West Lake is currently the most culturally rich and story-filled lake in China. The historical celebrities and myths and legends related to West Lake are also the most widely circulated. We can imagine the future and the past together at West Lake. The following is a detailed introduction to the Ten Scenic Spots of West Lake.
During the three-day May Day holiday, I made an appointment with a good friend and went to the West Lake that I had been dreaming about. Fortunately, I managed to avoid the crowds of people that are as famous as the beautiful scenery, and felt the natural scenery of the mountains and water. It was really wonderful. I am delighted and would like to enjoy the beauty of the ten scenes with you.
One: Broken Bridge and Residual Snow
Speaking of the Broken Bridge, one cannot miss the eternal legend of how the White Snake waited for her savior Xu Xian on the bridge for thousands of years and finally got married through sweet tricks. Not only did the previous relationship continue, leaving behind popular sayings such as "A thousand years of waiting will bring you back together" and "Those who are destined to meet will meet even if they are thousands of miles apart", which have inspired countless believers in later generations, but also made the West Lake famous for the Broken Bridge.
Broken Bridge and Residual Snow
As for the residual snow, I didn't know how to write it, but when I first saw the photo above, I was deeply shocked by the tacit integration of picture and text. This picture from the Internet aptly presents the artistic conception that the residual snow wants to convey. The white snow piles up and the sky and the earth are the same color. The pedestrians walking cautiously on the Broken Bridge with umbrellas seem to remind the audience that this is not a painting but a vivid scene. The slightly bent backs expose the contradictory psychology of tourists who want to enjoy the scenery while walking but are afraid of falling accidentally, which is very interesting. Although the gentleness of the lake is not enough to stir up the thousands of piles of snow on the shore, it generously tolerates the stay of foreign objects in the calm, making the picture of the Broken Bridge Residual Snow complete. I think that someone who passed by that year was probably impressed by a similar scene and thought of the beautiful name of the Broken Bridge Residual Snow.
My friend and I walked along the Bai Causeway to the Broken Bridge without realizing that this was the legendary Broken Bridge. It was early summer and we didn't see any snow. We walked onto the bridge head-on and faced the oncoming crowd, only then did we realize that we were standing on the same pure land where the White Snake wandered in the rain. Unlike the side viewing position in the picture above, it is difficult to have an intuitive feeling by walking directly across the bridge. The arch of the bridge is not large, but after all, I was influenced by the scene in the story where I met a beautiful woman by chance in the mist and rain. Even though I walked across it under the scorching sun, I was ecstatic in my heart. Therefore, I smiled so brightly under my friend's camera, without a trace of regret.
Part 2: Evening Bell of Nanping
Opposite the Leifeng Pagoda is Nanping Mountain, on the northern foot of which is the Jingci Temple. The Nanping Evening Bell refers to the deep and distant bell sounds of the Jingci Temple in the evening. As the earliest scene among the ten scenic spots of West Lake, it once attracted the Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan to paint the Nanping Evening Bell.
Nanping Mountain is located in the south of Hangzhou City. It is named after the stone walls that act as a barrier. There is Jingci Temple hidden in the mountain. It may not be as famous as Lingyin Temple not far away, but it is also the place where the philanthropic Jigong Living Buddha lived and practiced. I did not hear the distant bell that has been heard for thousands of years, nor did I go to the temple to look for the traces of Jigong, who was known for his madness. I can only use words to alleviate my regrets.
Part Three: Watching Fish at Huagang
Flower Harbor Gate
The origin of Huagang is said to be that a clear stream originated from Huajia Mountain and flowed into West Lake through it. When Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty toured the south, he rebuilt a pond to raise fish, built pavilions and gardens, and engraved a stone tablet with the four characters "Huagang Fish Viewing". At the end of Su Causeway, opposite Leifeng Pagoda, is the stone gatehouse of Huagang Fish Viewing. As soon as my friend entered Huagang, he exclaimed that he finally saw colorful fish! Different from the gray fish that are everywhere in other lakes of West Lake, the fish in Huagang are big, numerous, and colorful, which did not disappoint our expectations of watching fish.
Bronze statue of Huiyin
When I was playing with fish by the lake, I happened to meet a group of tour groups. In addition to introducing the ins and outs of watching fish in Huagang, the tour guide also said that the tall and upright camphor tree with dense branches and leaves next to it has a history of more than a thousand years of coexistence with fish. He also seriously frightened us not to take photos with ancient trees because they are all old and it is easy to shorten their lifespan. After hearing this, the tourists looked at each other and put down their mobile phone cameras raised high. Seeing this, my interest increased sharply, and I followed the tour guide to the next explanation place, the hollow statue of Lin Huiyin. It is said that there is a statue of her here because she was born in Hangzhou, and because of her outstanding literary spirit, she created the most beautiful April in the world. Later generations erected this statue to commemorate this woman who attracted countless literati to compete for it. After hearing this, my friend and I left Huagang and went to look for the footprints of our ancestor Mr. Dongpo.
No. 4: Orioles Singing in the Willow Waves
Orioles Singing in the Willow Waves
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Xiaozong of Song built the largest imperial garden in the capital, Jujing Garden, to support Emperor Gaozong. In spring, countless yellow orioles sang in the dense shade of willows, and the name "Wenying Ying in the Willow Waves" came from this. My old bones couldn't stand walking 30,000 steps a day, so I gave up the sight of this scenic spot and had to take a sneak peek. The green scenery was also very beautiful.
No. 5: Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds
Twin Peaks
Alas, another scenic spot that I have not seen, or perhaps I have the honor of seeing it but my eyes are not able to recognize it. I believe that scenery that I have not personally experienced is not worth telling others about. As usual, I have listed the historical allusions here. If you are interested, you can go there directly. I can also boast that I deserve half of the credit.
The Twin Peaks refer to the South Peak and the North Peak. The two peaks face each other, more than ten miles apart, with the hills in between undulating and winding. On rainy days in spring and autumn, when viewed from the northwest of the lake, the clouds are as thick as the distant mountains, and the distant mountains are as light as the clouds. The peaks appear and disappear in the mist, looking like they are piercing the sky, hence the name.
When I saw this picture, I really realized that I had missed this attraction because of my poor eyesight. I was walking side by side with my friend on the Su Causeway when he suddenly shouted. Following his gesture, I saw a small bridge across the way, the arch bridge in the picture above. It looked particularly spiritual and eye-catching under the spreading sunshine. It was different from the smoky scenery in the picture. The sunny weather also had a different flavor. I was only thinking that this bridge was small but not without flavor. I never thought that behind the bridge was the Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds, one of the ten scenic spots. It really fits the saying that there is no lack of beauty in the world, but only a lack of eyes to discover beauty.
No. 6: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon
Regarding the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, I especially remember the description in the elementary school textbook:
The Moon Mirrored in Three Pools
How could there be such an island in the middle of the lake? It is said that it was the masterpiece of Su Dongpo, a great poet of the Song Dynasty, when he was a local official in Hangzhou. At that time, he mobilized the people to dig deeper into the West Lake so that it could store more water to fight drought and irrigate the fields. The mud dug out of the lake was piled up into a long embankment and an island. Later, people erected three stone towers at the deepest part of the lake as a mark of the deep water. This is the Su Causeway and the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.
These three stone towers are beautifully and uniquely shaped, with a pointed top and a small bottom, and a hollow ball carved in the middle, like a treasure gourd. Now, people have regarded these three stone towers as the symbols of West Lake in Hangzhou.
But why is it called "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon"? It turns out that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, when the moon is the roundest and brightest, it shines right in the center of the lake. At this time, bright lights are lit in the three stone towers, and each small round hole in each stone tower is covered with transparent white paper. In this way, the lights are reflected in the lake, and don't they look like round moons? Each stone tower has five small round holes, and there are fifteen such moons in the three stone towers. With the bright moon in the sky reflected in the middle of these "moons", there are sixteen moons in the clear lake water.
Due to seasickness, I was unable to visit the island, but I stood on the shore, overlooking the lake and gazing at the distribution of stone towers, and connected them with the description in the text, which I felt was enough.
7. Leifeng Pagoda Sunset
Sunset
Located on Xizhao Mountain in front of Jingci Temple in the south of West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda is famous for the sunset glow that wraps the pagoda in the evening, which looks like the Buddha's light shining everywhere. In fact, I think the Leifeng Pagoda itself is more famous. According to legend, Fahai once suppressed Bai Suzhen under the pagoda and chanted a spell: "If you want the Leifeng Pagoda to fall, the water in West Lake must dry up." Fahai tricked Xu Xian into Jinshan Temple and put him under house arrest. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing fought with Fahai and flooded Jinshan Temple, thus hurting other lives. Bai Suzhen, who violated the heavenly law, was put into Fahai's bowl after giving birth to a child and suppressed under Leifeng Pagoda. Later, Xu Shilin grew up to be the top scorer in high school. He knelt down and recited his mother's life's ups and downs. The filial Wenquxing moved the gods with his actions, and finally the pagoda collapsed and his mother was freed, and the whole family was reunited. Since then, a legendary story has been passed down from generation to generation. Regardless of whether it is true or not, people are willing to believe in the existence of the beautiful White Snake, and Leifeng Pagoda has become famous.
You need a ticket to enter the Leifeng Pagoda Scenic Area. Before my trip, my uncle, who has lived in Hangzhou for a long time, repeatedly told me to go to the Leifeng Pagoda to experience for myself the preciousness of the reunion of White Snake and Xu Xian after all the hardships, saying that the scenery on the pagoda would definitely inspire my inspiration for writing. However, I chose to give up in front of the winding queue, and left after looking at the Leifeng Pagoda from a distance. I only took pictures of the distant view like the one below. When I arrived at this location, the sun was scorching and I couldn't enjoy the beautiful sunset, but the blue waves under the clear sky still made the Leifeng Pagoda in the distance look solemn, and even gave rise to the idea that it can be viewed from a distance but not played with.
Rippling blue waves
No. 8: Spring Dawn on Su Causeway
Horizontal view
Overlooking
My friend and I walked hand in hand on the Su Causeway from morning to noon. Besides the fact that we couldn't finish walking the entire distance, we were more attracted by the natural scenery on both sides and forgot to move forward. Although West Lake is on the blacklist for holiday travel, the Su Causeway is particularly empty at noon because people who love beauty choose to stay indoors to avoid the sun. The tall and leafy trees on both sides of the sidewalk are connected to each other, providing a shade for passers-by passing by. The breeze blows from the lake in the distance, and I feel refreshed immediately. The green is everywhere and I feel relaxed and happy. My friend and I can't stop the shutter at all. The clicks can't fully record the spring of the Su Causeway. We can only breathe in the fresh and moist air with the scent of leaves, and can only look far away to use the highest pixel of our eyes to fully record the lush green. We can only free our hands to touch the rough bark, green leaves and clear lake water, as if only in this way can I blend into the spring of the Su Causeway and become a vigorous and thriving flower of the motherland.
Encountering a Scholar on Su Causeway
Now that I think about it, the origin of Su Causeway Spring Dawn is probably because the willow and peach trees on the causeway can always inform people of the news of spring in time. The Su Causeway, in spring, is full of greenery and looks like a beautiful painting.
No. 9: Autumn Moon over Calm Lake
Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake
Hangzhou West Lake has always been regarded as a holy place for moon-watching. To the west of Baidi Bridge, the moon is bright and the wind is clear. This is Pinghu Qiuyue. It is backed by Gushan Mountain and faces the outer lake. The landscape is lined up along the lake, including the Imperial Monument Pavilion, the water surface platform, the four-sided hall, the octagonal pavilion, the lake and sky building and other buildings. The platform extending out of the water is very wide and the field of vision is very wide, so it has become a first-class moon-watching treasure land. Pinghu Qiuyue is surrounded by water on three sides. Looking at the lake and mountains here, no matter spring, summer, autumn or winter, sunny or rainy, it will make people feel interesting. It can be said that "the water and mountains are bright and beautiful everywhere, and it is always interesting when it is sunny or rainy."
It's a pity that when I was walking on Baidi Bridge, I was only focused on admiring the mountains in front and on the left, and completely forgot that the right bank of the bridge was where Pinghu Autumn Moon was. Naturally, I couldn't see the hazy and mysterious moonlight if I went there during the day. But when I think about it carefully, Pinghu Autumn Moon must have attracted Hangzhou people to visit it happily during the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th every year. After all, it was Mr. Su Dongpo who was there in person that year and sighed that there was no such beautiful lake and mountains in his hometown.
No. 10: Winding Lotus in the Courtyard
Different Red
When I first heard about Quyuan Fenghe, the picture that came to my mind was exactly like the picture, with endless green lotus leaves reaching the sky and red lotus flowers reflecting the sun. It's just that May Day is not Children's Day, and the West Lake is not in June at this time. I can only see a pool of spring water, which is a pity. If you want to see the small lotus tips that are different from the four seasons, it is recommended to go in June. I have to say that this is our first stop when we came to West Lake. The white bricks and green tiles of the gate building are also unique, and it is very artistic to take pictures.
Nod and smile
The ten scenic spots of West Lake have been introduced here. Originally, there was no detailed guide for this trip to West Lake, so I couldn't fully appreciate the ten scenic spots. Some people were unaware of them even when they were in the scene. Although it was enough to see the beauty of the mountains and waters of West Lake, it was regrettable, especially that I couldn't climb the Leifeng Pagoda in person to feel the waiting and helplessness of the White Snake in the pagoda. So I wanted to comfort myself with this article, and it can also provide a reference for those who go there later. The article did not plan a complete parade route because I felt that there was a beautiful scenery wherever I went, and there was no need to be burdened by the route plan. The point was to introduce the historical allusions everywhere. We who are now in West Lake are enjoying the same scenery as they did thousands of years ago. This is the magical power of nature and an excellent treasure given to future generations by the previous life.
Finally, please allow me to write these ten four-word combinations again. They are truly wonderful.
Su Causeway in Spring Dawn, Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Flower Harbor, Fish Viewing, Thunder Peak in Sunset, Willow Waves, Singing Orioles, Broken Bridge, Residual Snow, Calm Lake, Autumn Moon, Winding Courtyard, Lotus, South Screen, Evening Bell
