West Lake
| West Lake | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 西湖 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Xihu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°14′49″N 120°08′39″E / 30.24694°N 120.14417°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Freshwater lake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary outflows | The Grand Canal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catchment area | 21.22 km2 (8.19 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basin countries | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managing agency | Management Committee of Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Max. length | 3.2 km (2.0 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Max. width | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surface area | 1,580 acres (6.4 km2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average depth | 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water volume | 14,290,000 m3 (505,000,000 cu ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence time | China Standard Time | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shore length1 | 15 km (9.3 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surface elevation | 10 m (33 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frozen | Rarely | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Islands | The Gushan, the Little Yingzhou, the Lake-heart Pavilion, and the Ruan Gong islet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sections/sub-basins | Outer West Lake, Inner West Lake, West Inner Lake, Small South Lake, Yue Lake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Settlements | Hangzhou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official name | West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria | (ii)(iii)(vi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference | 1334 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inscription | 2011 (35th Session) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | 3,322.88 ha (8,211.0 acres) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffer zone | 7,270.31 ha (17,965.3 acres) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 西湖 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "West Lake" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The West Lake (Chinese: 西湖; pinyin: Xīhú; Wu Chinese pronunciation: [si ɦu]) is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China. Situated to the west of Hangzhou's former walled city, the lake has a surface area of 6.39 km2 (2.47 sq mi), stretching 3.2 km (2.0 mi) from north to south and 2.8 km (1.7 mi) from east to west. In the lake are four causeways, three artificial islands, and the Gushan, the only natural island. Gentle hills surround the lake on its north, west, and south sides, with the Leifeng and Baochu pagodas standing in pair on the south and north banks. Several famous temples are nestled in the mountains west of the lake, including the temples of Lingyin and Jingci.
A tourist attraction since the Tang dynasty (618–907), the lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics. By the Song dynasty (960–1279), during which the dynastic capital moved to Hangzhou, it had become a cultural landmark and one of the most visited tourist destinations of China. Introduced to Europeans by Marco Polo, the lake was once a symbol of Chinese urban culture. It has been featured on Chinese currency, including the one-yuan banknote in the 1979 Bank of China Foreign Exchange Certificate and the 2005 Renminbi, as well as in the Chinese passport. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, the lake is recognised to have influenced garden designs in China, Japan and Korea over the centuries, as "an idealised fusion between humans and nature."
The lake, along with the surrounding hills, constitutes the West Lake Scenic Area, which is governed by the Management Committee of Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area, a special administration dedicated to cultural preservation and gardening under the Hangzhou municipal government since 2002. The first major Chinese tourist attraction to cancel admission fees, the scenic area is crowded during public holidays. In the 2024 National Day holiday, the area received 4.426 million visitors in seven days, a 30.92% rise from the previous year.