One-Day Trip on the Mini Holiday—The Beautiful West Lake, Let's Visit the Leifeng Pagoda

West Lake, also known as Qiantang Lake, is located at No.1 Longjing Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, and is one of the three famous lakes in the south of the Yangtze River. Here is a clear introduction to West Lake: Geographical Location and Area Geographical location: In the western part of Hangzhou's urban area, surrounded by mountains on the south, west, and north sides, adjacent to the urban area to the east, and separated from the Qiantang River by mountains to the south. Area: The catchment area is 21.22 square kilometers, and the lake area is 6.38 square kilometers. Geology and Formation There are various theories about the formation of West Lake, including the lagoon formation theory and the pond-building theory. The lagoon formation theory suggests that West Lake was originally a bay, which was gradually cut off from the sea by the accumulation of silt at the two capes on the south and north sides of the bay, eventually forming a lagoon. The pond-building theory, on the other hand, posits that West Lake was once connected to the sea, but during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Huaxin of Qiantang County built the 'Sea Defense Dam' to prevent seawater intrusion, thus isolating West Lake from the sea and turning it into a lake. Ecological Environment The mountains around West Lake center on the lake and can be divided into four levels from near to far. The lake is divided into several water surfaces by the Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, Yanggong Causeway, and Zhaogong Causeway, and there are three islands in the lake. The annual runoff in the West Lake basin is 14 million cubic meters, with a storage capacity of nearly 14 million cubic meters. Historical Culture West Lake is a famous tourist destination in China, known as a 'National 5A-Level Tourist Attraction'. On June 24, 2011, the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou was inscribed on the 'World Heritage List'. Throughout history, many literati and poets have left their praises for West Lake, such as Su Dongpo's 'I would compare West Lake to Xizi, she looks all the more charming for her light makeup or heavy application.'