The historic Westlake of Fuzhou, constructed 17 centuries ago

Situated in the northwest of Fuzhou City, Westlake Park is a classical garden with a history of over 1,700 years. It can be dated back to the 3rd year of Taikang, Jin Dynasy, when the local official Yan Gao excavated the lake and it became a tourist spot. During the Five Dynasties, it was used as an imperial garden.

In 1888, the garden was reconstructed under instruction of Lin Zexu, a famous scholar and official of Fuzhou during the Qing Dynasty. All through the years, Westlake Park has been well preserved and was named the "Pearl of Fujian Gardens".

Westlake Park, with a total area of about 45 hectares, is mostly composed of lakes. Most travelers go boating in the park nowadays. While in March, it's a golden opportunity to enjoy peach flowers in the park.

The park has various interesting places that are worth a visit. These landscapes include 8 tourist sights.

   

Enchanting sceneries in Westlake Park

1) Willow landscape on fairy bridge (仙桥柳色)

Upon entering the gate of the park, you can see long banks beside the lake, with weeping willows standing on the banks. The bank is called the willow bank, in the middle of which is the fairy bridge. Both sides are planted with willows, peaches and bushes. In March, the peach flowers are in full bloom, making the park a flowery place. It's the best time to enjoy peach flowers along the bank.

 

Peach flowers are in full bloom in Westlake Park in March

2) Kaihua Island (开化屿)

It's the core recreation area of the park. To its north lies the Yaojiao Island, besides which there are Fujian Museum, Art Gallery and Westlake Theatre. Xieping Island (谢坪屿), west to Kaihua Island, is a zone for children amusement.

3) Ziwei Hall (紫薇厅)

It's located in the south of Kaihua Island. The name Ziwei Hall generates from the flourishing crape myrtles growing surrounding it.

4) Kaihua Temple (开化寺)

It's situated in the centre of Kaihua Island and is the oldest architecture in the park. It's said to be built in 1037. There's an old litchi tree in front of the temple. Now there are rare flowers and trees, bonsais and root carvings in the temple.

5) Wanzai Room (宛在堂)

It lies in the east of Kaihua Island. Wanzai Room was built by Fu Ruzhou, a poet during the reigns of Zhengde, Ming Dynasty. The room was first used as a memorial hall for poets of Central Fujian.

6) Dressing Pavilion or Gengyi Ting (更衣亭)

The pavilion is in the southeast of Kaihua Island. It’s surrounded by water on its three sides. It's said that Wang Tinjun, the contemporary governor of Fujian, used to go boating in the lake with his wife Wang Jinfeng. During break time, they often took a rest and changed dresses in the pavilion, which was later called Dressing Pavilion by the locals. The weeping willows, summer breeze and lotus flowers are charming attactions. It's a place for the ancient people to sip tea, enjoy lotus flowers and listen to music. The existing square Lotus Pavilion is from the Qing Dynasty.

7) Osmanthus Room (桂斋)

It's in the northwest of the Lotus Pavilion. Lin Zexu once planted two sweet osmanthus trees besides Li Gang Ancestral Hall, which was built after Li Gang, a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination of the Northern Song Dynasty. Later, Lin Zexu called it Osmanthus Room after the name of Li Gang's house in Fuzhou during his old age.

8) Dameng Hill Scenic Spot (大梦山景区)

The landscape structure is consisted of one zone, three scenic spots and twelve sceneries.

The zone is known as the lakeside sightseeing zone.

Three scenic spots include Soughing of Pine on Dameng Hill or Dameng Songsheng (大梦松声), Lotus Pavilion and Westlake School (西湖书院).

The twelve sceneries are the Lotus Pavilion, Osmanthus Room, Pingzhang Pool, Westlake Society, Back Pool (后池), Westlake School, Swan Pool (天鹅池), Xiongbing Bridge, Chess-playing Square (棋趣台), Pavilion of Pine Billows or Songtao Pavilion (松涛亭), Mengshan Pavilion, Charm of Pine Billows or Songtao Shenyun (松涛神韵).

 

SOURCE: WOXnews.com

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