The bridge at dusk

The many scenes of West Lake, Hangzhou, have captivated poets and patricians for centuries. This sight of a particular bridge, when viewed with lotus flowers blooming in the summer, was described as “windblown lotuses at Quyuan Gardens” (曲院风荷 qūyuàn fēnghé) by the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century. Today, the same scenery attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists year-round.