Linhai East Lake

Linhai East Lake

Linhai East Lake is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

East Lake was originally where several streams from Baiyun and Shangong in the northern part of the city converged before flowing southward into the Ling River. In the second year of the Duan'gong era of the Song Dynasty (989 AD), the imperial court assigned shipbuilding tasks, and the prefect Zhang Wei established a shipyard here, stationing naval forces. In the fourth year of the Xining era (1071 AD), Prefect Qian Xuan excavated the area to form a lake. Over time, through continued development, by the 18th year of the Kangxi era (1679 AD) and the 10th year of the Tongzhi era (1871 AD), when Prefects Bao Futa and Liu Wang’ao carried out two major dredging and renovations, the lake began to take on its current scale.

The lake is rectangular in shape, about 500 meters long from north to south and 150 meters wide from east to west. Two long causeways stretch across the lake. The east-west horizontal causeway divides the entire lake into two sections: the southern section is called Qianhu (Front Lake) and the northern one is called Houhu (Rear Lake). At both the eastern and western ends of the horizontal causeway are stone arch bridges spanning the lakeshore. Midway along the dam lies a small islet named “Huan Yue” (Washing Moon), which sits at the very center of the lake. Covered with camphor, cypress, plane, and osmanthus trees, its lush foliage casts broad shadows and forms a green island all its own. The north-south vertical causeway further divides Houhu into east and west sections, with another islet known as “Qiao Yun” (Woodcutting Cloud) located midway along this causeway.

About thirty to forty meters south of Huan Yue Islet lies another islet in the middle of the lake, connected to Huan Yue by a zigzag stone bridge with railings. This islet is surrounded by green trees and colorful flowers, with a large pavilion standing proudly in its center. Originally named “Ning Bi Ting” (Gathering Green Pavilion), it was later renamed “Hu Xin Ting” (Lake Center Pavilion). This three-story pavilion features flying eaves that extend in all directions, with upturned corners dripping with verdancy. Its beams and walls are resplendent, giving the structure a majestic and exquisitely crafted appearance. Climbing to the top offers a breathtaking view of East Lake. As the verse goes: “Amidst acres of calm waters and thousands of peaks ahead, not even a full painting can capture such beauty. Delicate pavilions and small bridges span the emerald waters, while dense woods and slender bamboos veil the light mist.” This pavilion is the perfect spot to take in the best views of the lake, just as its couplet praises: “It cleaves open to transplant a fairy isle; it paints landscapes into the temple towers.”

To the east of the zigzag lake bridge stands “Ban Gou Ting” (Half Hook Pavilion), initially built by Song Dynasty Prefect Qian Xuan and later relocated here during the Tongzhi era by Prefect Liu Wang’ao. The name “Ban Gou Ting” is derived from a poetic line by Tang Dynasty’s Bai Juyi in his “Spring Poem on the Lake”: “I cannot bear to leave Hangzhou, for half my lingering is for this lake.” This single-story hexagonal pavilion is supported by six stone pillars above the water, forming a waterside pavilion beneath and a cloud-deck above. Its carved railings are exquisite and graceful. As the ancients said: “The lotus blossoms on the lake resemble brocades; red and green hues interlace with dancing shadows,” referring to this very pavilion.

Hu Xin Ting (Lake Center Pavilion) and Ban Gou Ting (Half Hook Pavilion) sit side by side yet offer different charms. The larger pavilion provides sweeping views from on high, while the smaller allows close-up exploration. Whether at sunrise or under the moonlit sky, standing on the long bridge between these two pavilions is a deeply moving experience. As an old couplet wrote: “Why do idle clouds drift from blue hills? The landscape without intent stretches across the silver waves.”

To the east of the lake pavilions lies “Xiao Ying Zhou” (Little Yingzhou). A former academy named Shangcai Academy once stood here. The Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi personally inscribed the three characters “Xiao Ying Zhou,” which were engraved on a stone and hung above the academy’s gate. In January 1995, the Linhai Historic and Cultural City Management Committee erected a stone stele forest on Xiao Ying Zhou. This collection includes over a hundred historical stone steles preserved by the cultural relics department. Among them are the authoritative physical relics of the Ming Dynasty’s resistance against Japanese pirates—the “Portrait Stele of Tan Lun” and the “Merit Stele of Qi Jiguang.” The inscriptions document the heroic deeds of the national heroes Qi Jiguang and his superior Tan Lun, who “placed the nation above self, led their troops from the front, fought bravely without fear, and skillfully devised strategies to annihilate the enemy.” They built a coastal defense Great Wall in the southeastern region and “rendered great service to the southeast” in repelling pirate invasions.

The highlights of East Lake are its pavilions and terraces, and the joy of visiting lies in boating. The renowned Qing Dynasty literatus Yu Yue wrote in his *Spring in the Hall Essays*: “Hangzhou has West Lake, Taizhou has East Lake. The charm of East Lake is a smaller West Lake.” He also remarked: “Beautiful mountains and waters lie less than half a *li* beyond the eastern city gate. Pleasant in both sunshine and rain—how does it compare to the premier tower of West Lake?”

Ancient City Street: Ancient City Street, Linhai City, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province

The Office of the Ancient City Subdistrict of Linhai City was established on February 9, 2001. It covers an area of 81 square kilometers and governs 12 community neighborhood committees, 23 administrative villages, and 1 vegetable company (restructured from the Vegetable Village). With a permanent population of 132,000 (including 105,000 residents) and a floating population of 45,000, it is a municipal-level dispatched agency established after carving out parts of the urban-rural fringe from the former Chengguan Town People's Government of Linhai City.

The jurisdiction of the Ancient City Subdistrict boasts a civilized history of over two thousand years as a district and town... More details about the Ancient City Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units