PLACE GUIDE

Slender West Lake 瘦西湖

Shouxi Hu

Slender West Lake winds through a restored garden landscape northwest of Yangzhou’s old city.

Twenty-Four Bridge at Slender West Lake · 瘦西湖二十四桥
Twenty-Four Bridge at Slender West Lake · 瘦西湖二十四桥 Photograph date recorded by the source: 18 April 2017, 11:02:09. · Amarespeco · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Explore the region

Jiangsu · 江苏省 →Yangzhou · 扬州市 →

About Slender West Lake

Its narrow waterway developed from earlier moats and canals, later bordered by wealthy merchants’ estates.

Five-Pavilion Bridge, the White Dagoba and Small Gold Mountain give the long waterside route distinct landmarks. Compare the bridge’s horizontal composition with the tower and hill rather than trying to see the whole scenic area at once. The present landscape contains restorations from several periods.

The lake was known by several earlier names, including Paoshan River (炮山河), Changchun River (长春河), Baoyang River (宝扬河) and Baozhang River (保障河). By the late seventeenth century it was being called by its present name in popular usage, recorded in the Preface to Yangzhou Drum Songs (扬州鼓吹词序) compiled by Wu Qi (吴绮). The name was further popularized by a 1736 poem, 'On Baozhang River' (咏保障河), written by the Hangzhou poet Wang Hang (汪沆). The lake runs from outside the old city's north gate toward Shu Ridge (蜀岗).

In 1998 the lake became one of five component areas of the Shugang-Slender West Lake Scenic Area (蜀冈-瘦西湖风景名胜区). Slender West Lake and Yangzhou's historic urban area were added to China's World Heritage Tentative List in March 2008, and in 2014 the lake was inscribed on the World Heritage List as part of the Huaiyang Canal (淮扬运河) section of the Grand Canal of China (中国大运河).

What to look for

  • Five-Pavilion Bridge spans the narrow lake with a distinctive roofed composition.
  • The White Dagoba contrasts with Small Gold Mountain and the willow-lined waterway.

Background & history

Slender West Lake, also known by its Chinese name Shouxihu and by other names, is a scenic lake in Hanjiang District in central Yangzhou, China. The lake developed from the city moats of Tang-era Yangzhou. During the Qing dynasty, its banks were the site of numerous estates for the area's wealthy officials and salt merchants.

Excerpt from Wikipedia: Slender West Lake · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.

The surrounding area

A separate city for morning tea, historic streets and Slender West Lake. An overnight stay makes breakfast part of the visit.

Location & getting there

Getting to Slender West Lake

Approach the scenic area at 28 Dahongqiao Road in Yangzhou and choose the public gate suited to the selected route.

General visit reminders

Allow room for the terrain and weather when choosing your route. Check the operator’s current trail, shuttle and cableway notices where applicable, and confirm the return connection before setting out. A broad landscape pin does not identify every trailhead or access point.

Combine your visit

A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.

  1. Five-Pavilion Bridge

    Begin with the lake’s most distinctive bridge composition.

  2. White Dagoba

    Compare the horizontal bridge with the vertical tower.

  3. Small Gold Mountain

    Finish with a planted hill and changing views over the water.

This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.

Historic sites & architecture · 历史古迹／建筑 →

Find Slender West Lake

瘦西湖 · 扬州市

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Daming Temple 大明寺

2 km away

Daming Temple occupies the middle peak of Shugang in Yangzhou. It is closely associated with Jianzhen, the monk who later carried Buddhist teachings to Japan.

View guide →

Geyuan Garden 个园

2 km away

Geyuan in Yangzhou uses different rocks and planting to represent the four seasons. Bamboo provides the recurring green setting, while the seasonal rockeries create contrasting textures and colours.

View guide →

He Garden 何园

4 km away

He Garden combines a late-Qing residence with eastern and western gardens in a connected sequence. Its architecture incorporates both Chinese garden traditions and Western influences.

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “Slender West Lake” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366629583.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Slender West Lake” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "瘦西湖", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92214090.

Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Slender West Lake", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366629583.

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