Ten Scenes of West Lake

Ten Scenes of West Lake

The Ten Scenes of West Lake are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The "Ten Scenes of West Lake" refer to ten distinctive scenic spots around the famous tourist attraction West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The "Ten Scenes of West Lake" have undergone three definitions (or evaluations), and the currently recognized version generally refers to the 2007 Third Evaluation of the Ten Scenes of West Lake: Lingyin Buddhist Reverence, Six Harmonies Listening to Waves, Yangdi Scenic Walk, Wansong Book Affinity, Yue Tomb in Sunset Glow, Meiwu Early Spring, Lakeside Sunshine and Rain, North Street Dream Quest, Santai Clouds and Waters, and Qian Shrine in Tribute of Loyalty.

The "Ten Scenes of West Lake" use literary language to name ten distinctive scenic areas, spots, and features around West Lake, forming a collective scenic designation. These names are designed not only to fully reflect the aesthetic, cultural, and functional characteristics of each scene but also to balance the interplay among these three elements and find a clear convergence point that captures and summarizes the essence of the landscapes as accurately as possible.

The beauty of the names of the "Ten Scenes of West Lake" lies in their ability to transport visitors into the scenes and visualize the sights, making them extremely popular with tourists from both China and abroad. They are considered exemplary in the art of naming scenic spots. The poetic charm of these names even impressed the evaluation experts of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), playing an indelible role in West Lake’s successful bid for World Heritage status.

In May 2013, the Ten Scenes of West Lake were listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units