The origin of Su Causeway

The origin of Su Causeway.

Su Causeway in Hangzhou was formed by dredging the West Lake when the poet Su Shi was appointed as the secretariat of Hangzhou in the fifth year of Yuan You in the Northern Song Dynasty. The excavated silt was used to build it and evolved through future generations. Hangzhou people named it "Su Causeway" to commemorate Su Dongpo's achievements in managing the West Lake. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, Xiao Chun, Su Causeway has been ranked first among the "Ten Scenes of West Lake". The waves lying on the long embankment connect the north and south mountains, adding a charming scenery to the West Lake. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Xiao Chun, Su Causeway was listed as the first of the ten scenic spots in the West Lake, and in the Yuan Dynasty, it was also called "Liuqiao Willow" and was listed as the ten scenic spots in Qiantang, which shows that she has been deeply loved by people since ancient times.

The whole dike body spans the long dikes on the north and south banks of the West Lake, and the dike body is composed of dredged grass and lake mud. The dike runs from the northern foot of Nanping Mountain in the south to Beishan Mountain in the north, running through the lake, about 500 meters from the west bank of the lake and about 2300 meters from the east bank of the lake, dividing the lake into two parts: the west and the east. Su Causeway is now 2,797 meters long, with a dike width of 30-40 meters, which is 0.4 meters higher than the lake. It is the only channel connecting the north and south banks across the lake, spanning the whole water area of the West Lake, and is the best zone for viewing the whole lake landscape. Planting ornamental trees such as willows and peaches along the embankment, as well as a large number of flowers and plants. There are also six single-hole semicircular stone arch bridges built in the Northern Song Dynasty. From south to north are InBev, Solana, Wangshan, Dike, Dongpu (Bund) and Cross Rainbow.