Slender West Lake
By admin on 2015-01-08

Located in the west suburb of Yangzhou City (yáng zhōu shì 扬州市), Jiangsu Province (jiāng sū shěng 江苏省), the Slender West Lake (shòu xī hú 瘦西湖) is famous for its scenic splendor. It is 4 kilometers in length and less than 100 meters in width, covering an area of more than 30 hectares. The Slender West Lake is like a tall and slender beauty in comparison with the West lake in Hangzhou (háng zhōu 杭州). The lake is typical of the Chinese water-based garden art combining the grace and elegance of the south with the grandeur and magnificence of the north.

The most famous sights on the Slender West Lake are 24 attractions, which include Long Causeway (cháng dī 长堤), Xuyuan Garden (xú yuán 徐园), Xiaojin Hill (xiǎo jīn shān 小金山), Chuitai Terrace (chuī tái 吹台), Five-Pavilion Bridge (wǔ tíng qiáo 五亭桥), White Pagoda (bái tǎ白塔), and 24 Bridge (èr shí sì qiáo 二十四桥).

The Long Causeway is the best place for you to enjoy the natural beauty in spring, for the willows are turning green and the peach blossoms are blooming. At the end of the Long Causeway, there is a round door, on the head of which written two Chinese characters ---- "徐园”. Inside there is a clear pond covered with lotuses. And around the pond there dotted with stones in various shapes.

Xiaojin Hill is a small island in the Slender West Lake. It was constructed during the Middle Qing Dynasty (qīng cháo zhōng qī 清朝中期) and originally called Changchun Hill (cháng chūn lǐng 长春岭). On the top of the hill, there is a Fengting Pavilion (fēng tíng 风亭), which is the culmination of the lake. To the west of the Xiaojin Hill, there is a causeway leading to the lake, at the end of which there is a square pavilion called “Chuitai”. It is said that the Emperor Qianlong (qián lóng huáng dì 乾隆皇帝) was fishing there.

On the right side of the Chuitai, there is the Five- Pavilion Bridge. It is a symbol of Slender West Lake as well as the Yangzhou City. It was constructed during the Qing Dynasty, with a history of more than two thousand years. There are five pavilions with unique characteristics on the bridge. There is no doubt that the famous expert on bridge named Mao Yisheng (máo yǐ shēng 茅以升) said that in China Zhaozhou Bridge (zhào zhōu qiáo 赵州桥) is the oldest bridge, Lugou Bridge (lú gōu qiáo 卢沟桥) the most magnificent, and the Five-Pavilion Bridge the most artistically beautiful.

On the left side of the Chuitai, there is the White Pagoda, which is 27.5 meters high. There is a Xumi base (xū mí zuò 须弥座) under the pagoda. It is a polyhedron with four corners. On each side of the pagoda there are three niches, inside which there engraved Chinese Zodiac. Unlike the massiveness of the White Pagoda in Beihai Park (běi hǎi gōng yuán 北海公园) in Beijing, the White Pagoda in Yangzhou is slim and graceful, casting beautiful reflections with the Five- Pavilion Bridge.

Built with white marble, the 24 Bridge is 24 meters long, 24 meterswide, with 24 parapets and 24 steps hence it got the name of 24 Bridge. It looks like a marble ribbon fluttering on the water or a rainbow lying over the lake.

Slender West Lake is just like a shinning pearl set in Yangzhou, a well-known historic and cultural city.