Myth about the West Lake

1. According to legend, Yulong and Jinfeng in the sky found a piece of white jade on Xiandao near the Milky Way. They pondered together for many years, and white jade became a bright pearl. Wherever this orb goes, trees are evergreen and flowers are in full bloom.

However, when the orb was discovered by the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother sent heavenly soldiers to take it away. Yulong and Jinfeng hurried to get the orb, but the Queen Mother refused, so a fight broke out. As soon as the Queen Mother's hand was released, the pearl fell to the ground and became a sparkling West Lake. Yulong and Jinfeng also descended to the world and became Jade Dragon Mountain (Jade Emperor Mountain) and Phoenix Mountain.

2. A long time ago, the white sand embankment of the West Lake meandered from the lonely mountain to here, and there was only a nameless small wooden bridge, which was closely connected with the shore of the lake. Visitors must pass this small wooden bridge to visit the lonely mountain. Due to the sun and rain, the wooden bridge often breaks, which brings great inconvenience to tourists.

There is a humble hut by the bridge, where a couple named Duan lived. Both of them are kind and hard-working. Men fish in the lake for a living, and women set up wine stalls at the door to sell local wine. Because the wine tastes bad, customers seldom come to the door and business is light.

One day, when the sun was setting and the couple were about to close the door, an old man with white hair and rags came, saying that he had come all the way and was penniless and asked to stay overnight. Seeing that he was old and poor, Duan Jia and his wife warmly asked him to stay. They also burned a carp just caught from the West Lake and played a bowl of locally brewed wine to entertain the elderly. You're welcome. The old man drank three bowls in a row and then fell asleep on the bed.

When the white-haired old man left the next morning, he said, "Thank you for your hospitality. I have three kinds of wine medicines here, which can help you make good wine. " Say, take out three red wine medicines and say goodbye.

Duan Jia and his wife put the old man's three kinds of wine medicines in a wine-making jar, and the wine brewed was bright red and extremely sweet. Since then, every day, customers are crowded, and Duan Jia scarlet wine is famous in Hang Cheng, and its business is booming day by day. Duan Jia and his wife tore down the hut and built a restaurant. In order to thank the white-haired old man, they saved a sum of money and prepared to thank him well.

Years passed, and three years passed. This winter, it was snowing heavily in the West Lake, and the white-haired old man braved the heavy snow to come to Duanjia Hotel. When the couple saw the benefactor coming, they were overjoyed and asked the old man to stay in his house for a long time. However, the old man will say goodbye the next day. When they left, Duan Jia and his wife took out 320 pieces of silver and gave it to the old man.

The old man declined with a smile and said, "Thank you for your kindness. I am a lonely old man. What's the use of asking so much money? " You still use it in the most important place! "After that, he walked across the snow to the bridge. Duan Jia and his wife stood at the door to see each other off. They saw that the old man had just stepped onto the small wooden bridge, his foot slipped, the bridge broke and the old man fell into the lake.

The couple rushed to the rescue, and suddenly saw the white-haired old man standing on the lake, walking on the ground, smiling and waving to them, drifting away.

Duan Jia and his wife realized that the white-haired old man was not a mortal. Remembering what the old man said when he left, he used the money to build a tall Qingshi arch bridge and a pavilion at the bridge head.

Since then, people who visit the West Lake are no longer afraid of the road slipping and breaking the bridge. People miss Duan Jia's kindness in building a bridge, so they call this bridge Duanjia Bridge. Later, because "Duan" and "Duan" are homophonic, it was called broken bridge.

Extended information Main attractions of West Lake:

1, broken bridge

The West Lake Broken Bridge is located at the water dividing point between Beili Lake and Waixi Lake in Hangzhou, with one end spanning Beishan Road and the other end connected with Bai Causeway. It is said that this broken bridge was built as early as the Tang Dynasty. It was called Fuqiao in Song Dynasty and Duanjia Bridge in Yuan Dynasty. The name Broken Bridge comes from the Tang Dynasty. The origin of its name, when it is said that the road to lonely mountain is broken here, it is named; It is said that Duanjia Bridge is called broken bridge for short, and homophonic broken bridge. There is a monument pavilion in the northeast of the bridge, and a monument of "Broken Bridge and Residual Snow" is built in it.

2. Leifeng Tower

Leifeng Pagoda, also known as Princess Pagoda and Xiguan Brick Pagoda, is located on Leifeng Mountain in Zhao Xi on the south bank of West Lake. Leifeng Pagoda was built in 977 A.D. by Emperor Wu, Emperor Yi to worship the Buddha relic.

The tower was named "Royal Princess Tower" because it coincided with the commemoration of Qian Hongchu's wife Sun Shi in the Northern Song Dynasty, shortly after her death. Later, because its peak was called "Leifeng Pagoda", it was gradually called "Leifeng Pagoda".

3. Su Causeway

Su Causeway is located on the west side of the West Lake, starting from the foothills of Nanping Mountain in the south and ending at Qixia Mountain in the north, with a total length of nearly 3 kilometers. It was built by dredging the West Lake and using dredged mud when Su Dongpo, a poet in the Northern Song Dynasty, was appointed as the governor of Hangzhou. Later generations named it Su Causeway to commemorate Su Dongpo's management of the West Lake, and built six single-hole stone arch bridges along the embankment, including Yingbo, Suolan, Wangshan, Dike, Dongpu and Yue Hong.