Solitary Hill stands alone at the northwest of West Lake, surrounded by water on its four sides. It is not high, but still the best place to view West Lake. It itself is both a scenic spot and integration of culture. Wen Lan Ge, West Lake's Scenery under Heaven, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, and Zhongshan Park are on its southern side; Xiling Seal-engravers’Society on its west top; Qiu Jin’s Tomb on its west side; Crane Pavilion on its northeast side.

Crane Pavilion was built to commemorate Lin Hejing, a hermit-poet in Song Dynasty. Legends say that they had plum flowers as his wife and the cranes as his sons. It is a place for appreciating plum flowers with many plum trees around the pavilion.