Slender West Lake is a nationally protected scenic area located in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. It covers an area of 33.66 square kilometers and features scenic spots like Xiaojinshan, Wan Garden, and Xichuntai. The lake originated as the Baoyang River and got its current name "Slender West Lake" during the Qing Dynasty when Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong visited and appreciated its scenery. Over subsequent dynasties, the area developed many private gardens along its shores. It is now a major tourist attraction that has undergone restoration to preserve its classical landscape features while adding modern amenities.

1. G
Slender West Lake
eographic location:Yangzhou City, Jiangsu
Province
hanjourney.com

2. Level:AAAAA
Famous scenery:Xiaojinshan, Wan Garden, Xichuntai
Climate type:Subtropical monsoon climate
Slender West Lake is located at No. 28, Dahongqiao Road, Hanjiang
District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a national key scenic
spot, a national AAAAA-level tourist scenic spot, and a national
civilized scenic tourist area demonstration site.
Slender West Lake is located in the northern suburb of Yangzhou City.
Because the lake is long and thin, it is called “Slim West Lake”.
According to the data at the end of 2012, the scenic area of the scenic
area is about 33.66 square kilometers.
In 1988, it was listed by the State Council as a “national key scenic
spot with important historical and cultural heritage and Yangzhou
garden features”. In 2010, it was awarded the national AAAAA-level
tourist scenic spot and became the first national 5A-level tourist
scenic spot in Yangzhou.
Historical evolution
Ancient records
In the early Qing Dynasty, Wu Song, “Yangzhou Advocating Words”
(Fang Zhi) recorded: “The north of the city is one of the two famous
lakes. The name of the two lakes is the name of the lake.”
In the late Ming and early Qing dynasty scholar Gu Zuyu’s famous
geographical work “Reading the History of the Party”, Volume 23
Jiangdu County Guanhe entry contains: “Baoyang River in the west of
the Fuli, Sanli, the north of the city. The old Chaihe, East Daguan
River, west of the city and the river into the city … and then on the

3. east bank of the river near the edge of the city, set up enemy stations,
in order to prepare for enemy enemies, because of the name of the
defending.”
Origin of the name
Slender West Lake is actually a wide river outside Yangzhou City,
formerly known as Baoyang Lake. The name of “Slim West Lake” was
not widely circulated until the Qing Emperor Qianlong.
In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong both
visited the South for six times, and they appreciated the scenery here.
The “Yangzhou Paintings” records that “the 22nd year of Qianlong…
the two sides of the strait are built famous gardens”. At this time, the
“slim west lake” has become a famous lake in the series of landscapes
from a river. In addition, during the Qianlong period, Qiantang (now
Hangzhou) poet Wang Yufu’s poem “咏保河”: “Changyang continues
to pick up the wreckage, and Yanzi Hongqiao draws a picture. It is
also a pot of gold, so it should be called a thin West Lake.” Make
“Slim West Lake” famous in the world.

4. Historical changes
Ming Dynasty
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the canal was renovated and
became the artery of north-south traffic. Yangzhou once again
became the economic recovery of the Lianghuai salt transport
distribution center, and the gardens, especially the private gardens,
were in a state of revival. During this period, a bridge appeared on
the Slender West Lake – Hongqiao (now known as Dahong Bridge).
The appearance of the Red Bridge laid the foundation for the rapid
development of the slim West Lake Garden. Objectively speaking, this
period is a relatively stagnant period in the history of the
development of the Slender West Lake garden, but in the late Ming
Dynasty, people began to pay attention to the Slender West Lake.

5. Qing Dynasty
At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, this was the early stage of the
overall development of the Slender West Lake Garden. At this stage,
conscious garden landscaping began near Slender West Lake.
However, due to the small scale and relatively scattered scope, the
slim West Lake garden is mainly a natural landscape, and does not
form a good overall landscape effect.
The large-scale construction of the Slender West Lake Garden was in
the Qianlong period. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the Slender
West Lake Garden reached its peak during her entire ancient
evolution. The landscape of many slim West Lake gardens is the
product of this stage. The Slender West Lake itself also One of the
most representative areas of Yangzhou gardens.
After the 20th year of Qing Jiaqing (1815), the salt industry in
Yangzhou declined, and the gardens on the lake gradually became
sluggish. Since then, it has experienced the wars of the Taiping
Heavenly Kingdom, and it has been ruined. During the reign of
Guangxu, a small part of Wuting Bridge and Xiaojinshan were
restored.

6. Modern
With the loss of traffic, Yangzhou eventually lost its superior
transportation status, economic depression, and the destruction of
war. The Slender West Lake Garden was once hit hard at this stage.
However, due to the status and role of Slender West Lake in the
production and life of Yangzhou City, the construction of the slim
West Lake Garden is still developing forward. Although it has been
repeatedly damaged, it is constantly renovating and reconstructing
the original landscape, and new Increase the landscape.
Modern
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Slender West
Lake Garden began to be fully restored. While retaining the original
classical landscape features while considering the needs of modern
people for landscape functions, some functional buildings and related
facilities were appropriately added. In the 1980s, the 24th Bridge,
Xichuntai, and Guanshidongtian were restored. In 2007, the four
bridges were restored, such as the rain and the stone wall. The water
area is continuously dredging, and the area is gradually expanding.
The garden covers an area wider than before. The landscape is more

7. layered and practical. By the end of 2012, the area of the scenic area
has reached 33.66 square kilometers.
Geographical environment
Position
Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area is located in the northern
suburb of Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The coordinates are at
32°24′13.76′′ north longitude and 119°25′16.59′′ east longitude.
Climate
The Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area belongs to the
transition zone from subtropical monsoon humid climate to

8. temperate monsoon climate. The main features of the climate are
distinct four seasons, abundant sunshine and abundant rainfall. The
prevailing wind direction changes significantly with the seasons. In
the winter, the northerly wind is dry and cold, and the northeast
wind and the northwest wind are mostly; in summer, the southeast to
the east wind are hot and humid from the ocean, and the southeast
wind is mostly; the southeast wind is more in spring; the northeast
wind is more in autumn. Winter is too long, more than 4 months;
summer is second, about 3 months; spring and autumn are shorter,
each more than 2 months.
Construction Planning
Forest ecosystem construction
The construction of forest ecosystem in the Slender West Lake Scenic
Area of Yangzhou is based on the species composition, structural
characteristics and succession laws of zonal plant communities. The
tree species are based on the local tree species resources, and the
ecological principle of “suitable for the trees” is always followed in
plant allocation. Make full use of the native tree species with
excellent landscape, and combine the historical and cultural
traditions of the scenic spot with the functional requirements of the
garden green space, and configure the plants according to local

9. conditions to form a stable and complex mixed community. The
common tree species such as mulberry, scorpion, scorpion, camphor,
Fengyang, Nanshu and Pushu are widely distributed in the Nanshan
Mountain in the scenic area of Slender West Lake. Natural succession
and reproduction into forests form natural ecological forests.
Since 2003, Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area has introduced
some ground cover plants with strong resistance and high ornamental
value according to local characteristics, and has been enriched and
enriched with plant varieties, and according to their habits and
growth characteristics, The two-year-old grass flower is reasonably
configured, forming a colorful flower bed, flower border, flower fence
and other landscapes.
In the years of green space construction, Yangzhou Slender West Lake
Scenic Area follows the ecological principles, ecological garden
principles and plant community principles, and builds green plant
plants into cultural plant communities or ornamental plant
communities. The Yelin and Houshan in the scenic area have formed a
relatively successful artificial plant community with four levels of
high, medium, low and ground. All the plants in the community are
flourishing and grow well, forming a benign The ecological
environment of the cycle. As of 2005, there are 319 species of 163
genera and 78 families of green trees in the Slender West Lake Scenic
Area. There are more than 100 species of herbaceous ornamental
plants used as flower beds and ground cover plants, and more than 20
species of vines for vertical greening. Aquatic plants There are more
than 10 kinds.

10. Construction layout
The scenic spots of Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area include
Yuanyuan Garden and Hidden Type. For the Garden Park, the
introverted layout is generally adopted. For example, Baita Qingyun
and Jingxiang Book House generally require a certain width of terrain
conditions. It can be operated and the slim terrain of the West Lake
area is slender, so the building is placed directly at the water’s edge,
and the main facade of the building with the expansion of the discrete
outward layout is facing the water surface, which is obviously
different from the pattern of the north facing south of the Chinese
national residence. Highlights the characteristics of the garden on the
lake.
In order to enhance the strength of the virtual and real contrast, try
to make the building close to the water’s edge, so as to produce clear
and complete reflections, such as the clearing room and the Xiangxue
Pavilion. The platform rises from the water, and the building seems
to float above the water. Stretch.
The scenic spots of Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area have
always formed a large scale in the meander, such as Xiaojinshan,
Xichuntai and Wangchunlou. Most of the buildings along the river
bank are mainly long strips, and the architectural combinations are
also arranged in a vertical direction, which is consistent with the
terrain of the entire scenic spot and the direction of the river bank.

11. Landscape attractions
Spa
Yangzhou Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort is on the bank of
Slender West Lake, facing the Wan Garden. The resort covers an area
of 130,000 square meters and has 68 hot spring pools with different
shapes and functions. It is divided into public areas and private areas.
The public areas are divided into lake streams, rockery waterfalls,
small bridges, pavilions, bamboo forest trails, etc. Each theme space
has its own characteristics.
Dahongqiao
Dahong Bridge is one of the twenty-four scenic spots in Yangzhou. It
was built in the Ming Chong-Yuan period and spans the lake. The
original bridge was a wooden red bar, hence the name Hongqiao. In
the first year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, it was converted into a
stone bridge. In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the patrols of the
Yushi Jiqing, Pfu, and Gaoheng were successively rebuilt, and bridges
were built on the bridge. The “red” was changed to “rain”, meaning
the bridge was like a rainbow. It has been converted into a 3-hole

12. low-slope bluestone bridge of 7.6 meters wide. Hongqiao was once
famous in history. When Emperor Qianlong visited Yangzhou, he also
made poems to appreciate the scenery of Hongqiao.
Jin Jing Ge
Jinjingge is a water pavilion that is reconstructed by a bridge and
pavilion reconstructed by Jinjingge as described in Li Dou’s
“Yangzhou Paintings”. The three open space is a large building with a
shape like a character, spanning a small river (Caihe). On the upper
and lower sides, the two sides straddle the two sides, with empty
space in the middle, and can pass through the boat. When crossing
the river, pedestrians must cross the second floor of the stairs, such
as crossing the bridge, and then descend the stairs from the other
side to the opposite bank. Jinjing Pavilion is now a mixed cement and
wood building.

13. Wuting Bridge
Built in the 22nd year of Qing Emperor Qianlong, Wuting Bridge has a
history of more than two hundred years. There are five wind
pavilions on the bridge with southern features. There is a treasure
roof on the pavilion, a ceiling in the pavilion, and a wind chime
outside the pavilion. The pier of Wuting Bridge is made up of 12 large
blocks of bluestone, forming a thick and powerful “work” type bridge
foundation. The bridge body of Wuting Bridge is composed of a coil
hole of different sizes and shapes. If you take the boat under the
bridge, you can count the five pavilions and have a total of 15 bridge
holes. The holes are connected and the holes are connected.
Diaoyutai
In China, there are many scenic spots named after “Diaoyutai”, but
Yangzhou’s Diaoyutai is the smallest and most characteristic of many
fishing platforms. Standing on the angle of the Diaoyutai at 60

14. degrees, you can see the Wuting Bridge lying in the round hole in the
north, while the elliptical hole in the south can see the white tower.
Xiaojinshan
Xiaojinshan is the largest island in the Slender West Lake and the
most densely populated place on the lake. The wind pavilion, the
blowing table, the piano room, the wooden book house, the chess
room, and the moon view are all concentrated here. There is a history
of the name of “Xiaojinshan”: it is said that there are two monks from
Yangzhou and Zhenjiang who chatted, and Zhenjiang monk said:
“Qingshan also hates the state customs, and how many peaks are not
over the river.” Yangzhou certainly does not agree with this. Said, so
the two bet on playing chess. As a result, the monk of Yangzhou was
high in chess. The scene was named “Xiaojinshan”, and such a couplet
was hung in the court: “The finger is empty, the jade bureau can be
left with it; if the fist is not big, Jinshan will also Jiang Lai. “With only
one “small” word, the “Jinshan” of Zhenjiang was extradited.

15. Wangchun Building
Yangzhou Slender West Lake Wangchunlou is opposite to the lake is
the exquisite flower. It is a style building of Jiangnan gardens, and its
scale is subordinate to Xichuntai. The north and south of the lower
part of the Wangchun Building are respectively water parks and
mountain courts, bringing landscapes into the interior. Unloading the
doors and windows upstairs becomes a terrace.
General Xiao Li is Li Zhaodao, a famous ancient painter who jointly
created the Jinbi Landscape Painting School of the Tang Dynasty in
China. Known as “flowers for painting, month is the source of
poetry.”

16. Xichuntai
Xichuntai is the main building of the 24th Bridge Scenic Area, which
is opposite to Xiaojin Mountain. It is also one of the “Twenty-four
Scenes” of Yangzhou.
The word “Xi Chun” comes from Laozi’s ‘Everyone Hee Hee, such as
Deng Chuntai.’ It means the bustling scene of the people in front of
Xichuntai who came to the shoulders. It is said that Yangzhou salt
merchants once celebrated the birthday of Emperor Qianlong here, so
this One scene is also known as “Spring Terrace Birthday”.
White tower
The white tower is 27.5 meters high. Below is the waist-bearing
minaret, eight sides and four corners, three sides on each side.
According to legend, in 1784, Emperor Qianlong took a boat trip to
Yangzhou Slender West Lake for the sixth time. Seeing the scenery of
Wuting Bridge from the water, I can’t help but say: “It’s a pity that
there is a white tower missing. Otherwise, it seems that the Qiongdao
Chunyin in the North Sea is like a great one.” The speaker was
unwilling to listen. The Yangzhou salt merchants, who were rich in
money, immediately spent 100,000 yuan and the eunuchs bought the
pattern of the Beihai Baita. They piled up with white salt in the night

17. to form a white tower. This is the story of “Building a Tower One
Night” that has been passed down in Yangzhou.
Moon view
Yangzhou is “the moon city of China”. The moonlight beauty of
Yangzhou and the place to enjoy the moon are also many. The “moon
view” is one of them. “Moon View” sits west to the east, and faces the
open lake. Whenever the moon rises, it stands on the side of the
column. The two moons in the sky meet each other, and you can
appreciate the wonderful mood of “the moon is full of water, the sky
is a day.” .

18. Xu Yuan
Xu Yuan is located in the north of Chunliu Lake, the longwall of
Chunliu Lake. The original site was the Hanyuan Taohuawu Han
Garden in the early Qing Dynasty. In the four years of the Republic of
China (1915), in order to commemorate the commander of the martyr
Xu Baoshan during the Revolution of 1911, Xu Baoshan Temple was
built, named Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan covers an area of 0.6 hectares and is
small and exquisite. The Nanmu cover in the pavilion is the best in
Yangzhou’s existing hood.
There is a pavilion, a pavilion and a pavilion in Xuyuan. There is a
water outside, and there are ponds, flowers and bamboo stones, just
right, which fully reflects the exquisite elegance of Jiangnan gardens.
Every autumn, Yangzhou’s annual chrysanthemum exhibition is held
in Xuyuan.
Twenty-four bridge
The “Twenty-four Bridge” comes from the poem of Du Mu, a famous
poet of the Tang Dynasty. “The green mountains are faintly
slumbered, and the grass in the south of the Yangtze River is not

19. withered; the twenty-four bridges are bright and moonlit, where the
jade people teach to brag.”
The twenty-four bridges in the minds of Yangzhou people are
composed of the Luofan Plank Road, the single-hole arch bridge, the
Jiuqu Bridge and the Blowing Xiaoting. The jade-shaped arch bridge
in the middle is 24 meters long and 2.4 meters wide. There are 24 on
the upper and lower sides of the bridge. Steps, surrounded by 24
white jade railings and 24 fences. Regarding which bridge the twenty-
four bridge refers to, there have been many opinions.
Million garden
The west and south sides of Wan Garden are adjacent to Slender West
Lake, with a small canal in the north and Pingshantang Road in the
east, with a total area of about 500 mu. Designed by Hangzhou
Garden Design Institute, it mainly relies on the historical and cultural
background of Slender West Lake, and takes it as the theme of flower
culture. With the classical historical garden as the clue, it focuses on
restoring and perfecting the “Stone Wall Flowing” and “Jingxiang
Book House”. The scenic spots such as “White Tower Qingyun” have
ten functions of flowering, exposing, viewing, experience, intellectual
interest, leisure, education, ecology, entertainment and aesthetics.
Since April 18, 2007, Wan Garden has officially merged into the
Slender West Lake Scenic Area. Visitors can enter the Wan Garden

20. directly or enter the Wan Garden through the Wuting Bridge or the
Slender West Lake North Gate. Wan Garden does not charge
separately. Citizens and tourists can enter Wan Garden for
sightseeing with tickets such as Slender West Lake tickets and annual
tickets. Every year from April 8th to May 8th, China Yangzhou
Wanhua will be held in Slender West Lake Garden.
Four bridges
A building in the east is called “four bridges of rain.” Whenever the
“mountain is empty and rainy and strange”, the view here is “four
bridges flying across the smoke.” Standing on this floor, you can see
four Chunbo Bridges, Dahong Bridge, Changchun Bridge and Lotus
Bridge with different colors and shapes. In the misty and rainy, the
four bridges are far and near, thick and light, high and low. At that
time, the Emperor Qianlong was very fond of the scenery here. He
repeatedly wrote poems and gave a gift to the “Fun Garden”.

21. Cultural development
Cultural relic protection
Within the planning area of Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area,
there are 20 cultural relics protection units. among them:
1 national key cultural relics protection unit: Yangzhou City Site
(隋——Song);
6 provincial-level cultural protection units: Shi Kefa, Tomb (including
Gumeihualing), Tianning Temple, Chongning Temple, Lianhua Bridge,
Daming Temple and Jianzhen Memorial Hall, Tianshan Han Tomb;
There are 12 municipal-level cultural protection units: Yechunyuan,
Dahongqiao, Xuyuan, Xiaojinshan, Baita, Qisiqiao, Guanyinshan,
Gucheng Temple, Tiefo Temple, Xiongchengji Tomb, Shitao Tomb,
Lianxi Tomb, Martyrs Cemetery.

22. Performing arts culture
In the Wan Garden of Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area, a live
performance of Jiangnan Garden is performed every night. Relying on
Yangzhou’s profound historical culture and beautiful natural scenery,
it reproduces the garden style of Jiangnan and shows Yangzhou’s
beautiful natural landscape and humanistic charm. The performance
takes the slim West Lake water and garden landscape.
The Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area’s performance of
“Spring River Flowers, Moonlight Nights and Beautiful Yangzhou”
reflects the Yangzhou style and historical stories of the six eras of the
Tang, Tang, Song, Ming, Qing and Jin Dynasties. From the spectacular
scene of the Emperor Sui Di Grand Canal to the poetic mood of
“Fireworks in March under Yangzhou”, from Du Mei Niang’s beautiful
love to Shi Kefa’s heroic soul, from singing to the blessing of the
whole fireworks, Yangzhou thin The history of the West Lake is
vividly presented to the viewers.
Scenic honor
In 1988, the Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area was listed by
the State Council as “a national key scenic spot with important

23. historical and cultural heritage and Yangzhou garden features”.
In 1996, Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area was listed as a
national key cultural relics protection unit.
In 2009, the Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area was awarded
the National Cultural Tourism Demonstration Zone by the Ministry of
Culture and the National Tourism Administration.
In 2009, Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area was awarded the
National Grand Relics Park by the State Administration of Cultural
Heritage.
In 2010, Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area was rated as
National AAAAA Scenic Spot by the National Tourism Administration,
becoming the first national 5A-level tourist scenic spot in Yangzhou.
In 2012, Yangzhou Slender West Lake Scenic Area won the honorary
title of Advanced Collective of the National Tourism System.
Travel Information
Scenic spot tickets
price:
Low season fare: 120 yuan / person, peak season fare: 150 yuan /
person
Ticketing time: 6:30-17:30

24. Best time to travel
From March to June each year, Yangzhou’s fireworks March trade and
tourism festival is the most beautiful time of Slender West Lake.
Scenic festival
Every year from April 18th to May 18th, “Fireworks March Economic
and Trade Tourism Festival”
Every year from September 8th to October 8th, “Two Minutes of the
Moon Cultural Festival”
Special reminder for the scenic spot: In addition to visiting the
Slender West Lake Park, a ticket to the Slender West Lake Scenic Area
in Yangzhou can also be visited in the bonsai garden in the southeast
direction of Slender West Lake. The two parks are separated by about
500 meters.
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