1925 Shijie Shuju Pictorial View of West Lake, Hangzhou, China

A c. 1925 view of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most culturally significant places in Chinese and East Asian civilization. While an ancient attraction, the map also reflects the changing image of West Lake in the popular imagination, as tourism became more commercialized and accessible.

A Closer Look

This view is taken from the southeastern corner of the lake, looking towards the Northwest. Around the lake, dozens if not hundreds of pagodas, pavilions, memorials and tombs, bridges, temples, hills and mountains, and other significant features are labeled. Buildings and peaks of summits sit amid clouds around the lake, mimicking the style of traditional landscape paintings (山水畫). At right (east) is the built-up portion of Hangzhou, containing some buildings that had taken on modern uses, such as schools, government officers, restaurants, and hotels. At right-center is the Japanese Consulate (日本領事館); although it never developed into an industrial powerhouse like Shanghai, Hangzhou did maintain deep economic and cultural ties with Japan in this period.

The table at bottom-center is a list of possible itineraries around the lake, with the best means of travel (which differed depending on starting point and direction), famous sites passed along the way, and helpful notes (備註), such as where a boat disembarked or locations that served lunch or offered tea. Following the table, a block of text explains that a new automobile service was being offered to travel around the lake, with a list of sites visited. The text preceding the table (at right) discusses the lake's significance and assures the viewer of the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the present view. At far right and left is promotional text for Shijie Shuju itself, including a list of its many locations in different Chinese cities, starting with its flagship store on Sima Rd. (now Fuzhou Rd.) in Shanghai

West Lake

West Lake (西湖) is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China. It is divided into five sections by three causeways. There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and natural/artificial islands within the lake. Gushan (孤山) is the largest natural island, but three artificial islands: Xiaoyingzhou (小瀛洲), Huixin Pavilion (湖心亭), and Ruan Gongdun (阮公墩) stand at the middle of the lake. Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔) and Baochu Pagoda (保俶塔) are separated by the lake. Mirroring each other, the basic pattern of 'one mountain, two towers, three islands, three banks, and five lakes' is formed. Resembling a landscape painting brought to life, West Lake epitomizes the Daoist-informed classic Chinese aesthetic of harmony between humans and nature, exerting an influence on Chinese landscape and garden design for centuries (and by extension, English and other European gardens). The lake and its various features have been the frequent subject of cultural production for centuries, including stories (such as The Legend of the White Snake 白蛇传), poetry (including that by Bai Juyi 白居易, who also served as governor of Hangzhou in the Tang Dynasty), and more. The lake has long been a favorite destination of Chinese emperors (and Mao Zedong) and is one of China's main destinations for both domestic and international tourists.

Publication History and Census

This view was produced Shijie Shuju ('World Bookstore' 上海世界書局), based in Shanghai, around the year 1925 (no artists signature or seal is present). It is undated, but as automobiles are presented as something of a novelty, it most likely predates the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937 - 1945). This view is similar to but distinct from at least three other West Lake views published in the Republican era (1912 - 1949) (最新杭州西湖全圖, 最新西湖全圖 and 杭州西湖全圖, the last previously sold by us as HangzhouWestLake-unknown-1940). All are today very scarce. We have been unable to locate another example of the present view / map.