Waterside willows replaced by Chinese roses at iconic West Lake
The willow trees have been replaced by Chinese roses.
The same section lined by willows before
Seven willow trees have been replaced by Chinese roses along a section of the West Lake, one of the country's most famous tourist attractions, in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.
The lake is famous for its waterside willows.
The West Lake on the world heritage list is famous for its waterside willows.
A netizen noticed the change recently and expressed doubts on social media, soon backed up by other netizens saying "willow trees match the West Lake best."
An official from the administrative committee of the lake said they had removed the trees on March 26 based on suggestions from garden experts. The trees, sheltered by bigger shade trees nearby, lacked sunshine and suffered from pests and diseases, the official said, adding that other willow trees along the lake will not be affected.
The seven trees were all planted about five years ago, he said. City authorities have yet to decide whether to plant willow trees back in the future.
