the Willows, Viewing Fish at Flowers Harbor, Evening Bell at Nanping Hill, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds.

Among these sights, Spring Dawn at Sudi Causeway tops the list. Built with silt in 1089 when Su Dongpo supervised the dredging of the lake, Sudi Causeway extends 2.8 kilometers with grass and peach and willow trees planted along its entire length. The bell rings at dawn as the moon is sinking in the west, weeping willows along the embankment sway in the morning haze, the lake blends in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape like a roll of ink-and-water painting.

Viewing Fish at Flowers Harbor is to the west of the 5th and 6th bridges on the Sudi Causeway. Buildings erected in Song times surround a pond in which golden carp are raised. Here visitors can watch fish swimming in the water and flowers in blossom on land.

Possessing such a fairyland in this city, no wonder Hangzhou enjoys the fame "There is a paradise in heaven and Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth."

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