West Lake, a shining pearl of Hangzhou, China, is renowned for its beautiful natural scenery and rich history and culture. For first-time visitors, how to plan a tour route that can not only enjoy the beauty of West Lake, but also feel the cultural heritage? The following is a classic West Lake tour route for everyone.
First stop: Broken bridge and remnant snow.
Our trip to West Lake starts with the "Broken Bridge and Remnant Snow". The broken bridge is not "broken" in the real sense, but because when the sun shines obliquely after the snow, the snow on the bridge deck and the water on the lake reflect each other, and it seems that the bridge deck has been interrupted from a distance, so it gets this name. Standing on the broken bridge, you can overlook the Baochu Pagoda in the distance, see the lake and mountains up close, and feel the tranquility and beauty of the West Lake.
Second stop: Spring Dawn at Baidi.
From the broken bridge, head along the White Causeway. The white causeway was originally known as the white sand causeway, and was later renamed because the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi built a water conservancy project here and wrote poems to praise it. The willows on the embankment are still clinging, the peach blossoms are scorching, and the spring is even more beautiful. Walking on the white causeway is like being in a flowing landscape painting.
Three stops: Pinghu Qiuyue.
After walking through the white causeway, you will come to the autumn moon of Pinghu Lake. This is one of the best places to see the autumn night of West Lake. When the autumn moon is in the sky, the lake is like a mirror, reflecting the bright moonlight and the mountains in the distance, which is beautiful and picturesque. Even during the day, the Autumn Moon of Pinghu attracts many tourists with its tranquil water surface and beautiful surroundings.
Four stations: three pools of the moon.
Next, we will head to the Three Pools and the Moon. This is the largest island in the West Lake, known as the "first scenic spot in the West Lake". The flowers and trees on the island are sparse, and the pavilions and pavilions are scattered. Especially on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the bright moon hangs high, the moonlight, the light, the lake light reflect each other, and a moon shadow is printed in each of the three small stone pools, forming the wonderful scenery of "a round of the moon in the sky, and the shadow in the lake becomes three".
Five stops: Leifeng sunset.
Finally, we will come to the Leifeng Pagoda to enjoy the "Leifeng Sunset". Leifeng Pagoda is widely known because of the legend of the White Lady. When the sun sets, stand under the tower or by the lake and overlook the Leifeng Tower, only to see the afterglow of the sunset sprinkled on the tower, and the lake and mountains complement each other, constituting a moving picture.
In addition to the above five scenic spots, there are many places worth visiting around the West Lake, such as the spring dawn at the Su Causeway, the wind and lotus in the Quyuan, and the fish watching in the flower port. However, due to space limitations, I will not repeat them here. Tourists can arrange their itinerary according to their interests and time.
During the tour, you might as well taste Hangzhou's special food, such as West Lake vinegar fish, Longjing shrimp, etc., so that the taste buds can also enjoy a feast. At the same time, you can also take a cruise on the lake to enjoy the beautiful scenery of West Lake from a different angle.
In short, West Lake is a place full of charm, both natural scenery and cultural landscapes are worth a try. Hopefully, this recommended route will help you make good memories during your trip to West Lake.