West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou

The West Lake Cultural Landscape, the lake and the hills on three sides of it, has inspired poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century. UNESCO lists its temples, pagodas, pavilions, gardens, causeways and artificial islands, additions made to improve the landscape, and says it has influenced garden design in China, Japan and Korea as an idealised fusion of humans and nature.

The lake covers 6.39 square kilometres with four causeways, three artificial islands and Gushan, the one natural island, with the Leifeng and Baochu pagodas paired on its south and north banks. A tourist attraction since the Tang dynasty, it became a cultural landmark when the Song moved their capital to Hangzhou; the scenic area dropped its admission fees and can be very crowded on holidays.

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