1. Dreaming of West Lake
There are many beautiful lakes in China, the West Lake is considered as one of the most beautiful ones. It has a special place in China’s history and it received the most praise by the greatest number of historical figures. Some say every rock beside the lake has its own story, and with each step you take, you can see the shadow of some famous figures. The most famous among them are the poets Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty, and Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty. Both men came to Hangzhou for very similar reasons. Weary of the cooruption and politics in the capital cities, they willingly applied for government posts far away and chose the beautiful, scenic Hangzhou. In their respective times, these men were powerful magistrates of the area and did many good things for common people. They improved the irrigation works of the West Lake and the people of Hangzhou think of them very fondly. Two beautiful island embankments have been named after them—the “Bai Causeway” and the “Su Causeway”. Chinese intellectuals have always espoused the slogan, “in times of success, do your best to serve the world; in times of adversity, strive to improve yourself.” West Lake motivated them to serve the society, but it also inspired the, to write moving poetry. West Lake has become known as the spiritual playground for many great, cultured people of China’s past.
2. “美女měi nǚ” and “美景měi jǐnɡ”—Beautiful women and beautiful scenery
There are many poets about the “美女měi nǚ” and “美景měi jǐnɡ” about West Lake. Su Shi, the Northern Song Dynasty poet compared West Lake (西湖xī hú) to Xi Shi (西施xī shī), a woman considered to be among the four great beauties of ancient China. No matter how Xi She was attired, her beauty charmed and enticed people, and just like her, the West Lake is heart wrenchingly beautiful in all seasons. West Lake not only reflects the beauty of women, it also brings to mind many stories about women.
A. Madame White Snake and Xu Xian
One of them is about Madame White Snake and Madame Green Snake who ere sisters. They had transformed from snakes into people, and unexpectedly met a scholar named Xu Xian by the Broken Bridge of West Lake. Madame White Snake fell in love with him, and they married. However, a monk named Fahai could not accept the union of a snake spirit with a human. He set about trying to reveal Madame White Snake’s true form to her huaband. Upon seeing Madame White Snake’s true form, Xu Xian was literally frightened half to death. While Madame White Snake was locked in a fierce struggle with Monk Fahai, Xu Xian could not make his mind about what to do how he felt about his wife. Eventually, Monk Fahai trapped Madame White Snake in a well under Leifeng Pagoda where she could remain forever. Xu Xian mourned his wife and his inability to save her. This story reflects the inner conflict cultured men of ancient China often experienced. They hoped a beautiful and angelic girl would appear and fall in love with them. The conflict rose from their fear that such extremes of beauty would distract them and hinder their future prospects.
B. Su Xiaoxiao
The beautiful scenery has also earned a similar bad reputation. People of learning always assume the demise of a dynasty must be caused by the emperor’s fascination for “美女měi nǚ” and “美景měi jǐnɡ”. To linger at a place like West Lake is indeed dangerous! During the 1930s, the poet Yu Dafu planned to take up residence in Hangzhou but the great writer Lu Xun wrote a poem specifically to warn him against doing so. Cultured people usually hoped their women be generous enough to tolerate their behavior. Su Xiaoxiao, who lived in Hangzhou over 1,500 years ago, was their perfect model for this type of generous woman. She fell in love with a poor scholar, and gave him money for traveling to the capital and sit for the Imperial Examination. After he passed the exams and earned an official appointment, he never returned to Hangzhou. Su Xiaoxiao did not blame him, nor did she curse heaven, but instead lived a free and leisurely existence by becoming a courtesan. She died at the young age of 19 and her tomb is beside West Lake. Throughout history, many people of culture have written a great deal of poetry about her.
3. Ten Treasures of West Lake
The West Lake is famous for its ten treasures. “The Ten Treasures of West Lake” were so named by scholars and artists of the Southern Song Dynasty. In 1239 Zhu Mu, a famous scholar of the Dynasty, described the scenery of Hangzhou’s West Lake in his book thus, “of all the beautiful scenic spots in all the seasons, by the lake and mountains, there are ten which are the most beautiful: the calm lake reflecting the autumn moons; spring dawn over the Su Embankment; snow melting on the broken bridge; ths sun falling behind Leifeng Pagoda; the evening bell sounding from Nanping Hill; lotuses stirred by the breeze at Quyuan Garden; watching the fish swim in the Pond of Flowers; orioles singing in the willows; twin peaks piercing the clouds, and three pools reflecting the moon.” These ten scenes are scattered around the edge of West Lake.