West Lake（西湖）

West Lake [File photo]

Located west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the West Lake is a fresh water lake renowned for its natural surroundings and history. Its beauty earned the lake its reputation of being a "paradise on earth."

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the lake covers an area of 6.5 square kilometers (650 hectares). On average, the lake is 3 meters deep. It has numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands located within. The lake's 11 sections flaunt over 100 scenic spots!

Every year, the area is buzzing with tourists and locals between the months of June and September, when its lotus flowers are in full bloom. The beauty of the lake has been described and depicted in many Chinese poems and landscape paintings.

The West Lake was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, and was described as "over time having influenced garden design across China as well as Japan and Korea."

Admission:Free