Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

The largest isle in the West Lake, which is also called the Lesser Yingzhou Isle, named after a legendary Islet in the depth of the Eastern China Sea. The isle is elegant, harmonizing nature and man-made landscape. The isle is one of the top ten Westlake Scenic attractions for centuries.

The beauty of the scenic spot is the moon in the sky, in the water and in the heart of onlookers. The three stone miniature pagodas standing in the lake off the isle are presumably the best place for moon viewing. These pagodas produce many magic views of the moon in the water, making people nostalgic and reminiscent of the woebegone days and happy moments in the past. On the night of the Autumn Moon Festival, the isle and its three miniature pagodas are the best attraction for moon spectators.

Originally, the isle was merely a Buddhist monastery by the name of Baoning Temple in the lake in the Wu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom period. In the Ming Dynasty, a dike was built around the temple site, making an inner circular lake between the temple and the dike. The Lesser Yingzhou Isle as we see today is the result of a big refurbishing project around the end of the Qing Dynasty.

The stone pagodas are 2 meters high and each with five equally spaced windows. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, lanterns are put inside the windows. Their lights shine and water near the pagoda reflects the shiny lights and the moon. Waters move as moon lovers come rowing boats, producing a wavering scene of the moon and the pagodas and the waters. What could be more enjoyable than this moment and scenery? Moon visitors in their boats could feel that they are in paradise or dream.

The view of the three stone pagodas is printed on one yuan’s Chinese RMB paper currency.

Meijiawu Tea Culture Village

Old Ten Views of West Lake

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

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