Legend of West Lake

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Legend of West Lake

Applicant: Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province

Project No.: 524

Project No.: I-37

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Folk Literature

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Hangzhou Library

The legend of West Lake

Applicant: Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province

The legend of the West Lake in Hangzhou has a long history. Literary artists of past dynasties adapted and recreated the folklore materials of the West Lake, forming a large number of popular works. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 630 West Lake legends.

The legend of West Lake is mainly characterized by "famous mountains, famous waters and famous people". The legend of white snake, Liang Zhu, Ji Gong, Su Dongpo, Yue Fei and Yu Qian are the most famous. With the development of tourism, the spread of legends has expanded, and legends have gained a sense of authenticity and popularity. The collection, editing and publishing of the legend of the West Lake had a great influence on the national folk literature circle, and promoted the development of local folk literature.

Due to the impact of modern media and strong culture, as a kind of oral literature, the living environment of West Lake legend is not as good as before. Many inheritors are old, many of them have died one after another, and there is no successor. The legend of West Lake is in crisis of survival, which needs to be rescued and protected.