In a popular saying, "There are thirty-six West Lakes in China," emphasizing that the West Lake is not exclusive to Hangzhou. Many historical and cultural cities boast their own West Lakes. Without going too far, in Guangdong alone, there are West Lakes in Huizhou, Chaozhou, and Leizhou… As a city with an abundance of stories, Guangzhou also has its chapter in the "West Lake Dream".

In ancient times, the area around Yuexiu's West Lake Road was once a vast lake known as West Lake. Historical records indicate that during the Northern and Southern dynasties, Guangzhou's West Lake was a relatively small natural lake. In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Liu Gong, the ruler of the Southern Han dynasty, expanded West Lake, creating gardens on the central island and engaging in alchemy in pursuit of immortality. Despite the eccentricity of these endeavors and the failure in science, he left behind a scenic spot in Guangzhou - Yaozhou Ruins and Jiuyao Garden.

Yaozhou ("the costal land of medicine" in Chinese), as the island where Liu Gong practiced alchemy, is said to have a garden with nine unique stones that shimmer brilliantly, hence its name Jiuyao Garden ("jiu" means nine and "yao" means brilliant in Chinese). Although Liu Yan, a man questing for longevity, was short-lived, Yaozhou and Jiuyao Garden endured, becoming famous landmarks in Guangzhou. Renowned Northern Song calligrapher Mi Fu once visited, leaving the inscription "Yaozhou". During the Ming Dynasty, "Spring Dawn at Yaozhou" was listed among the "Eight Sights of Guangzhou", attracting countless literati.

Today, the ancient West Lake has shrunk to a small pond, but Jiuyao Garden remains, celebrated as a gem of Lingnan gardens. Exploring the Yaozhou site and admiring ancient inscriptions, one can still envision the vast lake and cultural vibrancy of centuries past.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

岭南说 | 广州不仅有西湖路，还有西湖！

俗话说“天下西湖三十六”，西湖的字号并非杭州专属，许多历史文化名城都有西湖。远的不说，单是广东就有惠州西湖、潮州西湖、雷州西湖……作为一座“故事含量超标”的城市，广州同样有一段“西湖梦寻”。

古时候，广州越秀西湖路一带曾是一片湖泊，名为西湖。根据记载，南北朝时，广州西湖是一片规模较小的天然湖。五代时期，南汉国主刘龑扩建西湖，并在湖心岛上营造园林，炼制丹药，企图长生不老……这一荒唐行径，尽管未能贡献任何“科学发现”，却为广州留下一片风景名胜——药洲和九曜园。

顾名思义，药洲即刘龑炼制丹药的湖心岛。相传岛上园林藏有九块奇石，光耀夺目，故被称为九曜园。追求长生的刘龑虽然享寿不久，药洲与九曜园却保存了下来，成为羊城名胜。北宋大书法家米芾就曾来此“打卡”，并题写“药洲”二字。明朝时，“药洲春晓”还被列入“羊城八景”，迎来无数文人名士。

这里现已成了市民游客休闲娱乐之地。“那里有个舞台，有亭台楼阁，有回廊，我就来这里练练手，拍个微视频。你穿着旗袍，或者穿着汉服，都可以在这里拍出好看的照片。也有很多人会来这里喝早茶，这也显示着这里的环境很舒服，看广州人多么幸福。”

如今，古西湖虽早已干涸，只剩下一方小小的水潭，但九曜园仍旧存留，被誉为岭南园林的瑰宝。漫步药洲遗址，观摩历代碑刻，我们仍能想象千百年前，那一碧万顷的湖面与人文荟萃的胜景……

总策划丨郑华如 周乐瑞
策划、统筹丨谢杨柳 郑紫薇
文字丨谢杨柳
出镜丨郑紫薇
拍摄、封面设计丨赵翊辰
剪辑丨林润祺
翻译丨刘佳慧