West Lake is worth visiting during the May Day holiday.

West Lake Exploration: A Spiritual Journey Through Ink-Wash Jiangnan

As the morning mist still lingered among the weeping willows of Su Causeway, I walked towards West Lake, stepping on the scattered morning light. This lake, into which so many poets of past dynasties poured their emotions, was now unfolding before my eyes in its gentlest form. The ripples on the lake surface seemed to be chanting the tones of a thousand years.

Arriving at the foot of Gushan Mountain, the aroma of Longjing tea wafted from the white walls and black tiles of the Lou Wai Lou restaurant. This century-old establishment was once a gathering place for literati such as Lu Xun and Yu Dafu, and it still retains the old custom of serving tea in celadon teacups. An old man at the next table recounted the story of "Spring Dawn on Su Causeway" in the soft tones of the Wu dialect. When Su Dongpo of the Northern Song Dynasty dredged West Lake, he used silt to build this long causeway, turning this water area into a flowing landscape painting. Passing Quyuan Garden, the golden top of Leifeng Pagoda shone in the sunlight. The legend of the White Snake and Xu Xian added a touch of poignant beauty and lingering romance to the lake and mountains.

In the afternoon, I took a boat to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. The rhythm of the boatman's oars and the melodious singing of Yue Opera were wonderfully in sync. Maojiabu in the west of the lake still retains the appearance of an old fishing village. The dried fish swayed gently in the wind, and in the rising mist as old tea farmers fried new tea, one could vaguely see the ancient tea-making methods recorded in Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea." As night fell, in the shadows of the plane trees on Beishan Street, the carved window lattices of Qiushui Villa revealed a warm yellow light. This Republican-era building, which witnessed the love legend of Shi Liangcai and Shen Qiushui, has now become a historical code for interpreting the past of Hangzhou.

Today, West Lake still maintains the pattern of "three sides of cloud-covered mountains and one side of the city." The policy of free access to the scenic area around the lake has made it the "city living room" for citizens. However, the throngs of tourists during the holidays have turned Broken Bridge into a "human bridge." Internet-famous milk tea shops in the Hubin business district stand side by side with century-old brands. The collision of tradition and modernity brings vitality, but also deprives some corners of their former tranquility. When I stood on the top of Baoshi Mountain and overlooked the panoramic view of West Lake, I suddenly understood why the literati of past dynasties always lingered here—this lake has never been a simple landscape, but a mirror of the Chinese spiritual world, reflecting our eternal pursuit of poetic dwelling.

Post by Elysium^Wanderer!333 | Apr 10, 2025