Ten Scenes of West Lake refer to ten characteristic sceneries in the West Lake scenic spot. Formed at Southern Song Dynasty (A.D. 1127 – 1279), most of the ten scenes are distributed around the lake, and some of them are on the lake. Though there are other editions of Ten Scenes of West Lake in later times, the Ten Scenes of West Lake in Southern Song Dynasty is still recognized by most people.

Dawn at the Su Causeway in Spring (苏堤春晓): named after the great litterateur in Northern Song Dynasty (A.D. 960 – 1127) – Su Dongpo to commemorate his deeds on harnessing the West Lake. As the top scenery of the ten, the nearly 3 miles causeway is planted with many willows and peach trees. Spring is the best time to visit. (30-50 minutes by foot)

Lotus Swaying in the Breeze (曲院风荷): themed on observing lotus flower in summer, the park cultivated over a hundred of lotus varieties. Little bridges with different shapes across the pool and people walk on the bridge as if they were walking among the lotus flower. Lotus flowers bloom in July and August and is most beautiful during late July. (1.5 hour around by food)

Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn (平湖秋月): located at the west of Bai Causeway, facing the outer lake of West Lake, there is a broad platform stretching out of the water and forms a wide vision, it’s the best place to enjoy moon in Mid-autumn Festival. (walking on Bai Causeway needs about 1 hour)

Lingering Snow over the Broken Bridge in Winter (断桥残雪): the bridge is located in the east of Bai Causeway. Standing on the bridgehead, you can see the panoramic view of the distant mountains and the nearby water. It’s the best place to appreciate the snow scenery of West Lake. (about 20 minutes)

Orioles Singing in the Willows (柳浪闻莺): this park cultivated various willows, and in the March, the orioles will start singing in the willows, thus the name. Besides that, the southeast part of the park has been developed into a public entertainment place, and many locals do morning exercise and hold night activities in here. (about 1 hour)

Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond (花港观鱼): located in the south of Su Causeway, it’s a large park covering an area of more than 20 hectares. You can appreciate different flowers in different seasons in here. Flowers and fishes there give the most stunning colors of the park and pleasant for a simple walk. (40-60 minutes)

Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset (雷峰夕照): located in the south of West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda is famous for suppressing the White Lady – the heroine of Chinese folk love story “Legend of the White Snake”. The sunset glow on the pagoda is extremely beautiful here. It will cost ¥40 to climb on the pagoda. The best place to admire the scene is Xiying Pagoda outside of Changqiao Park. (about 1 hour)

Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds (双峰插云): two peaks refer to the South Peak ad North Peak of the two sides of West Lake. The two peaks face each other with a distance over 10 miles. The peak summits appear above the clouds in spring and autumn, which looks like a fairyland from a distance. Climbing on the peaks and you can see the panoramic view of West Lake.

Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill (南屏晚钟): the evening bell refers to the bronze bell in Jingci Temple at the foot of Nanping Hill. In the ancient times, when the bronze bell rang, the sound will echoed in the valley and spread far away, thus it’s reputed among the local people. ¥10 ticket for entering the temple.

Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月): there are three islets on the lake: Huxinting, Ruangongdun and Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon (now often refer to the whole area). The whole area is in a “田” shape, thus, forms a water landscape of “islets in the lake, and lake in the islets”. The scene here has been taken as the background for1 yuan banknote. You can take a boat to travel, and the boat ticket and ticket for Huxinting is ¥45. (1-1.5 hours)