The ancient poet of the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo, equated the beauty of the West
Lake in Hangzhou with that of Xi Zi, a woman whose legendary beauty was renowned
all over China. Located in the Hangzhou Province, the West Lake is actually an
encroachment of the sea. Narrow and shallow, the West Lake in Hangzhou makes for
an ideal lake, covered with lotuses and other water lilies. Not only that, the
West Lake in Hangzhou is also the ideal place to find some of the best traditional
Chinese architecture overlooking it.
The 6 Sq Km West Lake in Hangzhou, measures only a 5 feet in depth on an average.
This is mainly because of the silt deposits in the lake. The West Lake in Hangzhou
is divided into 5 parts: the Outer Lake, the North Inner Lake, the Yuehu Lake,
the West Inner Lake and the Lesser South Lake. The classic beauty of this water
body also seduced the Chinese royalty to set up a pleasure retreat on its banks.
Bordered all around by dreamy hills and misty peaks, there is an exotic Chinese
garden around the lake that bursts into bloom in spring. This West Lake in Hangzhou
also houses a man-made wonder: the Island of Little Oceans in the south of the
Outer Lake. This island wraps 4 small lakes within its folds. Also from the
island, the "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon", can be seen. The other
two attractions in the West Lake in Hangzhou are the Solitary Hill Island, which
is positioned mid-way between the Outer Lake and the Inner Lake, and the Two
Peaks Embracing the Sky.
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