The landscape layout of West Lake was gradually formed over the past thousands of years. It is a great heritage that the forefathers have left us. Through viewing and studying the features, we may find the brilliance of ancient people's design and their traditional aesthetics in philosophy.
Su Causeway was constructed using the dredged silt of West Lake. Su Dongpo had organized a large-scale dredging of the lake during his second term (1089-1091) as the governor of Hangzhou.
Mid-lake Pavilion is an islet located in the center of West Lake. It's the oldest of the three islets in West Lake. Its unique view “Viewing West Lake around Mid-lake Pavilion (湖心平眺)” is one of “Eighteen Scenes of West Lake in the Qing Dynasty”(清代西湖十八景).
Bai Causeway is a man-made causeway named after Bai Juyi (白居易) who was a great poet living in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The causeway was constructed during his term as the governor of Hangzhou. Now, the causeway has become an indispensible part of West Lake.
West Lake borders 'cloud-capped hills' on three sides and adjoins the sprawling downtown metropolis on the other. The expansive waters framed by rolling hills are a photographer’s dreamscape. The vistas are multi-faceted and boundless.