West Lake (Xi Hu)

Red Carp Pond

Located at the Red Carp Pond to the south of the Su Causeway, the Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor Scenic Spot is a large park of over 20 hectares (49 acres). It is made up of five scenic spots: flower harbor, the red carp pond, the peony garden, the great lawn, and groves. The whole park is surrounded by the flower harbor, a sightseeing river way that connects the West Inner Lake with the South Lake. The red carp pond at the center of the park is swarming with red carp. Tourists can lean on the rails of a zigzag bridge to appreciate them. To the west of the red carp pond are exuberant groves and the Peony Garden centering on the Peony Pavilion. When these peonies are in full blossom, the gentle breeze blows the petals onto the surface of the lake, forming an amazing scene. To the north of the red carp pond is a large lawn interspersed with arbors for tourists to have a rest. For centuries, the Viewing Fish at Flower Pond has provided natural beauty and cultural connotations for emperors and poets who have expressed their admiration through poems, calligraphy, and drawings.
 

Leifeng Pagoda in the Lake Area

The Leigfeng Pagoda in Evening Glow scene is located at the top of the Evening Glow Mountain to the south of the West Outer Lake. At dusk, the evening glow and the spectacular Leifeng Pagoda are reflected in the rippling lake. It looks very beautiful! The Leifeng Pagoda was constructed by the king of the Wuyue Kingdom to celebrate the pregnancy of his concubine during the Five Dynasties and Ten Sates Period (907-960). It was damaged and renovated several times later. Standing on the pagoda over 70 meters (230 feet) in height, tourists can enjoy the panoramic view of the lake.
 

Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds refers to South Peak and North Peak. The South Peak is 256.9 meters (843 feet) in height, and the North Peak is 355 meters (1,165 feet). They face each other across a distance of about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). The natural scenery is exceptionally beautiful, especially when it is cloudy or after a rainfall. At that time, only the two tops of the peaks can be seen in the thick fog. It looks as if the fog is being pierced by the two peaks, thus the name 'Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds'.

Long ago Buddhist temples and pagodas were constructed on the tops of the two peaks, making the place a great attraction and listed as one of the ten famous scenic sites of the lake during the Southern Song Dynasty. Over the years the temples and pagodas were abandoned and fell into disrepair. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Emperor Kangxi renamed the area Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds when he traveled to the lake and erected a pavilion at the Hongchun Bridge on the Lingyin Road.
 

The Nanping Hill to the south of the West Outer Lake is less than 100 meters (328 feet) high, but it is more than 1,000 meters (1,094 yards) long. The Jingci Temple at the foot of the Nanping Hill was constructed by the king of the Wuyue Kingdom in 954 during the Five Dynasties and Ten States Period. The famous Xingjiao Temple also at the hill foot was built in the fifth year (972) of the Kaibao Period in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The bells ring at dawn and drums beat at dust in the temples. The rocks and caves in the Nanping Hill vibrate in resonance with the incoming sound-waves. The beautiful sounds can be repeated again and again.
 

The Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Scene is located to the south of the Lesser Paradise Island. 'Three Pools' refer to the three stone towers and their surrounding water area. The three towers were erected during the Tianqi Period (1621-1627) in the Ming Dynasty. They stand at the vertexes of a regular triangle, 62 meters (68 yards) away from one another. They have a height of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), with 2 meters (6.6 feet) above the surface of the water in usual time. The towers are made up of a stone pedestal, an empty sphere, a round cover, a small hexagonal pavilion, and a pear-shaped top. There are six holes evenly distributed around the sphere. At full moon night, candles are lit in the sphere, and the holes are covered with thin paper. The holes, along with the full moon in the sky, are reflected in the water. It seems as if there were so many moons. That is quite unique! Additionally, the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon can be found on the CNY 1 note.

Apart from the top ten scenes, the lake is surrounded by many attractions worth visiting, including the Tomb of General Yue Fei, Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao, the Six Harmonies Pagoda, the Baochu Pagoda, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, the Underwater World, and Hangzhou Zoo.

 China Sightseeing Tours to Top 6 Attractions on CNY Banknotes
 

The Music Fountain in the Third Park to the east of the lake is very amazing. It is a feast to both eyes and ears. However, due to the epidemic of Covid-19, it has been temporarily stopped.