XiHu or West Lake has been a tourist attraction in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province since around 900 A.D. and is the site of many Chinese legends. Over time a number of man-made improvements have been made to the lake. Including dredging to obtain the material to build small islands and causeways across the lake.
We took a hand rowed tour around the lake, which is where the majority of the pictures in this gallery were taken. My favorite is the picture of our gondolier texting and rowing at the same time. We ended the morning row with lunch at the over 100 year old Louwailou (Tower beyond tower) Restaurant featuring some regional dishes with a beautiful view of the lake.
XiHu is crowded with Chinese and foreign tourists all year long, and the road from Hangzhou city is a constant traffic jam. The human powered boats are slower than some of the larger powered boats, but it is one of the few ways to get a little space to yourself and still see the beauty of the lake. If you are in Shanghai and have a free day or two this is a must see area, but then the other 7-8 million people that visit here every year know that too.
