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Three Pools Mirroring the Moon is one of the most famous and iconic landmarks of Hangzhou’s West Lake. Known for its serene beauty and cultural significance, this site has captivated visitors for centuries. The name comes from the three small stone pagodas in the water, whose reflections merge with the moonlight, creating a magical and poetic scene. As a symbol of Hangzhou’s rich history and scenic charm, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon offers travelers a perfect blend of natural beauty, traditional architecture, and cultural heritage, making it a must-visit destination when exploring West Lake.


Information
Address: West Lake
Type: Natural Scenary
Opening time: 8:00-17:00
District: West Lake Scenic Area
Ticket: 45 yuan(boat rent included)
History and Significance
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) and is considered one of West Lake’s most historically significant landmarks. The site features three small stone pagodas built in the lake, each with openings that create reflections of the moon on the water at night. This poetic effect inspired countless poems, paintings, and cultural references over the centuries. The pagodas were originally constructed as water markers and to improve the lake’s irrigation system, blending practical function with aesthetic appeal. Today, the site symbolizes Hangzhou’s rich cultural heritage, offering visitors a glimpse into traditional Chinese art, architecture, and philosophy while providing a serene and picturesque setting in the heart of West Lake.
Structure
The three gourd-shaped stone pagodas jut about two meters above the water. They form an equilateral triangle with each side sixty-two meters in length. They are all hollow and each of them has five equally shaped small round holes on their bodies.


Highlight
During the night of Mid-autumn Festival, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, local people love to ride boats there, put a lit candle into each of the pagodas and seal the holes with thin white paper. The candlelight reflected on the water surface resembles the reflection of the moon. Near the three pagodas you may find fifteen candles that reflect onto the water’s surface like tiny moons, along side the actual moon.
The soft glow of candles and the shimmering lake together create a serene and enchanting scene for many visitors.


Photography Tips
Boat Ride Around the Lake:
Take a boat around West Lake to get dynamic, panoramic shots of the three pagodas from different angles. Early morning or late afternoon light adds warmth and soft reflections to your photos. The gentle movement of the boat can help capture creative compositions with water reflections.
Xiaoyingzhou Island – “From My Heart Pavilion”:
For a more iconic and stable shot, walk onto Xiaoyingzhou Island and photograph the three pools from the “From My Heart” Pavilion. This vantage point aligns the pagodas with surrounding willow trees and lake reflections, perfect for capturing symmetrical shots and the classic “mirroring the moon” effect.


Tour The Three Pools Mirroring the Moon with Your Way Holiday
We design private and tailor-made Hangzhou Tours customized to your style of travel at affordable local prices. We will provide a private & spacious car and a local professional tour guide with over 5 years guiding experience only work for you or your group. Transport, ticket, and dining (We find the most authentic dishes popular with locals) all we will arrange for you according your requirements. Please check our most popular Hangzhou Tours including The Hangzhou Westlake as below:
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Duration:6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities):West Lake Boat Cruise, Viewing Fish at the Flower Pond, Guo Garden, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Bamboo-lined Path at Yunqi, Hefang Street
Tour Style:See the softer side of Hangzhou on a full day built around its gardens, lake and tea villages. Your own guide and driver take you and your party by private air-conditioned car, starting with a quiet boat ride across West Lake, then a wander through the ponds of Flower Pond Park and the tucked-away pavilions of Guo’s Garden. Lunch is at a farmhouse table in the Longjing tea village of Meijiawu, with time among the terraces and the shaded Bamboo-lined Path at Yunqi, and the day closes at the old shopfronts of Hefang Street. Pickup is at your Hangzhou hotel, the pace is yours, and there is no forced shopping — just a private guide who knows where the crowds are, and where they are not.
Duration:6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities):West Lake Boat Cruise, Viewing Fish at the Flower Pond, China National Tea Museum, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Longjing Imperial Tea Garden
Tour Style:Hangzhou is China’s tea capital, and this private day tour is built around the Longjing (Dragon Well) that made it famous. You start with a quiet boat across West Lake and the koi ponds at Flower Pond, then get into tea in earnest: the China National Tea Museum near Longjing village, a farmhouse lunch in the tea hills, and time walking the working terraces at Meijiawu. The day closes at the Imperial Tea Garden and its legendary eighteen bushes. Your own guide and driver take you around in a private air-conditioned car from your Hangzhou hotel, the pace is yours, and there is no forced shopping — just honest help tasting, judging grade and season, and buying only what you actually like.
Duration:5 Days, 4 Nights
Attractions(Cities):Hangzhou, Suzhou
Tour Style:Five unhurried days across what the Chinese call heaven on earth - Hangzhou, the canal town of Wuzhen and the garden city of Suzhou - in one private trip. You move between the three by car and high-speed rail, with tickets and transfers arranged for you, so the logistics stay invisible and each place gets the time it deserves: lakes and tea villages in Hangzhou, water-town museums and crafts in Wuzhen, classical gardens and old streets in Suzhou. Every day is led by a local guide and a private driver who flex the pace to how your group feels.
Duration:6-8 Hours
Attractions(Cities):West Lake Boat Cruise, Viewing Fish at the Flower Pond, Lingyin Temple, Anmanfayun Village, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Southern Song Imperial Street
Tour Style:A private, full-day look at Hangzhou's must-see sights, with no bus crowds and no fixed schedule. Your English-speaking local guide meets you at your hotel, and you travel in a private air-conditioned car with your own driver, so your bags stay in the car and you can stop whenever you like. Over 6-8 hours you cruise West Lake by boat, watch the carp at Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor Park, wander the incense halls of Lingyin Temple, drink fresh Longjing tea with farmers at Meijiawu Tea Village, and finish on the old Southern Song Imperial Street. Your guide prebooks entry tickets and manages the timing so you walk past the lines, and your driver handles every transfer between stops, so you just enjoy the day.
Duration:10+ Hours
Attractions(Cities):West Lake Boat Cruise, Guo Garden, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Bamboo-lined Path at Yunqi, Hefang Street, Impression West Lake Show
Tour Style:A private day in Hangzhou that ends with its most famous spectacle. Your guide meets you at your hotel in central Hangzhou and takes your party around in your own car — a boat across West Lake, the tucked-away Guo’s Garden, a Longjing tasting at Meijiawu, a lunch of Hangzhou’s signature fish soup and cat-ear noodles, the bamboo path at Yunqi and the old lanes of Hefang Street — and after dark the Impression West Lake show, Enduring Memories of Hangzhou, staged on the lake itself. Coming from Shanghai? The high-speed train is about an hour and we can add first-class seats. As an official ticket agent we secure your show seats, and there is no forced shopping.
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