Hangzhou >> West Lake Cruise

West Lake, called so because it lies in the west of the city, is what the beauty of Hangzhou is all about. Skirted by mountains on three sides, and with the fourth side bordering the urban district, West Lake covers a water surface of 6 square km, yet it forms the centre of a garden resort that sprawls on a land of 49 square km, where the mountains, caves and vales are knitted together by a maze of winding brooks and streams, studded with well sequestered ponds, and graced with kiosks, chambers and pavilions.

Legend has it that West Lake was orsiginally a jewel fallen from heaven. Actually it is a lagoon formed as a result of natural changes and human efforts. Ten thousand years ago, the lake was much larger than its present surface of 6 square km. Later, as silt accumulated and weeds overgrew, the lake shrank in size. The present West Lake consists of 5 sections, namely the Outer Lake, North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake.
The beauty of the West Lake lies in a lingering charm that survives the change of seasons in a year, of hours in a day, and of different weathers. All told, there are 50 major scenic spots and 30 or so sites of key historical and cultural interest surrounding the West Lake.