West Lake is located in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. Its picturesque landscape has attracted numerous tourists for decades. In the 14th century, the Italian adventurer Marco Polo visited the city of Hangzhou. He was captivated by the scenery of West Lake and famously remarked: "It is the most beautiful and elegant place in the world."
West Lake is China's most famous urban lake. With its fairy-tale bridges and islands, it has been the setting for many love stories and poems throughout history, evoking romantic feelings in the hearts of many Chinese people at the mere mention of its name.
According to legend, a dragon and a phoenix fought over a pearl, which eventually fell to earth and transformed into West Lake. Two famous causeways divide West Lake into three parts. The Su Causeway (Sudi), built by the Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo, is renowned for its six beautifully designed bridges, which were even replicated in the Summer Palace in Beijing. The second causeway to the north of West Lake is the Bai Causeway (Bai Di), named after the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi, and was constructed earlier.
Artificially created like the causeways, West Lake also features islands such as Xiao Yingzhou ("Little Paradise Island") in the shape of a four-spoked wheel, creating the impression of a "lake within a lake," along with its two smaller sisters, Huxinting and Ruangongdun.
