Yangzhou >> Slender Western Lake

	Attraction Typ: lake, Sea, Island and Sand Beach Resort
	Location: Outskirt
	Recommend: 5 Star
	Slender Western Lake
	The Slender Western Lake is a natural waterway feeding mountain runoffs into the Grand Canal. It has long been a famous scenic spot since the period of the Six Dynasties. Compared with the West Lake in Hangzhou, it looks more slender and prettier. The lake is more than five km long, looking like a beautiful landscape painting.
Slender Western Lake(Chinese:瘦西湖；pinyin:shòuxīhú) was originally a natural river course leading to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) periods. Located in the west suburb of Yangzhou City, it's been famous for its scenic splendor since those times. Narrow in shape, the lake is like a tall and slender beauty in comparison with the West Lake in Hangzhou. Its beauty lies in the meandering lake and simple and unsophisticated constructions. It is 4.3 kilometers in total length with an area of over 30 hectares. A long bank planted with weeping willows spans the lake; at its midpoint stands a square terrace with pavilions at each of the corners and one in the center.Around the lake is a park in which are found several attractions: Lotus Flower Pagoda (Lianhua Si, a white structure reminiscent of the White Pagoda (Baita) in Beijing's Beihai Park; Small Gold Mountain (Xiao Jin Shan); and the Fishing Platform (Diaoyutai), a favorite retreat of the Qing emperor Qian Long. The emperor was so gratified by his luck in fishing at this spot that he ordered additional stipends for the town. As it turns out, his success had been augmented by local swimmers who lurked in the lake busily attaching fish to his hook.