Evening Bell at Nanping Hill is probably the oldest among the ten scenes of the West Lake. Its beauty has been faithfully recorded by Zhang Zeduan in his extraordinary painting as early as the late Northern Song Dynasty. Sitting on the southern end of the Lake, Nanping Hill is made of rocks of grotesque shapes and covered by lush vegetation. It stands no more than 100 meters high, yet it extends over 1,000 meters on both sides. On a sunny day, the hill would be enlivened by its green canopy, which looks ever so bright and lively against the blue sky and white clouds, and brings such a feast for the eyes. Rainy days would prompt a very different view where the hill is shrouded by fog and appears to be moving elegantly with the wind. In 954 AD, Qian Hongchu, the last king of Wuyue, dictated the building of a temple at the foot of Nanping Hill, which was renamed Jingci Temple later and joined Lingyin Temple in becoming the two prominent Buddhist monasteries standing apart facing each other on either side of the West Lake.

Inside the Jingci Temple, there are Zongjing Hall, Huiri Tower, Hall of Jizu and Wood-Carrying Well. In front of the gate is the Free Life Pond, a common element of Chinese temples. Rebuilt in 1986, the Temple is now a two-storied building with triple-eave hipped roof, housing a large hanging Buddhist bell in the upper floor and the Hall of Kshitigarbha (Womb of the Earth) in the lower floor. The bell is 3 meters high and weighs more than 10 tons. Once chimed, it gives out a strikingly powerful sound that resounds far and wide throughout Nanping Hill.