Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

Beautiful island with mirror reflection lake at every corner. A must go by boat at West Lake.

Took ferry from the harbour near the West Lake music fountain to the island. Ferry fee including the island entrance and the ferry off the island is CNY70 per person. A walk around the island took about 30min. There a 3-4 ferry point off the island going to different part of West Lake.

You have to take a 70 Chinese Yuan shuttle boat to this small island. It really worth the money!

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月) is one of West Lake’s most celebrated Ten Scenes, famed for its poetic beauty and unique optical illusion. The name comes from three small stone pagodas standing in the water near Lesser Yingzhou Islet, first built during the Northern Song Dynasty. Originally, these structures were practical—they marked a “no-planting” zone to protect certain waters from excessive aquatic growth. But over time, they became woven into the lake’s cultural and artistic legacy. The magic happens on moonlit nights, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Candles are placed inside the hollow pagodas, and their light shines through small round openings on the sides. These points of light reflect off the water, creating the illusion of many moons—some from the sky, some from the candlelight, and some from the interplay of light and ripples on the lake’s surface. The effect is a dreamy scene where the “real” moon and countless “mini-moons” dance together on the water, inspiring poets, painters, and travelers for centuries.

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon is a peaceful and picturesque spot on West Lake in Hangzhou. The small pagodas rising from the water create a magical view, especially at sunset. A must-see place for nature lovers and photographers visiting the city. Calm, scenic, and unforgettable.

Beautiful small island in the middle of West Lake, just a short and enjoyable boat ride (make sure you get a front or window seat for pictures) and you can spend some time contemplating the well maintained gardens, pools, plants, pathways and small bridges. It does get crowded during weekends and holidays, expect long lines and queuing, but if you want some peace, go early morning and during the week. Highly recommended. Must see while visiting West Lake.

It is one of the iconic place of China. I heard that lot of stories behind this west lake. Needs half day to walk around the lake, it will be a good experience. 60¥ for visiting pagoda, by board riding only we can see moon pillars. I saw both day and night view, feel like a lucky guy.

This place is really beautiful and serene. Worth the time and taking the ferry is easier than trying to conquer the whole lake from the side. Helpful tip for foreigners on latest situation. Getting to Three Moons, you need a ferry. There are two ferry companies. Both are almost the same prices and you can pay cash too. The routes differ though. The good point about the ferry is that after you finish the Three Moons, you can then disembark on another side of the lake. This will help save time and costs. Remember to bring along a one CNY note, where the image on the note is exactly as that of the lake. See the video.