The West Lake in Hangzhou City has become one of the world cultural heritages. As the core of cultural and beautiful natural landscapes of Hangzhou City, the West Lake also contains rich geological contents, but systematic investigation and research from geological perspective are still lacking. The Xihu (the West Lake) complex syncline and associated faults formed during the Middle Triassic Indosinian Movement played a critical role in controlling the current topography around the West Lake. The geological landscape around the West Lake can be summarized into five main types: they are geological topographic, waterbody, karst topographic, tectonic and volcanic landscapes respectively. The West Lake was formed from a lagoon and gradually became a freshwater lake after it was separated from the coastal sea during sea-level rise and fall and artificial dredging. The Qiantang River is related to the extension of the major Qiuchuan—Xiaoshan Fault in this region. The natural landscapes and karst topography in the Hangzhou area were mainly related to strong Mesozoic volcanic activities and subsequent weathering of the carbonate strata. All those geological effects not only enriched the contents in geological research, teaching, popular sciences, tourism and cultural education, but also greatly enhance the international recognition and cultural significance of West Lake and surrounding area. It is desirable to suggest that the West Lake and her surrounding area should be listed as a national geopark in order to protect their beautiful natural landscapes and keep the sustainable development of Hangzhou City.