East Lake lies on the eastern edge of Shaoxing. It was once a hill of bluestone quarried from the Han dynasty on, which left sheer rock walls, deep pools and caves; in the late Qing a dyke was built to enclose the water as a lake. The lake is small, with cliffs, stone bridges and water caves linked together, and black-awning boats take visitors into the Xiantao and Taogong caves.
