Why Is The West Lake So Special?

The West Lake (西湖) in Hangzhou is renowned for being one of the most famous lakes in China. Legend has it that many scholars, artists, and poets were deeply influenced by the beauty of the West Lake. In fact, many traditional Chinese Gardens are also built using the West Lake as inspiration.

I did some research and found out that in order to walk around the whole lake at a leisurely pace, it would require about 5 hours.  Well, we must have been very quick walkers, because we covered the entire North Eastern area in about 30 minutes.  The only regret I have is that we didn’t quite make it to the Broken Bridge, which is supposed to be one of the nicest parts of the lake.  However, the entire day was very cloudy and rainy, so it probably wouldn’t have lived up to my standards anyways.  We turned back because it was already quite dark by the time we finished the Northeast section and thought we’d better head back towards our hotel area. 

By the time we reached the start of the path again, it was completely dark and the water show was playing.

I’m still puzzled as to why the ancient Chinese scholars and artists thought so highly of this place.  The lake itself is pretty, but I’m not sure why it is any more special than any other lake in the country. 

Prior to going to Hangzhou, I knew that Zhejiang was one of the richest provinces in China.  Perhaps because we hung around the lake for most of the day, I would say that that was definitely true.  There was a Starbucks on every corner and the lake was lined with high-end brand name shops.