Leifeng Pagoda
Xihu District, China
Leifeng Pagoda is as much a viewpoint as a landmark, looking across West Lake from its southern side. The present tower is a modern reconstruction completed in 2002, built above the remains of its much older predecessor. Its association with the Legend of the White Snake gives the visit a literary thread as well as a scenic one. Choose clear weather when possible, and look beyond the tower itself to the lake, hills and city.