Slender West Lake is located in the northern suburb of Yangzhou city in Jiangsu Province, China. The existing tourist area is about 100 hectares. In 1988, it was listed by the state council as “a national key scenic spot with the important historical and cultural heritage and Yangzhou garden characteristics”. It is must see attraction fro Yangzhou tour.
The Slender Lake has beautiful scenery of garden group which had been formed the basic pattern in the period of the Qing Dynasty; it has the reputation “Gardens of the filled, armor in the world”. Many famous gardens historical site are distributed on both sides in the gentle and graceful twists and turns blue lake, just like a picture of long traditional Chinese painting.
The Slender West Lake is thin, long and narrow. Its surface is about 4 km in length, is less than 100 meters in width. It was a criss-cross river originally; through all previous business communication, using China’s landscape art characteristics, adjust measures to local conditions, a lot of landscape architectures have been built here. This lake is like a painting landscape picture scroll, not only features in natural scenery, but also unique style Yangzhou gardens; is one of the famous scenic spots of China. Rowing a boat on the lake, the coastal scenery appear as thick as hail, making you overwhelmed.
Things to Do and See
【The Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort】It has sixty-eight different function forms of hot springs pools; is divided into public areas and illicit close area. The public area is divided into a number of different characteristics of subject space, perfectly combining lakes and streams, rockery falls, small Bridges, pavilions, bamboo forest path and hot spring pools. The Slender West Lake, Ge Garden, He Garden, Daming Temple are surrounded around it. It is a hot spring leisure vacation base collecting hot springs health, health room, nutrition food and beverage, commercial meeting, health assessment center, SPA and entertainment.
【Rainbow-shaped Bridge】
The famous Rainbow-shaped Bridge in Yangzhou history has attracted numerous scholars in this marvel, comparing notes poetic prose, leaving many precious ink and moving story.
【Five Pavilion Bridge】
It is not only a landmark of the Slender West Lake, but also the symbol of Yangzhou city. It has two hundred years of history. Five pavilion bridge has built on five new wind pavilions with extremely rich southern characteristics. The tall and straight beautiful wind pavilions look like five flower slowly wet lotus. Standing on the bridge, looking to the east, the distance of the lake is a typical Jiangnan landscape picture.
【Diaoyutai】
It is a famous Chinese pavilion building model, is representative work of China’s garden “box scene” art. Here is also a must taking photos place for foreign tourists to Yangzhou.
【Xiaojin Hill】
Xiaojin Hill is the largest island in the lake, and is the most densely populated place in the lake. Wind pavilion, Chuitai, piano room, clover bookstore, chess room, month view are focused on here.
There are four main entrances respectively in the east, south, west and north. Visitors usually get to the south entrance (Rainbow-shaped Bridge) to start the tour. There are boat cruises in the lake area in the days and at nights. The dock is near to the Five Pavilion Bridge. Taking a night cruise to traveling around the lake would be a wonderful experience, as the view with decorated colorful lights is very beautiful.
Travel Guide
【Chinese name】：瘦西湖
【Best time to visit】: March to May and September to October are the best time period to visit there, when the weather is cool and comfortable with less rain. There are flower fair and festival in April and there is a cultural festival in September.
【How to get to Slender West Lake using public transportation】: You may take bus route 6 or 17 to Slender West Lake Station (瘦西湖), then walk for about 600 meters to reach the southern entrance of it. Or you may take bus route 1 and get off at 扬大师院站 first, then walk for about 800 meters to reach southern entrance of it.