Slender West Lake , Chinese: 瘦西湖, Pinyin: Shouxihu
Picture of Slender West Lake
Slender West Lake is situated in the northwest suburb of YangzhouCity. It originally was a nature river course named Baozhang River.With continuous harnessing through the dynasties, it gradually became ascenic area with many enchanting lake scenes. It is located to the westof the city and is slim in its shape, so people named it Slender WestLake.
Picture of Slender West Lake
Slender West Lake is 4.3 kilometers in total length with an area ofover 30 hectares. The lake boasts many famous scenic spots, such as theWhite Pagoda, the Five Pavilion Bridge, and Xiaojin Hill.The Long Dike is on the western bank of the lake, extending about one hundred meters from the entrance of the park to the Xiaojin Hill.Weeping willow trees are growing all along the dike. In the lake is anislet where Zheng Banqiao's calligraphy of couplets can be seen in a house.
Xiaojin Hill (Little Golden Hill), originally named Changchun Hill,is an islet in the lake. During the Qing Dynasty, in order to open a water channel connecting the Slender West Lake and the Daming Monastery,a canal was excavated in the northwest side of the lake. The mud excavated from the river course was piled up to form a small hill that we can still see today.
Picture of Slender West Lake
The Wind Pavilion which is located at the top of the hill is the highest spot in this scenic area.The Five-PavilionBridge is situated in the northwestern corner of the lake. It gainedits name from the five pavilions built on it. Elaborate in its structure and magnificent in its decorations, this bridge possesses the characters of architecture in both Northern China and Southern China.Besides, it is also a harmonious combination of the garden architectureand bridge architecture.
The White Pagoda, which is an imitation of Beihai White Pagoda in Beijing, lies south of the bridge.
Dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), this manmade lake has often been quoted by several poets of the period.