During the Qin Dynasty, West Lake was seen as an arm of the sea. It joined the Qiantang River and was surrounded by the towering mountains of Gem and Wu to its north and south. For centuries the sea piled sand on the shore and slowly eroded the rocks on both sides. The sediment heaped up along each headland of the two mountains and expanded east, south and north to form a sandbar, which later developed into dry land, connecting the Wu and the Gem Mountains and silting up the Qiantang River. A lagoon was then created which gradually turned into West Lake as we know it today. In Spring, the singing of orioles, the lush green grass, the peach blossom and the willows appear gorgeous along the banks of the Su and the Bai Causeways, as yachts sail gracefully on their rippling and shimmering waters. In the distance, a green wave of wooded mountains appears through the haze. It's a fantastic and intoxicating scene, where one might wonder if they are dreaming or not. Visitors will never be disappointed when they view West Lake for the first time. Orioles singing in the Spring, lotus blossoms merging into the summer sky, three Pools Mirroring the Moon on an autumn night, and shadows of plum trees flickering on the winter snow -- every season is magical at West Lake. There are numerous stories surrounding the lake. The Ten Traditional Scenes of the West Lake took shape during the Southern Song Dynasty. Each scene of the ten is like a sparkling pearl that attracts both Hangzhou locals and tourists alike. The ten sights are 'Spring Dawn at Su Causeway', 'Lotus in the Breeze in Quyuan Garden', 'Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake', 'Melting Snow at Broken Bridge', 'Listening to Orioles Singing in the Willows', 'Fish Pool at Huagang', 'Sunset Glow Over Leifeng Hill', 'Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds', 'Evening Bell at Nanping Hill' and 'Three Pools Mirroring the Moon'. In 1985, the people of Hangzhou and its surrounding regions voted for ten new sights of the West Lake, which were passed by a committee of experts. The Ten New Scenes of the West Lake are: 'Tiger Running Spring and Lake of Dreams', 'Longjing Tea Plantation', 'Osmanthus Rain at Manlong Temple', 'Cloud-Shrouded Path in a Bamboo Grove', 'Green Trees in the Mist by the Nine Creeks', 'Circular Green at Ruandun Mound', 'Heavenly Wind over the Wu Mountain', 'Yellow Dragon Spitting Greenness', 'Jade Emperor Soaring through the Clouds and Precious Stone Bathed in Flowing Sunlight'. Other famous scenic attractions are: 'Long Bridge under the Moon', 'Ancient Amorous Pagoda', 'Green Dyke along the Lake', 'Splendid Garden', 'Golden Sand', 'Jiuli Pine Trees in the Clouds', 'Tea Sight in Plum Castle', 'Wonders Gathering at the West Mountain', 'The Kingdom of Plants', 'Lingyin Temple', 'Mausoleum of Yue Fei' and 'Zhongshan Memorial Hall'.
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