PLACE GUIDE

Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake 平湖秋月

Pinghu Qiuyue

Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake occupies a low terrace at Gushan’s southeast corner, where Bai Causeway reaches the island.

A blue-hour view over glassy West Lake: two stone lantern pagodas standing in the water with mirrored reflections, a moon-viewing terrace and pavilion eave at the right, and the city skyline and hills faint on the far shore.
A blue-hour view over glassy West Lake: two stone lantern pagodas standing in the water with mirrored reflections, a moon-viewing terrace and pavilion eave at the right, and the city skyline and hills faint on the far shore. · Jeff chenqinyi · CC BY-SA 3.0
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.

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Zhejiang · 浙江省 →Hangzhou · 杭州市 →Xihu District · 西湖区 →

About Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake

The platform projects over the water, making this a close-to-the-lake view rather than a hilltop panorama. A pavilion, inscribed stele and waterside buildings give the small garden its structure. Moon-viewing is the traditional association, but the terrace also rewards a daytime stop to read the open lake and distant shoreline.

Before the Qing dynasty, 'Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake' was not tied to a fixed location but referred broadly to viewing the moon by boat on the lake in autumn. A Tang dynasty pavilion, Wanghu Pavilion (望湖亭), stood nearby and was later moved to Baoshi Hill (宝石山) when the Southern Song built a Taoist temple on Gushan (孤山). In 1699, during the Kangxi emperor's third southern tour, the site was fixed at Gushan's southeast corner and given its name; an imperial reading pavilion (御书楼) was built there, along with a stone platform projecting over the lake and a stele pavilion beside it.

The Southern Song Fangyu Shenglan (方舆胜览), considered the earliest record of the Ten Scenes of West Lake (西湖十景), ranks Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake first among them. West Lake's gardens were damaged during the Taiping Rebellion in the Xianfeng era, and the site was restored in 1929 for the first West Lake Exposition. After 1949 the scenic area absorbed the neighbouring Luoyuan garden (罗苑) to its west; its buildings were damaged during the Cultural Revolution and later restored, and by 2012 the viewing area covered 0.55 hectares. The site lies within the national 5A tourist attraction (国家5A级旅游景区) of West Lake and the World Heritage-listed West Lake Cultural Landscape.

What to look for

  • The projecting waterside terrace at the end of Bai Causeway.
  • The scenic stele and pavilion associated with the imperial naming of the scene.

Location & getting there

Getting to Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake

Approach from Gushan Road or follow Bai Causeway west from Broken Bridge. The terrace is at Gushan’s southeast corner, where the causeway meets the island.

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. Bai Causeway western end

    Approach the garden along the water-level causeway.

  2. Moon-viewing terrace

    Compare the broad lake view with the close setting of the terrace.

  3. Scenic stele and pavilion

    Read the named scene through its inscription and garden architecture.

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.

Rivers, lakes & waterfalls · 江湖／峡谷瀑布 →

Find Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake

平湖秋月 · 西湖区

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.

Zhejiang Provincial Museum 浙江省博物馆

Less than 1 km away

Zhejiang Provincial Museum has two distinct visitor settings. The Gushan branch beside West Lake includes Wenlan Pavilion, a historic library complex with courtyards and a water garden. The much larger Zhijiang branch presents…

View guide →

Solitary Hill and Zhongshan Park 孤山及中山公园

Less than 1 km away

Gushan, or Solitary Hill, is West Lake’s natural island, connected to the shore by bridges and Bai Causeway. Zhongshan Park and the surrounding paths offer trees, slopes and close lake views, while cultural buildings give the…

View guide →

Bai Causeway 白堤

Less than 1 km away

Bai Causeway provides a direct waterside route from Broken Bridge to Gushan and the Autumn Moon terrace. Jindai Bridge interrupts the planted strip, opening views across different sections of the lake. The causeway’s older name…

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, “平湖秋月” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 94138147.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "平湖秋月", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 94138147.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07