Slender West Lake

Slender West Lake is not a lake but a long narrow watercourse, formed from the old city moat and developed through the Qing by Yangzhou's salt merchants, who competed to build gardens along it in the hope of impressing the Qianlong Emperor on his southern tours. The name is a joke at Hangzhou's expense, comparing this thin waterway with the famous West Lake. The Five Pavilion Bridge of 1757, a stone bridge carrying five yellow-roofed pavilions, is its emblem, and the White Pagoda beside it was reputedly built overnight in salt to satisfy an imperial remark. Willows and peach trees line the banks and flower together in late March and early April.

History

The lake grew out of the moats of Tang-era Yangzhou, but its banks were not much built up until the reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the mid-1700s; the city had been badly damaged in the Qing conquest of 1645. Then the wealth of the canal officials and salt merchants went into lavish houses, gardens, teahouses and restaurants meant to welcome the emperor, and the lake was dredged and widened for his entourage, above all for his second visit in 1757. A local story says he was so pleased with his catch at the Fishing Platform that he granted the town extra stipends - helped by swimmers hidden in the water who fixed fish to his hook. The area was badly damaged in the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt afterwards; it was dredged again in 1979 and became a national park in 1988 (Wikipedia, Slender West Lake).

Highlights

• The Five Pavilion Bridge - the 1757 bridge carrying five pavilions over the water.
• The White Pagoda - the Tibetan-style stupa beside the bridge.
• The spring blossom - willows and peaches flowering together in late March.
• The merchant gardens - Qing garden compositions along the banks.

When to go

March to May, with the peak in late March and early April when willow and peach flower together; the site raises prices and fills with visitors then. Autumn is quieter and pleasant. Winter is grey and bare.

What to expect

Entry prices rise sharply in blossom season and crowds are heavy. The waterway is long and the walk substantial. Boat trips cost extra. Yangzhou is well off the main tourist circuits and takes some effort to reach.

Nearby

The Ge Garden and He Garden are in Yangzhou; the Grand Canal runs through the city.

Key facts