Old Ten Views of West Lake
Autumn Moon over the Clam Lake
Situated at the west end of the Bai Causeway, it affords the broadest view of the West Lake. Furthermore, it is a nice garden with delicate pavilions, zigzag little bridges, odd-shaped rockery and a rich variety of plants. On the night of Middle Autumn Festival, it would be no better place along the lake side to enjoy a beautiful full moon here. While sitting on the terrace to enjoy the middle autumn moon, you would be really impressed by seeing the reflections on the water, the cloud and the moon mingling with each other, the moonlight and the lake light enhancing each other’s beauty. A famous couplet is dedicated to this scene: “The vast, calm lake is bright as a mirror, the year-round moon is the brightest in the autumn.”
Twin Peaks Piercing the Cloud
Twin peaks are the Northern Peak and Southern Peak. One locates southwest to the West Lake and the other locates northwest west. Northern Peak is with an elevation of 256.9 meters, Southern Peak is with an elevation of 355 meters. The two peaks face each other at a distance of more than 5 kilometers. On a drizzly day in spring or autumn, visitors may find a spectacular view of the two peaks while they look up from the Hongchun Bridge. It seems as if an enchanting landscape painting was hanging before them with the peaks disappearing and appearing amidst drifting clouds. Therefore, it has become known as Twin Peaks Piercing the Cloud, one of the “Ten Views of West Lake”.
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