Introduction

China boasts as many as thirty-six West Lakes, but the one in Hangzhou is the most magnificent with exceptional natural beauty. As the old saying goes, “ Of the thirty-six West Lakes east or west, the West Lake in Hangzhou is the best.” Due to its brilliant historical and cultural status, the West Lake is the most significant landmark in Hangzhou, a National Key Scenic Resort and nominated as a National 5A Tourist Resort. The beauty of the West Lake has won the city a reputation as a popular resort area in China.

West Lake has an area of 6.5 square kilometers surrounded by mountains on three sides. The famous picturesque landscape and more than 100 surrounding parks, each with its own distinguishing features, enhances the charm of the West Lake in any season. For centuries, the literati have been attracted to the West Lake writing praise of its natural beauty and historic relics in hundreds of works of literature and poetry. Poets such as Bai Juyi, Su Shi and Xu Zhimo wrote countless poems to describe the beauty of the West Lake.

The West Lake is undoubtedly one of the most renowned landmarks in China, noted for its splendid historical and cultural scenery. Besides the unbelievable beauty, there are also more than sixty national and provincial cultural relics and more than twenty museums scattered around the lake.

The West Lake in Hangzhou was officially declared cultural property and recorded in the World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee Session in Paris on June 24th, 2011. The "Ten Scenic Spots on West Lake” (西湖十景) selected from the most frequently visited spots around the lake gives visitors panoramic views of Hangzhou.