Slender West Lake
| Slender West Lake | |
|---|---|
| Sấu tây hồ(Chinese) | |
 The Bridge of Twenty-Fours (Nhị thập tứ kiều) at Slender West Lake (2017) | |
  Slender West Lake | |
| Location | Hanjiang District, Yangzhou,Jiangsu |
| Coordinates | 32°24′36″N119°25′03″E/ 32.41000°N 119.41750°E |
| Type | Lake |
| Website | ly.shouxihu.net |
| Slender West Lake | |||||||||
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 ThedagobaandFive-Pavilion Bridge(2017) | |||||||||
| Chinese | Sấu tây hồ | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | SkinnyWest Lake | ||||||||
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| Slender West Lake Scenic Area | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Dương châuSấu tây hồPhong cảnh khu | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Dương châuSấu tây hồPhong cảnh khu | ||||||||
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| Historical names | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paoshan Creek | |||||||||
| Chinese | Pháo sơn hà | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Artillery Hill Creek | ||||||||
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| Changchun Creek | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Trường xuân hà | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Trường xuân hà | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | EternalSpringCreek | ||||||||
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| Baoyang Creek | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Bảo dương hà | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Bảo dương hà | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Yangzhou-Protecting Creek | ||||||||
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| Baozhang Creek | |||||||||
| Chinese | Bảo chướng hà | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Protecting Creek | ||||||||
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| Baozhang Lake | |||||||||
| Chinese | Bảo chướng hồ | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Protecting Lake | ||||||||
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Slender West Lake,also known by itsChinesenameShouxihuand byother names,is a sceniclakeinHanjiang Districtin centralYangzhou,China. The lake developed from thecity moatsofTang-eraYangzhou. During theQingdynasty,itsbankswere the site of numerousestatesfor the area's wealthyofficialsandsalt merchants.The lake and some of its attractions have been restored as anational parkandAAAAA tourist attraction,requiring a ticket for admission and open only from 7 am to 6 pm.[1]
Names[edit]
Inmedievalandearly modern China,the present Slender West Lake was described as a stretch ofrivervariously known as Paoshan, Changchun, Baoyang, or Baozhang Creek. The area was popularly known as the Slender West Lake by the late 17th century, when the name was recorded in the treatiseYángzhōu Gǔchuī Cíxù(t《Dương châuCổ xuyTừTự》,s《Dương châuCổ xuyTừTự》)compiled byWu Qi(tNgôKhỉ,sNgôKhỉ,Wú Qǐ;1619–1694).[a]It was further popularized in the 1736poem"On Baozhang Creek" (《VịnhBảo chướng hà》,Yǒng Bǎozhàng Hé) written by theHangzhounativeWang Hang(UôngHãng,Wāng Hàng,1704–1784) during a visit to Yangzhou.[2]Wang had been the student ofLi E,who had just completed his own work on theWest Lake Records(《Tây hồChí》,Xīhú Zhì) detailing thehistory of the areaaround Hangzhou'sWest Lake[3]and Wang's short ode praised the town as similarly prosperous and attractive.[b]
Geography[edit]
Slender West Lake is located betweenHanjiangandGuanglingdistrictsin the center of modernYangzhouin centralJiangsuineastern China.Originally part of the moats,canals,and streams around the older locations of Yangzhou, it lies above the northwestern corner of the city's Song, Ming, and Qing fortifications.[4]The lake proper runs from Baozhang Lake at the north to the remains of the Qing moat at the south. The Slender West Lake Scenic Area includes Baozhang Lake and some islands and additional waterways to the west.
The present lake runs for 3.4 km (2.1 mi) and covers about 30 ha (0.12 sq mi). The scenic area around it covers at least 120 ha (0.46 sq mi).[5]
The lake lies on the opposite side of the old city from the course of theGrand Canalto its east. It is nevertheless interconnected with it by streams along its entire length: by Baozhang Lake and the modern extent of the Han orHangou Canal(tHànCâu,sHàn,Hángōu) on the north; by Cao orCaohe Creek(TàoHà,Cáo Hé) in the middle; and byYudai Creek(tNgọcĐáiHà,sNgọc,Yùdài Hé) or byErdao Creek(NhịĐạoHà,Èrdào Hé),Lotus Pond Park,andAndun Creek(AnĐônHà,Āndūn Hé) on the south.
History[edit]
Despite Yangzhou's centuries of prosperity as a major hub on theGrand Canal,the area around Slender West Lake was not particularly built up until theQianlong Eraof theQing,the mid-1700s. The area had been greatly damaged with the rest of city by theQingconquestand theYangzhou Massacrein May 1645.[1]Under the Qing, however, the great wealth of the area'scanalofficialsandsalt merchantswas used to construct lavishprivate residencesandgardens[6]along with nationally renownedrestaurants and teahouses[7]and decoration intended to welcomeQing emperorsand officials, particularly theQianlong Emperor.The lake was dredged and enlarged to handle the imperial entourage, particularly during his second visit in 1757.[8]Several major landmarks self-consciously emulate features of other locations.[9]The area was heavily damaged during theTaiping Rebellionin the 1850s and 1860s, but was a particular focus of rebuilding afterwards.
The lake was thoroughly dredged in 1979, allowing boats to again reach theDaming Temple[5]in time for a long-planned bit ofcultural diplomacywhereby theTōshōdai-jiinNara, Japan,allowed its 8th century sculpture of themonkandmissionaryJianzhento be temporarily exhibited at his original temple inmainland China.The lake was designated anational parkin 1988.[5]
A long bank planted withweeping willowsfollows the lake. At its midpoint stands a square terrace with pavilions at each of the corners and one in the center. Around the lake is a park in which are found several attractions:Xu Garden,theWhite DagobaofLianxing Temple,copied from the similar tower inBeijing'sBeihai Park;Five-Pavilion Bridge;Small Gold Mountain (Xiao Jinshan); and the Fishing Platform (Diaoyu Tai), a favorite retreat of theQianlong Emperor.The emperor was so gratified by his luck in fishing at this spot that he ordered additional stipends for the town. As it turns out, his success had been augmented by local swimmers who lurked in the lake busily attaching fish to his hook. The present Bridge of 24s (Ershisi Qiao or Niansi Qiao) is not located in its original place and probably derives from confusion with the 24 bridges recorded in Yangzhou under the Tang, the confusion arising from the general lack of distinction between singular and plural forms in Chinese.[10]
Legacy[edit]
Wang Hang's poem remains a point of pride for the city and the area remains a major tourist attraction. However,Zhu Ziqingfound the comparison with Hangzhou ill taken; by comparison, he found the slenderness of the lake offputting despite enjoying Yangzhou's many canals.[11][12]
See also[edit]
- List of Chinese gardens
- Geyuan,a nearby traditional estate
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^abFodor's (2015),p.284.
- ^Lu (1981),p.34.
- ^Du (1943),p. 454.
- ^Olivová (2009),p.6–7.
- ^abcDanielson, Eric N. (26 January 2012),"Yangzhou Historic Sites Index",The Long River,archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2024,retrieved19 March2024.
- ^Hollister (1996),p.886.
- ^Olivová (2015),p.108.
- ^Finnane (2004),p. 194.
- ^Chen (1962).
- ^Kafalas (2015),pp.61–62.
- ^Finnane (2015),p.398.
- ^Zhu Ziqing,《 dương châu đích hạ nhật 》[Yángzhōu de Xiàrì,Summer Days in Yangzhou] (in Chinese).
Bibliography[edit]
- Fodor's China,El Segundo:Fodor's Travel, 2015.
- Chen Congzhou (14 June 1962), "Slender West Lake, Yangzhou",Wenhui Daily,Shanghai,ISBN978-7-5213-0449-7
{{citation}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link). - Du Lianzhe (1943), "Li Ê",Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period,vol. I,Washington:United States Government Printing Office, pp. 454–455.
- Finnane, Antonia(2004),Speaking of Yangzhou: A Chinese City, 1550–1850,Cambridge:Harvard University Asia Center,ISBN978-0674013926.
- Finnane, Antonia(2015),"A Chapter in Chinese Women's History: Wei Minghua's Essay 'The Thin Horses of Yangzhou' (Yangzhou Shouma, 1983)",Yangzhou, a Place in Literature: The Local in Chinese Cultural History,Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, pp.381–405,ISBN978-0-8248-5446-1.
- Hollister, Pam (1996),"Yangzhou",International Dictionary of Historic Places,vol. 5: Asia and Oceania, Abingdon: Routledge, pp.884–887,ISBN978-1-136-63979-1.
- Kafalas, Philip A. (2015),"Society and Performances in Late-Ming Yangzhou: Four Essays from Zhang Dai'sDream Reminiscences of Tao'an(Tao'an Mengyi,1670s) ",Yangzhou, a Place in Literature: The Local in Chinese Cultural History,Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, pp.51–63,ISBN978-0-8248-5446-1.
- Lu Zhensheng (September 1981),"Yangzhou—Ancient City Rich in Art",China Reconstructs,vol. XXX, pp.34–39.
- Olivová, Lucie B. (2009),"Building History and the Preservation of Yangzhou",Lifestyle and Entertainment in Yangzhou,NIAS Studies in Asian Topics, No. 44, Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, pp.3–36,ISBN978-87-7694-035-5.
- Olivová, Lucie B. (2015),"The Golden Age: Depictions of Life in Yangzhou in Li Dou'sThe Pleasure Boats of Yangzhou(Yangzhou Huafang Lu,1795) ",Yangzhou, a Place in Literature: The Local in Chinese Cultural History,Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, pp.101–151,archivedfrom the original on 2024-03-19,retrieved2024-03-19.
- Qian Gongyu (1994),〈 nhị thập tứ kiều ≠ “Nhập tứ kiều” 〉[ "24 Bridge(s)≠'24 Bridge(s)'" ],《 xã hội khoa học chiến tuyến 》[Shèhuì Kēxué Zhànxiàn,Social Science Front] (in Chinese), Changchun: Jilin Academy of Social Sciences.