西湖十景 Ten Views of the West Lake.doc

西湖十景 Ten Views of the West Lake 断桥残雪 Melting Snow at Broken Bridge 平湖秋月 Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake 曲院风荷 Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard 双峰插云 Twin peaks piercing Clouds 苏堤春晓 Spring Dawn at Su Causeway 三潭印月 Three pools mirroring the moon 花港观鱼 Viewing Fish at flower harbor 南屏晚钟 Evening bell at Nanping hill 雷峰夕照 Sunset glow at Leifeng pagoda 柳浪闻莺Orioles singing in the willows 新西湖十景 Ten New Views of the West Lake 宝石流霞 Precious stone hill floating in rosy clouds 黄龙吐翠Yellow Dragon cave dressed in green 满垅桂雨Sweet osmanthus rain at Mannjuelong 虎跑梦泉 Dream of the tiger spring 九溪烟树 Nine creeks in misty forest 龙井问茶 Enjoying tea at dragon well 云栖竹径 Bamboo-lined path at Yunqi 玉皇飞云 Flying clouds over jade Emperor hill 吴山天风 Sky wind over Wu Hill 阮墩环碧 Ruan Gong islet submerged in greenery 孤山 Solitary hill 楼外楼 LOU wailou restaurant 西泠印社Xiling Seal-Engravers Society 西泠桥和苏小小墓 Xiling bridge and Su xiaoxiao tomb 岳飞庙和墓 Yue Feis temple and his tomb 杭州花圃 Hangzhou flower nursery 杭州植物园 Hangzhou botanical garden 玉泉Jade spring 灵峰探梅 Visiting Lingfeng for plum bolssoms 灵隐寺 Lingyin Temple 杨公堤 Yang Gong causeway 郭庄 Guos villa 涌金池 YOngjin pool 钱王祠 King Qians temple 长桥 Long bridge 六和塔 Six harmonies pagoda( Liuhe pagoda) bore-watching 看潮、Qiantang Tide 钱塘潮 Dragon Well tea 龙井茶 Tea-picking 采茶 Tea House 茶 Hangzhou dishes 杭帮菜 Silk city 丝绸城 Hu Xueyans Former Residence 胡雪岩故居 The Street of clothes for women in Wulin Road 武林路女装街 Yellow Dragon Sports Center 黄龙体育中心The Liuyi Spring beside Yus Mansion recorded the friendship between Ouyang Xiu and Su Dongpo. Liuyi is the literary name of Ouyang Xiu, a great Northern Song Dynasty Poet. His life consistes of Liuyi, namely, six ones. In his book entitled The Life of Retired Scholar Liuyi, he said that he would collect one thousand texts of inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets surviving from Chinas first three dynasties; collect one wan(ten thousand)copies of books; possess one Chinese zither; play one game of Chinese chess every day; drind one pot of wine usually; and have one old man as himself. There were all together six ones. To commemorate that respectable old friend whom he had nevermet, Su Dongpo named the spring Liuyi and later built a pavilion on it top which was rebuilt in 1984.Name: Lingering Snow on the Broken Bridge 断桥残雪Though the name of the bridge dates back to poems in Tang Dynasty, the bridge became famous because of one of the best-known love stories in Chinese folklore. According to the legend of White Snake, the beautiful girl who was actually a white snake met Xu Xian on the bridge in the rain and they fell in love with each other and an umbrella they used became the symbol of their love. The bridge was also the scene where they made up after a long series of ups and downs. Thanks to the love story between the human and the immortal, the broken bridge attracts numerous visitors and has its legendary reputation spread far and wide all over China. Many people believe the bridge is the number one place for people in love. Rain or shine, you can enjoy the lake views from the bridge in all seasons. The seasonal scenery changes at the bridge itself are equally breathtaking, especially when the snow begins melting in sunshine in the winter. Once in a fine day after a snowfall, standing on the bridge and looking toward the northwest at the Solitary Hill and Ge Hill, one can see the hills and buildings covered with snow and the lake and hills look crystal clear. Although the snowy beauty of the scenery is a little bit chilly and lonely, many people regard it better than noisy greens and reds in other seasons and they believe the Broken Bridge fully deserves the top position it has enjoyed for hundreds of years as the best one of the Ten Westlake Scenic Spots.Presumably, the West Lake in a fine day is no better than in rain, in rain no better than in moonlight, in moonlight no better than in snow. Lingering Snow on the Broken Bridge provides a proof to justify the vivid description. Name: Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake 平湖秋月Though the Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake refers nowadays to a fixed location and one of the top ten attractions around the West Lake, it was in the South Song Dynasty a general reference to the autumn nights when people went boating on the lake appreciating the bright moon and enjoying the cool breeze.The poetic reference stayed general until the Qing Dynasty when Emperor Kangxi summed up his sightseeing tour in Hangzhou and named the top ten West Lake attractions. A stone tablet was erected with the Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake inscribed on it at a location near the Solitary Hill and the west end of the Bai Causeway. Since then the lakeside spot has been the pronoun for the autumnal night boat trips on the lake. A boat trip on the lake or sitting leisurely by the placid lake at a moonlit night has long since been acknowledged as one of the best human experiences of nature.Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake is the best location for such a night. Sitting and leaning over the window on the top floor of the pavilion-like waterfront building, you can command a broad view of all the lake and surrounding hills. The moon is bright over the calm Lake, the water and the sky merge in one color; cool breezes, the lake and the moon are of one; willow trees and flowers show different charms in moonlight; people and the moon have a private conversation. Time and space are beyond human reach, but seeing each other at such a night on the lake is a pleasure human beings can enjoy. All the human vicissitudes vanish through centuries, but the changing moon is eternal. The moon in autumn may not be as soft as spring breeze, and the spring breeze is still jealous of the brightness of the autumn moon.Since 1950s Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake has been refurbished and extended several times. The whole location is full of flowers and plants punctuated by artificial rocks. Pavilions and storied wood buildings beside lake are merged nicely with the scenery. Winter days and summer breezes are all enchanting while tourists looking out from these buildings see the moon over the lake and the wooded hills on the other side. The landscape brings all kinds of emotions to tourists. It is a nice location where you can lounge quietly appreciating the moon, you can sip the tea, or take a stroll along the lakeside path, or find a place in the wood and spend sometime sitting idly in the shadow, thinking nothing and feeling everything. Name: Lotus Flowers in the Breezing Winding Courtyard 曲院风荷Quyuan Park (Crooked Courtyard) is situated near the mouth of Jinshajian Stream, the biggest natural water supply into the West Lake. In the South Song Dynasty a royal wine workshop was set up here. In the lake next to the winery stood a large area of lotuses waggling and dancing a little bit intoxicatingly in summer breezes. Visitors felt wonderful with both the scenery and wine while aromas of lotus flowers and wine were wafting in the air. The spot got its fame as one of the top ten best attractions in that dynasty and has kept its charm in colors and odors since then. The park covers an area of 14 hectares, subdivided into three sections of the crooked courtyard, lotus flower area and waterfront wooded area. A geographic hub of the West Lake landscape, the crooked courtyard links with the Yuehu Lake on the east and leads to Guos Estate on the south by the Su Causeway. On the north, it adjoins the Yue Fei Tomb, Bamboo Garden and Hangzhou Botanical Garden. Though no longer a winery, the crooked courtyard is the vantage spot for viewing lotus in full blossom in the summer. The beauty of the park lies in its wide range of lotus plants of various species. While in furious blossom, the lotus flowers show off reds, golds and whites in different figures and forms. Broad leaves spread leisurely on the limpid lake waters and low bridges zigzag among flowers. Such a view makes visitors forget themselves. Name: Su Causeway in Spring Dawn 苏堤春晓Su Causeway became a tourist attraction as early as 1090. That year, Su Dongpo, a famous poet in the Song Dynasty and the governor of Hangzhou, had the lake dredged. The silt and debris were piled up and formed into a causeway. In order to honor the poet governor, local people named the Causeway after him. Todays causeway is the result of many refurbishing projects over centuries. Romanticized as Spring Dawn by Su Causeway, the scenery has stayed on the top of the best ten resorts around the West Lake since the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Ranged with peach, willow, magnolia and hibiscus trees, the 2.8-kilometer-long Su Causeway spans the West Lake from the Nanping Hill in the south to the Qixia Hill in the north.Along the Causeway stand six single-span stone arch bridges by the name of Yingbo (reflecting the waves), Suolan (locking the waves), Wangshan (looking at distant hills), Yadi (causeway ballast), Dongpu (eastern ford), Kuahong (spanning rainbow). When spring comes, willow trees swing slightly in the breeze. Peach trees are full of blooms, giving out intoxicating fragrance. Six bridges are the best place to enjoy springtime. At dawn, the lake is so serene that only chirps of birds can be heard. The lake surface mirrors the sky and bridge reflections. Peach blossoms resemble smiling faces. Walking on the causeway, one can look at the lake and the surrounding hills, absorbing all the visual and aural pleasures created by the breathtaking panorama.Name: Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill 南屏晚钟Evening Bell Ringing at Nanpinjg Hill, it is one of the “Ten Views of West Lake” with the longest history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled “Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill”. It is not as famous as the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival which also was done by him. Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather. In fine days, the green woods over the hill grow more enchanting. In rainy days, the hill partially covered with clouds and fog creates a beautiful scene: the hill looks like dance trippingly.In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as “Xingjiao Temple”was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as “Buddhism Kingdom Hill”. Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake. Name: Twin Peaks Piercing the Cloud 双峰插云Twin peaks are the Northern Peak and Southern Peak. One locates southwest to the West Lake and the other locates northwest west. Northern Peak is with an elevation of 256.9 meters, Southern Peak is with an elevation of 355 meters. The two peaks face each other at a distance of more than 5 kilometers. On a drizzly day in spring or autumn, visitors may find a spectacular view of the two peaks while they look up from the Hongchun Bridge. It seems as if an enchanting landscape painting was hanging before them with the peaks disappearing and appearing amidst drifting clouds.Name: Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow 雷锋夕照Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in celebration of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The 7 storied pagoda was a storied pavilion type structure, built of brick and wood. In the ancient time, Leifeng Pagoda and Baochu Pagoda stood far apart facing each other. Leifeng Pagoda appeared to be an old gentleman, but Baochu Pagoda appeared to be a beauty. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful. It was therefore named as “Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow”. In Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was fired by the Japanese bandits and collapsed at last on September, 25 1924 by the custom of local people to take a brick from its lower stories as a talisman or souvenir.Name: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon 三潭印月The largest isle in the West Lake, It is also called the Lesser Yingzhou Isle, the namesake after a legendary Islet in the depth of the Eastern China Sea. The isle is elegant, harmonizing nature and man-made landscape. The isle is one of the top ten Westlake Scenic attractions for centuries. The beauty of the scenic spot is the moon in the sky, in the water and in the heart of onlookers. The three stone miniature pagodas standing in the lake off the isle are presumably the best place for moon viewing. These pagodas produce many magic views of the moon in the water, making people nostalgic and reminiscent of the woebegone days and happy moments in the past. On the night of the Autumn Moon Festival, the isle and its three miniature pagodas are the best attraction for moon spectators.Originally, the isle was merely a Buddhist monastery by the name of Baoning Temple in the lake in the Wu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom period. In the Ming Dynasty, a dike was built around the temple site, making an inner circular lake between the temple and the dike. The Lesser Yingzhou Isle as we see today is the result of a big refurbishing project around the end of the Qing Dynasty.The largest of the three artificial islands on West Lake, the isle covers an area of 7000 square meters. The island with its inside lake is crisscrossed with many zigzagging bridges; a causeway that spans from west to east; the heavenly lights and clouds reflections in the glass-like water can been seen together with flowers in blossom. Trees stand here and there, birds and fish enjoy themselves in different spaces. Pavilions vanish into nothingness at a distance; bridges allow tourists to view the scenery from different angles with the wonderful result of a different scene for each step.The stone pagodas are 2 meters high and each with five equally spaced windows. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, lateens are put inside the windows. Their lights shine