Hangzhou’s most famous attraction was formed from a bay of the Qiantang River about 12,000 years ago. Sediment gradually corked the mouth of the bay, forming a lagoon which has become today’s West Lake surrounded by hills on three sides with the city to the east. The wonderful juxtaposition of natural beauty, meandering paths, artificial islands surrounded by pavilions, pagodas and bridges has been a showcase of Chinese landscaping since the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) It is no small wonder that the lake has been the spiritual home of poets and painters for about a thousand years.
The lake is divided by two pedestrian causeways, the Bái to the north and Sū in the west, named after two poet-governors who had the lake dredged to create them. The first was the Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi, and the second Su Dongpo, who compared the West Lake to Xi Shi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China. In 1089, Su instructed 200,000 workers to build his 2.8 kilometer causeway, which has been enjoyed by later leaders including Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong. Both causeways are lined with willow and peach trees, crossed by bridges and viewpoints.
It has all the trappings of a traditional Chinese garden, but on a much larger scale, and remains an important source of inspiration for Chinese and other Asian garden designers. During the spring the landscape becomes a wash of blossom and by summer the lake is taken over with blooming lotus flowers. The lake was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.