Fuyang Yingzhou West Lake Scenic Area

Fuyang Yingzhou West Lake Scenic Area

The Fuyang Yingzhou West Lake Scenic Area is a provincial-level nature reserve.

The Yingzhou West Lake Scenic Area is located to the west of Fuyang City, Anhui Province, covering an area of several square kilometers. It was designated as a provincial-level scenic area in [year]. Yingzhou West Lake was a renowned scenic lake during China’s Tang and Song dynasties. At its peak during the Northern Song Dynasty, it was as famous as Hangzhou West Lake and together they were referred to as “Hang-Ying,” making it one of China’s Four Great West Lakes. The scenic area contains numerous historical and cultural elements, with literary giants such as Yan Shu, Ouyang Xiu, Lü Gongzhu, and Su Shi all having served as prefects of Yingzhou and leaving behind many poems inspired by the lake.

Yingzhou West Lake lies beside the vast and historically rich Ying River, serving as a bright mirror of the Central Plains on the North China Plain—radiant and captivating. It flourished in the Tang Dynasty and reached its zenith in the Song Dynasty. The site features over ten structures including the Hui Lao Hall, Qing Lian Pavilion, Painting Boat Studio, Lake Heart Pavilion, and Yi Yuan Bridge. With stretches of water lilies and willows lining the shores, it has long been a popular leisure destination for visitors. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, it has been mentioned alongside Yangzhou’s Slender West Lake and Hangzhou West Lake. In 1049, during the first year of the Huangyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu was transferred from Yangzhou to serve as the prefect of Yingzhou and grew particularly fond of this lake. He wrote a poem praising it: “The fragrance of lotuses drifts, painted boats float light, / As the prefect no longer yearns for Yangzhou’s sight. / All the moonlit charm of twenty-four bridges I’d trade, / For ten acres of autumn at this West Lake so great.” Ouyang Xiu eventually spent his final years here. After the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the lake gradually silted up. Today, remnants such as the Hui Lao Hall and stone carvings of Ouyang Xiu still remain.

The Forest of Stone Tablets is one of the key attractions of Yingzhou West Lake, covering a construction area of 19,958 square meters. It features a Forest of Stone Tablets, stele corridors, the Hundred Dragons Pavilion, the Ouyang-Su Double Pavilion, the Seven Peaks Pagoda, a painting and calligraphy exhibition hall, the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea sculpture, the Twelve Zodiac sculptures, and other large-scale stone carvings of traditional craftsmanship. Together, they form an extensive and elegant architectural complex in the Huizhou style, offering visitors both cultural enjoyment and scenic beauty. The site also includes supporting facilities such as a hotel, restaurant, shopping area, and pleasure boats.