西溪被稱為“杭州之肺”，是一處美麗的風景線，它離西湖很近，有著豐富的自然景觀，獨特的文化歷史。

　　西溪國家濕地公園位于杭州市區(qū)西部，距西湖不到5公里，是罕見的城中次生濕地。這里生態(tài)資源豐富、自然景觀質(zhì)樸、文化積淀深厚，曾與西湖、西泠印社并稱杭州“三西”，是目前國內(nèi)第一個也是唯一的集城市濕地、農(nóng)耕濕地、文化濕地于一體的國家濕地公園。西溪被稱為“杭州之肺”。
　　西溪國家濕地公園東起紫金港路西側(cè)，西至繞城公路東側(cè)，南起沿山河，北至文二路延伸段，總面積約為10.08平方公里�，F(xiàn)在向游客開放的一期保護工程約為3.46平方公里，主要包括生態(tài)保護區(qū)1.71平方公里，生態(tài)恢復區(qū)1.54平方公里，歷史遺存保護0.074平方公里，服務設施區(qū)0.136平方公里。
　　西溪之勝，獨在于水。水是西溪的靈魂，園區(qū)約70％的面積為河港、池塘、湖漾、沼澤等水域，正所謂“一曲溪流一曲煙”，整個園區(qū)六條河流縱橫交匯，其間分布著眾多的港汊和魚鱗狀魚塘，形成了西溪獨特的濕地景致。 　　to be perfectly honest the title of the park isn’t something that attracts my wishes when travelling.
　　good thing my mother taught me never to dismiss before trying.
　　the xixi wetland park has an extensive history and is located on the southern tip of the longest and oldest canal in the world, the hangzhou-beijing canal. dragon boats take you around in the network of rivers and show you a new side of hangzhou, also known as the paradise city of china.
　　to see the striking beauty of this place there is definitely reason to be updated on the legends of hangzhou which then gives this you a whole new spectrum to fill your imagination with.
　　what i’ve seen to a great extent in hangzhou is contrasts, and xixi is not an exception. our boat goes down a river which is a branch of what is called the tai lake. these waters are supposed to bring happiness, knowledge and money to people crossing them and i can already feel new knowledge coming against me as a fresh breeze swirls in from behind.
　　this place is peaceful and i can’t believe my eyes when a road and massive complexes appear around the corner. as i turn my head the other side of the river shows a whole other panorama. white wooden houses with dark decorations in traditional chinese style are spread out in harmony with the most beautiful of trees. the pink flowers covering the treetops make this scenery look just like those typical chinese paintings my grandmother used to have on her wall. put a warrior and his lover in the center and the scene is complete.
　　reed, trees and bushes are what clean the water in this area, just like the massive mangrove further south. i imagine one of the trees as being part of the lion king, with birds nest waiting for vultures to return, something i soon convince myself is not going to happen anytime soon. this place truly gets my fantasy going.
　　"this place has many different kinds of fish," my colleague whispers in my ear at the second a see something touching the water surface.
　　although civilization may be around the corner, the xixi wetland park makes you forget about this and helps you focus on the sounds of the nature, the way us humans are supposed to live.
　　this gives you strength and inspiration as well as it did many artists and literates during ancient times.
　　i feel like a female version of hercules when getting off the dragon boat, ready to face new adventures in hangzhou, the city of paradise.