The West Lake is located in China, near the city of Hangzhou, and is a famous tourist destination for the Chinese. The lake is considered a prototype of scenic beauty and is mentioned in countless texts by Chinese poets.
It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011, and legend has it that it was created by the fall of a pearl of the Milky Way. It is shallow, on average 1.8 m deep, has a perimeter of about 12 km and an extension of 5.6 km².
The lake is divided into three portions by two dams that serve to regulate the influx of water from the surrounding hills: the dam to the north, called Baidi, starts from the northeast shore and reaches Gushan Island, while the one to the west is called Sudi and divides the lake from north to south. The first can also be travelled by car, while the second can only be done on foot or by bicycle.
There are four islands in the lake. The most important one is called Gushan (Lone Hill).
