Chaozhou's West Lake is a small ornamental lake and park at the northern edge of the old city, originally excavated as a water reservoir during the Tang dynasty and later developed into a garden with pavilions, covered walkways, and a causeway. It has the slightly melancholy quality of a place that was once more spectacular than it is now — the hills behind it were more developed in the Song and Ming periods — but it remains a pleasant place to walk, especially in the early morning when local residents use it for exercise.
The park is notable mainly for the Memorial Hall to Han Yu, the Tang-dynasty poet and administrator who was exiled to Chaozhou in 819 CE and spent much of his time improving the city's infrastructure. His influence on Chaozhou culture was apparently so profound that several local rivers were renamed after him. The memorial is a modest building with inscribed panels and portraits, but if you read Chinese it rewards attention.