[4] A tourist attraction since the Tang dynasty (618–907),[5] the lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics.

[9] A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, the lake is recognised to have influenced garden designs in China, Japan and Korea over the centuries, as "an idealised fusion between humans and nature.

[19] In local folklore, when Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BC), the first emperor of China, visited Hangzhou, the West Lake was still part of the Qiantang River.

According to Records of the Grand Historian, during his visit in 210 BC, the emperor was halted in Hangzhou by the strong tide of the Qiantang River and had to take a detour westward to reach Shaoxing.

[20] During the Eastern Han era (25–220), local official Hua Xin ordered the construction of a seawall to completely cut the lake off from the sea.

He designated an area of the lake with three stone pagodas to prevent water chestnut planting and reduce silting, which may mark the origin of the "Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon.

[19] Since the 12th and 13th centuries, these temples, frequently visited by Japanese monks, played a significant role in circulating cultural images of the lake across East Asia, as these visitors returned to their home countries.

Wars and conflicts in northern China during the Song dynasty—including invasions by the Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongols—triggered significant migration southward to the new capital, leading to urbanisation and economic prosperity.

The imperial examination held every three years filled Hangzhou with educated individuals, who often enjoyed the lake's beauty and consulted fortune-tellers at lakeside temples.

While pilgrimage and contemplative retreat had previously been the main motives for travel, sightseeing gained wide acceptance as an activity focused on enjoyment and the appreciation of natural beauty, roughly at the same time as in western Europe.

[30] Aesthetic appreciation of landscapes became a popular business, with diverse entertainment options which involved standardised routes and viewing orders made available to cater to various preferences and budgets.

In the middle of the Lake are two Islands, on each of which stands a rich, beautiful and spacious edifice, furnished in such style as to seem fit for the palace of an Emperor.The booming tourism led to different interpretations.

In 1142, Yue Fei, a hawkish Chinese general known for his determined efforts to reclaim northern China, was executed by the dovish emperor and his chief councillor.

[31] In March 1937, Zhou Enlai and Chiang Kai-shek held a secret meeting at Yanxia Cave near the lake to negotiate a coalition against Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Zhou Enlai ordered the closure of the Lingyin Temple to prevent it from being destroyed, but repairs were later made to many scenic sites, due to the visits by Norodom Sihanouk and Richard Nixon in 1972.

Unlike the more elaborate Leifeng Pagoda, Baochu is a slender, simple structure believed to have been built to pray for the safe return of a local official.

Built in 1163, the tomb honours Yue Fei as a national hero and epitomises the Confucian values that have deeply influenced Chinese society for centuries.

Guo Villa, located on the northwestern shore at the foot of Solitary Hill near Qixia Ridge, is one of Hangzhou's best-preserved Qing-dynasty gardens and is open to the public as a government-run park.

On Gushan (Solitary Hill), notable sites include the Memorial Pavilion to Sun Yat-sen, the former residences of Du Yuesheng and Chiang Kai-shek, as well as Yiyunji Lu Villa.

Modern architecture complements these historical sites, with buildings such as the West Lake Museum and a range of luxury hotels like the Grand Hyatt Hangzhou, upscale shopping centers, such as the Hubin Yintai in77 complex.

[63] Located on the southeastern edge of China's hilly regions and the northern boundary of the subtropical zone, West Lake receives an annual solar radiation of 100–110 kcal/cm2 and enjoys 1,800–2,100 sunshine hours per year.

This region benefits from a monsoonal humid climate typical of the northern subtropical zone, characterised by distinct seasons, adequate rainfall, and year-round moisture.

The plantation's micro-climate, influenced by its location between the Qiantang River to the north and the Jiuxi Streams to the south, creates a foggy and misty environment ideal for tea growth, especially in spring.

This made the West Lake the first major tourist destination to eliminate admission fees, with the aim of boosting the sales of nearby restaurants, hotels, and retail stores.

[74] This strategic move contributed to the area's economic resilience during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing dependence on admission fees as a primary source of income.

Absence of intensive management from the government, as seen in the Yuan and Republican era, often led to extensive aquaculture of the lake, while periodic dredging to maintain its irrigation function also temporarily affected habitats and reduced plant food sources.

[75] Before the anti-corruption movement led by Xi Jinping in 2014, Longjing tea was highly valued and often gifted, at times even surpassing the price of gold.

"[81] I've never traveled to Hangzhou's West Lake But seem to have met it in my dreams someplace: A vague and indistinct expanse of water and clouds Where lotus leaves merge with weeping-willow branches.

Works by poets such as Bai Juyi, Su Shi, Xu Zhimo, and Hu Shih celebrate its historic sites and natural beauty.

In folklore, the West Lake serves as the setting for several popular tales, including The Legend of the White Snake,[105][106] the stories of Ji Gong,[107][106] and Butterfly Lovers.