West Lake Leisure Map

Author: An Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: Mountains and water are a luxury for many modern cities, but in Hangzhou, they are an inherent part of its identity. Mountains enter the city, water enters the city, and mountains and water blend with the city. Mountains and water are the lifeblood that nourishes the city, embodying its spirit. Therefore, Hangzhou is a "mountain-water city." The Chinese people have a fondness for the number "ten," and famous scenic spots often have the designation of "Ten Views." The most renowned scenic views of West Lake are undoubtedly the "Ten Views of West Lake." The earliest record of the Ten Views of West Lake is believed to be the Fangyu Shenglan by Zhu Mu of the Southern Song Dynasty, which dates back approximately 800 years. When it comes to the "Ten Views of West Lake," even the humblest laborers in the alleys of Hangzhou can recite them effortlessly, listing the Evening Glow, Evening Bell, Lingering Snow, and Fragrant Lotus, just as they would talk about the dumpling stall at the alley's entrance or the grandmothers inside the walls. Adorning the finest scenic spots with exquisite names was once a refined pastime for scholars and literati. The Southern Song Dynasty, more than 800 years ago, was a turbulent era marked by disasters and hardships. The glint of swords and shadows across the river made this southern refugee kingdom shaky. A large number of scholars who followed the court gathered around West Lake. The lake, dressed in light or bold attire, left the scholars utterly captivated. Regardless of the political situation, the land remained, and so did the scholars. Faced with the charm of West Lake, painters felt compelled to create artworks, and poets felt compelled to compose poems—this was an irresistible artistic urge. As a result, the Southern Song court's painting academy produced landscape paintings of West Lake titled "Ten Views of West Lake," emphasizing the most captivating aspects of the lake. Poetry and prose also flourished from then on, continuing through the ages. These famous ten views were thus born, thus spread throughout the world, and thus attached the spirit of scholars to a bend of water, a mark that could never be erased.