The Slim West Lake in the western suburb of Yangzhou was originally known as the Baozhang River, a natural river course through which runoffs from Zhugang Mountain empties into the Grand Canal.

In comparison with the West Lake of Hangzhou, the Slim West Lake is marked for its natural elfish beauty. The lake extends for 4.3 kilometers, and more than 30 hectares of its water surface are open to tourists. Over the years a number of buildings have been erected on the lakeside, including a white pagoda, a five-pavilion bridge, the Bridge Twenty-Four, a moon-watchers' observational deck, and a square pavilion, which have all incorporated the grace of southern gardens and the grandeur of northern ones.

Spanning the lake is the Five-Pagoda Bridge. Built in 1757, or the 22nd year of the Qianlong Reign of the Qing Dynasty, the bridge stands 5.8 meters high, 58 meters long and 18.6 meters wide. Of the five pavilions on the bridge, the one in the middle is the tallest, with the rest arranged symmetrically on both sides of it. The bridge is an emblem of tile city of Yangzhou.

(CRI March 17, 2009)