West Lake history in brief
West Lake (Xi Hu) lies in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, with hills on three sides and the city on its east shore. The lake you see today is a shaped landscape. Poets who served as local officials had it dredged, raised causeways across it and gave the places names that are still on the map. Su Di, Bai Di and Yanggong Di divide the water into separate stretches, and islands such as Xiaoyingzhou, Huxinting and Ruangongdun sit within them.
Much of this history is easiest to read from the water. If you want to see the causeways and the island of Xiaoyingzhou from a boat, start with our page on West Lake boat rides. Below you find the people, the dates and the places they belong to.
Two poets and two causeways
Both worked as officials of Hangzhou, and both left a causeway with their name.
Bai Juyi, early 9th century
Bai Juyi was a poet and head of the local administration. He is linked with dredging the lake and with water supply and flood control. For the city, the lake was a working water source as well as a place for walks.
Su Shi, late 11th century
Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, was a poet and local administrator too. The traditional account says the Su Causeway was raised from the mud dredged out of the lake. It runs from north to south, and the traditional description counts six bridges on it.
The Ten Scenes →The Bai Causeway and its name
The name honours Bai Juyi, and local tradition ties the causeway to him. Who built the embankment you walk on today, and when, is told in more than one way. Read the link between the man and the present causeway as tradition, not as a dated fact.
Our pick: the lake's history with a guide
Our take: a guide tells the Leifeng legend on the pagoda itself.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Hangzhou tours and West Lake boat rides
Lake cruises, tea village visits and day trips from Shanghai, with live prices and availability.
West Lake timeline
The dates that matter for a visit, and where each one can be seen today.
| Date | Event | Where to see it today |
|---|---|---|
| Early 9th century | Bai Juyi leads the work on dredging, water supply and flood control | Bai Di and the Broken Bridge, which carry his name |
| Late 11th century | Su Shi has the lake dredged and the Su Causeway raised from the mud | Su Di, with its six bridges in the traditional description |
| Southern Song period | The tradition of the Ten Scenes of West Lake takes shape | Spread around the lake, from Su Di to the Leifeng hill |
| 25 September 1924 | The old Leifeng Pagoda collapses | The present pagoda on the Xizhao hill, built over the old remains |
| 2011 | UNESCO inscribes the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou | The whole lake, its hills, causeways, islands, temples and gardens |
For most visitors, walking Su Di from north to south and then the Bai Causeway out to the Broken Bridge covers both poets' work in one outing. Both causeways are open lakeside paths, and the shore itself has no entry fee.
What World Heritage status protects
UNESCO recognises West Lake as a cultural landscape. That covers the poetically composed views, the artificial islands, the causeways, the temples and the gardens, not only the water. The landscape also influenced garden design in Japan and Korea.
The protected area is much larger than the lake. It covers 3,322.88 ha, with a buffer zone of 7,270.31 ha around it. The protection also stresses care for the sight lines across the lake and for the way visitors are managed, which is one reason some paths and halls have rules on access and numbers.
Legends and the Leifeng Pagoda
Some of the best-known stories around the lake are tales, not records.
A pagoda that fell and was rebuilt
The old Leifeng Pagoda on the south shore collapsed on 25 September 1924. The pagoda you can climb now is a rebuilding over the old remains on the Xizhao hill.
Leifeng Pagoda →The White Snake legend
The tale of the White Snake is tied to this pagoda. In the story a snake woman is held beneath it. It is folklore, and no historical event stands behind it.
Dongpo pork
The braised pork belly called Dongpo pork is linked to the name of Su Dongpo. Whether he invented it is a story that cannot be shown as a fact.
Hangzhou food →Keep exploring
Pick the part of the story you want to see.
West Lake history: frequently asked questions
When did West Lake become a World Heritage Site?
In 2011. UNESCO inscribed it as the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, a cultural landscape, not a natural site.
Who built the Su Causeway?
It goes back to Su Shi (Su Dongpo), who served as a local official in the late 11th century. The traditional account says it was raised from the mud dredged from the lake. It runs from north to south.
Did Bai Juyi build the Bai Causeway?
The causeway carries his name, and tradition links it to him. Bai Juyi worked on the lake's dredging, water supply and flood control in the early 9th century. Who built the present embankment is told in more than one way.
Is the Leifeng Pagoda original?
No. The old pagoda collapsed on 25 September 1924. The present building is a rebuilding over the old remains.
Is the White Snake story real history?
No. It is a legend connected to the Leifeng Pagoda. The pagoda is real, the tale is folklore.
Is this the official West Lake website?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not run by the West Lake Scenic Area, the city of Hangzhou or any authority, and it is not connected to tour operators or hotels.