Covering an area of 42.51 hectares, 30.3 hectares of which are water area, the West Lake Park is the most well-preserved and intact classical garden in Fuzhou, which is also regarded as "a bright pearl of Fuzhou gardens". With its graceful natural landscape, West Lake is tranquil and beautiful attracting many painters in past dynasties who had left plentiful praising sentences and paintings, of which the famous poet Xin Qiji of Song Dynasty (979-1279) once compared the lake with unmarried Xi Shi, one of the four beauties in ancient China.
Built in 282 of the Jin Dynasty with a history of over 1700 years, West Lake has yet a hot tourist attraction in late Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the Five Dynasties (907-979), Emperor of Min State (present Fujian Province) built pavilions, terraces and buildings around the lake and made it an imperial garden. In the Qing Dynasty (1638-1911), the official Lin Zexu recovered the park by laying stones on lakeshores, and in 1914, it was officially opened as West Lake Park.
Willow Bank - as the first view after entering the park, Willow Bank was originally built in 1930. With a width of 18 meters and a length of 139 meters, a number of willows, peach trees and flowering shrubs are planted along the lake bank make it a pleasant place in spring.
Kaihua Island is the central part in the park. A Yaoqiao Island is in its north after crossing a Jade Bridge, in which area there are Provincial Museum, Art Gallery, and West Park Theater. Xieping Island is in the west of Kaihua Island with rich playing equipments for children.
Crape Myrtle Hall was originally built in 1914, and it gets its name from the surrounded crape myrtle trees. Now, it is the service center of the park.
Opening Hours: 05:30-22:30
Admission Fee: Free for tickets of the park and Fujian Provincial Museum, CNY20 per hour for renting a boat.
Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 Hours
Type: Nature
Location: Mount Wolong (sleeping dragon), northwest part of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province.
Transportation: on private coach or take buses No.1, 65, 70, 74, 88, 109, 100, 111 and get off at the station of West Lake; or take buses No. 105, 118 and get off at the station of Hutoujie; or take buses No. 5, 22, 55, 75, 77 and get off at the station of Real Estate Market; or take buses 66, 80 and get off at the station of Provincial Construction Commission