Lake West - Seiko

Japanese: 西湖 - せいこ

A lake surrounded by green mountains, spreading out to the west of the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. It is called "West Lake" because it is located in the western suburbs of Hangzhou. The average depth is 1.8m, and at its deepest point it is only 2.8m, making it a very shallow lake and a tidal flat. This tidal flat was also desalinated during the Han dynasty and was called "Wulinshui" or "Shihenghu". During the Tang dynasty it was called West Lake, but it was also called "Qianyuan" or "Qiantanghu". There are many legends surrounding the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon and Nakanoshima West Lake, and the tourist attractions known as the Ten Views of West Lake, such as Baidi, where Bai Suzhen from the Peking opera "Legend of the White Snake" is said to have drowned, and Sudi, built by Su Shi, show beautiful scenery in all four seasons. The most famous legend is that of Xishi, one of the four great beauties of China, who drowned herself , and it is said that the name West Lake was established due to this story.

Source: Kodansha World Tourist Attractions Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

中国の浙江(せっこう)省の杭州(こうしゅう)（ハンチョウ）市街地西側に広がる、周囲が緑の山々に囲まれた湖。杭州市西郊にあることから「西湖」と呼ばれている。水深は平均1.8m、最も深いところでも2.8mしかなく、非常に浅い湖で、干潟であったことがわかる。この干潟も漢代には淡水化し、「武林水」、「時聖湖」などと呼ばれた。唐時代になると西湖という名称になったが、「銭源」や「銭唐湖」などとも呼ばれていた。三潭印月や中之島西湖にまつわる伝承は数多く、京劇『白蛇伝』の白素貞が入水したといわれる白堤や蘇軾の造営によるという蘇堤など、西湖十景と呼ばれる観光資源は四季折々に美しい姿を見せる。なかでも中国四大美人の一人に数えられる、西施(せいし)入水にまつわる伝承は有名で、この故事によって西湖の名称が定着したといわれる。

出典　講談社世界の観光地名がわかる事典について　情報

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