If you want to visit China, West Lake in Hangzhou is a place you would not want to miss. There is a Chinese saying that goes, "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou." This is not an exaggeration; Hangzhou is as beautiful as heaven. You have to visit Hangzhou to fathom its beauty. Marco Polo, the first westerner to visit Hangzhou in the 13th century, described Hangzhou as "without doubt the finest and most splendid city in the world." A famous poet of the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo (960-1127), once compared the West Lake to Xizi (the most beautiful woman in ancient China) in his poem:
"Rippling waters shimmering on a sunny day;
Misty mountains shrouded in rain;
Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;
West Lake is always alluring."
Ten Scenic Spots in West Lake (西湖十景)
- Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring (苏堤春晓)
- Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer (曲苑风荷)
- Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn (平湖秋月)
- Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter (断桥残雪)
- Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset (雷峰夕照)
- Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds (双峰插云)
- Orioles Singing in the Willows (柳浪闻莺)
- Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond (花港观鱼)
- Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon (三潭映月)
- Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill (南屏晚钟)
Your Favorite Scenic Spot of West Lake
Have you have visited the Ten Scenes of West Lake? Vote for the ones you like best, the ones most memorable to you.
Ten New Scenes of West Lake (西湖新十景)
- Bamboo-Lined Path at Yunqi (云栖竹径)
- Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village (满陇桂雨)
- Galloping Tiger Spring (虎跑梦泉)
- Inquiring about Tea at Dragon Well (龙井问茶)
- Creeks in Misty Forest (九溪烟树)
- Heavenly Wind over Wu Hill (吴山天风)
- Circular Green at Lord Ruan's Mound (阮墩环碧)
- Yellow Dragon Cave Dressed in Green (黄龙吐翠)
- Clouds Scurrying over Jade Emperor Hill (玉皇飞云)
- Precious Stone Hill Floating in Rosy Cloud (宝石流霞)
Beautiful Hangzhou Videos
Welcome to Hangzhou
The Capital of Southern Song Dynasty
Chinese Musical Journey - Hangzhou
A Cultural Tour with Traditional Chinese Music
Legend of Madam White Snake
In the early '90s, I watched a Taiwanese TV series called New Legend of Madame White Snake (新白娘子传奇). It was such a touching story. Beautiful actress, beautiful landscape, touching music... If you just watched it once, you'll remember it for the rest of your life. By the way, you'll want to watch it over and over again because it's so moving. Here are some pictures from the series:
New Legend of Madame White Snake Theme Song
新白娘子传奇 : 千年等一会
Interesting Facts
- The most popular sight in Hangzhou is West Lake ;-)
- The city flower of Hangzhou is Sweet Osmanthus (桂花).
- Hangzhou is best known for its silk and Longjing Tea (龙井茶).
- Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD) and was known as Lin'an (臨安).
- Yue Fei (岳飞), a famous Chinese patriot and national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty was buried near West Lake.
- Su Dongpo (苏东坡), a famous poet and governer of the Song Dynasty invented the Dongpo Pork (东坡肉) which is a famous Chinese cuisine available on the menu of every restaurant in Hangzhou.
- Wu Song (武松), a hero famous for slaying a tiger with his bare hands was buried in Hangzhou. His tomb, which was rebuilt in 2004 is just on the side of West Lake.
- A mausoleum actually existed below the Leifeng Pagoda (雷锋塔). This was corroborated using a radar. When the mausoleum was excavated on the 11th of March, 2001, a 35cm-high gilded silver pagoda which contains the Buddha's hair, was found. However, there was no trace of Madame White Snake :(
- The Hangzhou Bay Bridge (杭州湾大桥), a 36-kilometre long bridge linking Jiaxing in the north to Ningbo's Cixi county in the south, is the longest sea-crossing bridge in the world. The bridge is an S-shaped cable-stayed bridge with six expressway lanes in both directions. It was opened to public on May 2, 2008.
Books/DVDs about Hangzhou
West Lake/Hangzhou Related Links
- Marco Polo: The Glories Of Kinsay [Hangchow]
- Hangzhou as described by Marco Polo.
- Hangzhou - China Travel Guide
- Unbiased Hangzhou travel guide and review.
- Vacation Time in China - Artipot
- An interesting story of a Canadian guy who visited Hangzhou.
- Hangzhou - Wikitravel
- Hangzhou travel guide from Wikitravel.
- Madame White Snake - Wikipedia
- Learn more about the Legend of the White Snake.
Feedback
I'd love to hear your thoughts about Hangzhou or West Lake or anything related to them. So don't hesitate to drop a line or two here.
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drs2biz
A high impact lens worth 5 stars! Beautiful imagery... now I must save up and go there ;-) Posted September 24, 2008 |
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BaiNiangZi
To Rokusan: The lake in Jet Li's "Hero" where Nameless and Broken Sword fight was filmed above the waters of Arrow Bamboo Lake in the Jiuzhaigou Valley of northern Sichuan, quite near the epicenter of the massive earthquake on May 2008. Posted September 18, 2008 |
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emilyava
Wow! great lens. I love very much this lens. Posted September 15, 2008 |
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MsMorrison
I can't help checking your lens! I hope to visit this place one day! Posted August 20, 2008 |
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garywgoldstein
scenic place. If I have a chance to visit China, I'll sure stop by a this place. Posted August 16, 2008 |
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peterpaan
Nice Lens, Great Spots. Thanks. Posted August 12, 2008 |
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JziE
nice pictures, have to visit this place Posted August 07, 2008 |
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Rokusan
Wow, it's so beautiful.... You've built a really nice lens, 5* !! By the way, is this the lake that was the setting of the imaginary fight between Nameless and Broken Sword in Jet Li's "Hero"? That lake, it is said, is still like a mirror for only a short time every day (I think, 30 or 60 minutes). This beautiful West Lake of Hangzhou reminds me of that one. Posted July 28, 2008 |
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poddys
Very nice lens, I love the photos. 5***** Posted July 27, 2008 |
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MsMorrison
wow, great sites! 5 stars! Posted July 16, 2008 |
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youhavegottobekidding
Wow love those picture. it really captures the essence for the place. Posted July 15, 2008 |
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AdamTaha
Brillaint lense. I now want to go there. And your profile text, is AWESOME!!!! Which reminds me, I gotta watch some Japanese, Chineses and some Korean Movies. They are brilaint. Posted July 14, 2008 |
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KonaGirl
I loved the videos and photos! Great job! 5 stars and lensrolled to my Big Island of Hawaii Posted June 08, 2008 |
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TopStyleTravel
Fabulous lens, wonderful pictures. Thanks Posted June 07, 2008 |
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GrowWear
This lens sure does make a person want to take a trip! Five Stars. Posted June 04, 2008 |
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Tiddledeewinks
Nice lens with beautiful pictures! Posted May 29, 2008 |
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eccles1
I love this lens !how beautiful Posted May 23, 2008 |
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hearthealth
Hehe, seriously now, am more interested in the cam used! But excellent tourism lens, 5* naturally. Posted May 23, 2008 |
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myhappylaptop
oooohhhh eyecandy i want to go. 5 stars! love the myths and legends of the orient. so gorgeous!!! myhappylaptop and a fan :D Posted May 20, 2008 |
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DebbieJohnson
Thank you for the wonderful lens! Posted May 18, 2008 |
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tripadvisor
Great lens! During my visit to China, I just made it to Guangzhou; but Hangzhou is definitely on my list for next time! Posted May 17, 2008 |
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Lens4Sale
Looks stunning! 5* Posted May 16, 2008 |
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A_RovingReporter
What a great travel lens! Five stars! Posted May 16, 2008 |
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JAV010
oh 5 stars realy realy good lens :) thanks i love it. There are realy good photos realy nice movies . Posted May 13, 2008 |
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Grasshoppa
Some of these pictures remind me of my stay in Korea, but Korea wasn't as nice in as many places. :) Posted May 12, 2008 |
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Jimmie
Lovely photos! Thanks for joining the Learning About China group. :-) Posted May 10, 2008 |
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britney-smith
Nice lens ! 5 Stars for you Posted May 09, 2008 |
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WhippetTalk
Breathtaking! I have not been to China - yet. My mother is Vietnamese and I have been to Singapore and Thailand. I hope to someday visit China and of course my homeland, Vietnam. Posted May 08, 2008 |
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hesika
Thank you for your lens. Now I have the desire to go to Hangzhou. I'll come back here to see the videos. :-) Posted May 02, 2008 |
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collagen
Great lens I am sure will be helpful for many and solving problem for others. Keep up a good work. Health Beauty and Skin Care Posted April 24, 2008 |
