Huizhou West Lake Tourist Scenic Area is located in the central area of Huicheng District, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist scenic area. The natural and cultural landscapes of Huizhou West Lake complement each other, featuring the characteristics of "Five Lakes, Six Bridges and Eighteen Sceneries". The "Five Lakes" refer to Fenghu Lake, Ehu Lake, Pinghu Lake, Linghu Lake and Nanhu Lake. The water area is about 3.13 square kilometers, and the total area of the scenic area is 20.91 square kilometers, of which the land area is 6.59 square kilometers. Here, the mountains and rivers are beautiful and secluded, with floating islets everywhere, and the green mountains are like dark eyebrows. The scenic area is wonderful in its natural beauty. There are rich ancient buildings around West Lake, such as Sizhou Pagoda and Chaoyun's Tomb, which have witnessed the vicissitudes of history.
History and Culture
The history of Huizhou West Lake has a long history. As early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there were traces of residents' activities here. During the Tang Dynasty, the natural scenery of Huizhou West Lake had already attracted people's attention.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi, a great literary figure, was banished to Huizhou. He dredged and managed the West Lake and left many excellent poems and works, greatly enhancing the cultural connotation of the West Lake. During his stay in Huizhou, Su Shi lived here with his beloved concubine Wang Chaoyun. After Chaoyun passed away due to illness, she was buried by the side of the West Lake. Chaoyun's Tomb has become an important cultural landscape of the West Lake.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many pavilions, towers and other buildings were successively built around Huizhou West Lake, further enriching the cultural landscape of the scenic area. Throughout history, literati and poets such as Yang Wanli and Qu Dajun have also visited the West Lake and left a large number of poems and odes, making Huizhou West Lake well-known far and wide.
Since modern times, through continuous renovation and protection, Huizhou West Lake has become an important window for displaying the history and culture of Huizhou, attracting a large number of tourists to visit and sightsee.
Main Scenic Spots
Sizhou Pagoda
Sizhou Pagoda is one of the landmark buildings of Huizhou West Lake. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than a thousand years. The pagoda is about 40 meters high and is an octagonal, seven-story pavilion-style brick pagoda. It stands on the top of the Western Mountain of the West Lake. Whenever the sun sets in the west, the afterglow shines on the pagoda, and the rippling waves and the shadow of the pagoda complement each other. It is known as "The Slanting Afterglow of the Wild Goose Pagoda" and is one of the Eighteen Sceneries of the West Lake.
Gu Hill
Gu Hill is a small hill in the West Lake. Although the hill is not high, it is remarkable for its quiet and secluded scenery. There is the Dongpo Memorial Hall on the hill, which displays the life stories and poetry works of Su Shi during his stay in Huizhou. In addition, there is Chaoyun's Tomb, which was built by Su Shi to commemorate his beloved concubine Wang Chaoyun. The couplet in front of the tomb, "Out of step with the times, only Chaoyun could understand me; Playing the ancient tune alone, I miss my dear ones even more every time it rains at dusk", expresses Su Shi's deep affection for Chaoyun.
Fengzhu Garden
Fengzhu Garden is a group of ancient-style buildings in Huizhou West Lake, mainly in the Lingnan architectural style. In the garden, there are pavilions, towers, small bridges over flowing waters, and shady trees, and the scenery is very beautiful. It is not only a good place to appreciate the garden landscape but also often holds some cultural exhibitions and activities to display the traditional culture and art of Huizhou.
Jiuqu Bridge
Jiuqu Bridge spans across the surface of the West Lake. The bridge body is winding and has nine bends. There are stone railings on both sides of the bridge. When tourists walk on the bridge, they can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the West Lake. Especially at night, when the lights on the bridge are turned on, they form an interesting contrast with the reflection of the lake water, and the scenery is breathtaking.
Delicacies
Braised Tofu Stuffed with Minced Meat in Dongjiang Style
Braised Tofu Stuffed with Minced Meat in Dongjiang Style is a traditional famous dish in Huizhou and one of the popular delicacies around Huizhou West Lake. Tofu is cut into small pieces, hollowed out in the middle, and then filled with minced meat. It is cooked by frying, stewing, boiling and other methods. The stuffed tofu has a tender and smooth taste, the minced meat is delicious, and the fragrance of the tofu and the meat are perfectly integrated, making people aftertaste it endlessly.
Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables
Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables is a characteristic dish in Huizhou. Select streaky pork with a mixture of fat and lean meat. After boiling, frying and other processes, it is steamed together with the pickled preserved vegetables. The braised pork is fatty but not greasy, and it melts in the mouth. The preserved vegetables absorb the flavor of the meat juice and are salty and delicious, making it a good dish to go with rice.
Surrounding Delicacies
Around Huizhou West Lake, you can also taste many other delicacies. For example, the fried rice cakes in Huizhou have a crispy taste and are sweet and delicious. There is also Hengli Noodle Soup, which uses pork bone soup as the base and is paired with noodles, meatballs, pork offal, etc., and tastes delicious. In addition, there are various special snacks such as Ai Rice Cakes, Radish Rice Cakes, etc., all of which are worth a try.
Admission Tickets
Huizhou West Lake Tourist Scenic Area is open to the public for free. Tourists can enter the scenic area for free. However, some scenic spots within the scenic area or special exhibitions and activities held may charge a certain fee. Please refer to the announcements of the scenic area for specific information.
Opening Hours
Huizhou West Lake Tourist Scenic Area is open all day throughout the year. However, the opening hours of some scenic spots within the scenic area may be different. For example, some memorial halls and exhibition halls generally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and stop admitting visitors at 4:30 p.m. Please refer to the actual situation of each scenic spot for the specific opening hours.
Tour Routes
If you plan to visit Huizhou West Lake, you can choose the following route: First, enter from the East Gate of the West Lake and walk to Gu Hill to visit the Dongpo Memorial Hall and Chaoyun's Tomb to feel the cultural charm of Su Shi. Then go to Sizhou Pagoda to admire the elegance of this thousand-year-old pagoda. Then stroll along the lakeside, pass through Jiuqu Bridge, and enjoy the scenery of the lake and mountains. After that, go to Fengzhu Garden to appreciate the beauty of the Lingnan garden. You can have lunch at a restaurant around the West Lake and taste the local delicacies. In the afternoon, you can continue to visit other scenic spots of the West Lake, such as Nanhu Lake and Ehu Lake, to experience the characteristics of different lake areas. Finally, leave the scenic area from the South Gate or other exits of the West Lake.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take multiple bus routes such as Route 2, Route 5, Route 7, Route 8, and Route 10 to reach the stations around Huizhou West Lake, such as the East Gate Station of the West Lake and the Pinghu Gate Station.
- Self-driving: Tourists can drive to Huizhou West Lake by themselves. There are multiple parking lots around the scenic area for parking. However, during peak periods such as holidays, parking spaces may be in short supply.
- Taxi: You can choose to take a taxi to Huizhou West Lake in Huizhou urban area, which is convenient for travel.
Must-visit Scenic Spots
- Sizhou Pagoda: A thousand-year-old pagoda, about 40 meters high. The scenery of "The Slanting Afterglow of the Wild Goose Pagoda" is beautiful, and it is a landmark building of the West Lake.
- Gu Hill: There are the Dongpo Memorial Hall and Chaoyun's Tomb on the hill, with profound cultural heritage, allowing you to feel the culture of Su Shi.
- Fengzhu Garden: A group of ancient-style buildings, mainly in the Lingnan style. The scenery in the garden is beautiful, and cultural activities are often held here.
- Jiuqu Bridge: The bridge body is winding with nine bends. You can enjoy the scenery of the lake and mountains of the West Lake, and the night view with lights is charming.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to choose a sunny day for the tour so that you can better appreciate the scenery of the lake and mountains of the West Lake.
- You can learn some historical and cultural knowledge about Huizhou West Lake in advance so that you can better understand the connotation of the scenic spots during the tour.
- Since the scenic area is relatively large, it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes for easy walking for a long time.
- If you want to taste the local delicacies, you might as well try more special dishes and snacks to experience the food culture of Huizhou.
- You can choose to visit in the early morning or evening. At this time, there are relatively fewer tourists, and you can also enjoy the different beauty of the West Lake.
Precautions
- Take good care of the environment of the scenic area, do not litter anywhere, and do not damage the flowers, plants and trees.
- Comply with the regulations of the scenic area, do not enter the prohibited areas, and pay attention to safety.
- When visiting some indoor scenic spots such as memorial halls and exhibition halls, comply with the visiting regulations of the halls, do not make loud noises, and do not touch the exhibits.
- When walking by the lake, pay attention to safety. Do not get too close to the lake to prevent falling into the water.
- If you choose to drive there, pay attention to complying with traffic rules and park according to the instructions of the parking lot.