Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon is one of the classic "Ten Scenes" of Hangzhou's West Lake, and one of the images that helped make the lake a cultural landscape rather than just a pretty body of water. The scene centres on three small stone pagodas rising from the water near Lesser Yingzhou Islet, traditionally lit during the Mid-Autumn Festival so that candlelight, moonlight, and water reflections multiply each other.
Most visitors experience it by boat, which is the right approach. The islet gives you a slower, more composed view of West Lake than the busy shore paths, with causeways, willows, pavilions, and hills arranged like a painted scroll. It is touristy, but it is touristy because generations of travellers, poets, and painters were right about the view.