Study On The Historical Appearance And Evolution Of The Scenic Spots In Beishan,West Lake,Hangzhou

In the cultural tradition of landscape creation,West Lake is the best embodiment of the ideal realm of unity between man and nature.It is an outstanding example of cultural landscape and vividly demonstrates the aesthetic thoughts of Chinese landscape.It has a profound influence on garden design in China and even the world.As part of the cultural landscape heritage of West Lake,the North Mountain has great heritage value,with three significant historical sites within the scope of this study: Yue Fei Temple,Baochu Pagoda,and Baopu Taoist Temple.Over time,the development of the North Mountain has preserved the products of different eras,presenting a landscape style that combines tradition and modernity,as well as Eastern and Western elements.Through comparative research,field surveys,digital analysis,and other methods,this article discusses the historical evolution of the North Mountain of West Lake from the Sui Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty and from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican period.It summarizes and analyzes the historical appearance and evolutionary characteristics of the scenic spots and historic sites in Hangzhou’s West Lake North Mountain,and concludes the following research findings:From the Sui Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty,the historical evolution of the North Mountain of West Lake experienced preliminary formation,prosperous development,and twists and turns of rise and fall over a thousand years.The North Mountain of West Lake continuously adapted to environmental changes and cultural developments,presenting a relatively stable landscape pattern and maintaining the ancient historical model of garden construction.In terms of spatial distribution,the landscape mainly occupies the southern slope of the North Mountain,with the mountain waist and foothills as the main areas.In terms of slope selection,flat slopes and gentle terraces are predominant.From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican period,influenced by the historical background,the North Mountain of West Lake underwent significant historical changes and entered a transitional phase towards park-like construction.The holding of the West Lake Expo completely opened the door to the park-like development of the North Mountain of West Lake.During this period,the construction of the North Mountain of West Lake exhibited a characteristic of "harmony between Chinese and Western elements."By comparing the ancient historical evolution and the modern transitional evolution stages of the North Mountain,it can be summarized that the evolution of the North Mountain of West Lake demonstrates the characteristics of "nature as the foundation,culture as the variable." In terms of "nature as the foundation," the North Mountain of West Lake exhibits the evolutionary features of "mountains and waters as the cause,development in a point-like manner,focusing on key points,and anchoring expansion," as well as "mountains as the axis,linear development,linear distribution,radiating from the North Mountain." In terms of "culture as the variable," the North Mountain of West Lake underwent historical changes in terms of cultural era,urban development,and design art styles.Based on the evolutionary characteristics of the cultural landscape of the North Mountain of West Lake,the concept of "harmony between Chinese and Western elements" was initiated and long-lasting in garden design.It created a unique case of the cultural landscape era of Beishan Street,stimulating reflections on the temporal and synchronic values of the protection of cultural landscape heritage.Based on the important cultural landscape heritage value of the North Mountain of West Lake,specific conservation strategies are proposed from three aspects: the spatial pattern of mountain city and lake landscapes,the regional characteristics of mountainous cultural landscapes,and the preservation of cultural relics and buildings.This triggers a discussion on the protection of cultural landscape heritage in West Lake’s mountainous areas,with the aim of laying a theoretical foundation for the sustainable development of West Lake’s cultural landscape heritage.