WEST LAKE

Located in the north-west of the city, at the foot of the mount of Mount Couché (Wolongshan). This artificial lake was dug under the Jin in 282 by Yan Gao, the governor of the province of the day. Originally part of a system of irrigation, this site became King Min's royal Park during the Five Dynasties (907-960) and was christened the Crystal Palace (Shuijinggong). After the Song, the lake underwent several envasements, but successive dredging maintained over the centuries all its charm at the site, a high place of social receptions. Its name, so commonly used across China, simply comes from its geographical location in the city. In the past, many poets and letters of letters came to rest there. Xihu was transformed into a public park from 1914. With a surface area of 20 ha, this huge area includes several islands (Kaihua, Xieping and Youjiao) connected to the banks by dykes and bridges on back-of-donkey (volant, walking on the clouds, Jade Belt).

The temple of Wanzai, the Ming era, and the Kaihua temple are in the park. Also visit the Li Gang memorial, Li Zexu studio and the provincial museum. Established in 1953, the latter covers the history of the city and has since the early 1990 s had an interesting exhibition on the traditional tea ceremony, a local custom.