Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area, located at No. 1 Longjing Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, has a catchment area of 21.22 sq km, a lake area of 6.38 sq km, and a total area of approximately 60 sq km, featuring natural and cultural landscapes.
West Lake has an almost elliptical shape with a relatively flat bottom, averaging 2.27 meters in depth. The lake is divided into five distinct water areas—Outer West Lake, Western Inner Lake, Northern Inner Lake, and others—by geographical features like Solitary Hill and Bai Causeway. Three small islands—Xiaoyingzhou, Mid-Lake Pavilion, and Ruangong Islet—stand prominently in Outer West Lake, while Leifeng Tower and Baochu Pagoda face each other across the water, forming the iconic landscape known as "one hill, two pagodas, three islands, three causeways, and five lake sections." The area enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate with warm temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Over 2,000 years ago, sediment deposits between Wu Hill and Precious Stone Hill formed a sandbar that gradually expanded into a sandbank, creating the inland lake now known as West Lake. In 822 AD, during the Tang dynasty, Bai Juyi, then governor of Hangzhou, initiated water conservancy projects and dredged the lake. Later, in the Northern Song dynasty, Su Shi further dredged the lake and constructed Su Causeway. By the late Yuan dynasty, neglect led to the lake's deterioration, but prosperity returned during the Ming dynasty. The Republic of China era saw an increase in scenic spots and cultural relics around the lake. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, projects like sewage interception improved water quality. Today, West Lake boasts over 100 attractions, with the most famous being the "Ten Scenes of West Lake," "New Ten Scenes of West Lake," and "Three-Time Selection: Ten Scenes of West Lake."
During the development of the West Lake cultural landscape, literati such as Bai Juyi and Su Shi left behind numerous poems here, while local myths and legends like "The Legend of the White Snake" and "The Butterfly Lovers" have been passed down through generations. The cultural relics within the scenic area bear witness to the enduring development of China's Buddhist culture, Taoist culture, and traditions like tea Zen. In 1982, Hangzhou's West Lake Scenic Area was selected as one of the first national key scenic spots. In 2007, it was rated as a "National AAAAA Tourist Attraction." On June 24, 2011, the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
