The First West Lake Expo opened on June 6, 1929 and concluded on October 20, lasting for 137 days. With an extraordinarily grand occasion, it attracted over 20 million visitors for visits, investigation and business consultations, including representatives from all walks of life in China, overseas businessmen, groups of overseas Chinese, delegations of American Chinese visitors, delegations of American journalists, investigation delegations from Japan, education investigation delegations Japan, business investigation delegations from Britain, investigation delegations from DPRK, investigation delegations from Cina, investigation delegations from Bandung. Delegations from home and abroad, totaling over 1000 people, came to Hangzhou during this West Lake Expo. It is a grand provincial or even national exhibition on politics, economy, culture, education, science and technology. Its eight exhibition halls and two exhibition centers were mainly located in the surrounding areas of "Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake", Zhongshan Park, Xiling Bridge, Yue Fei's Temple and Inner West Lake, namely Revolution Memorial Hall, the museum, the art gallery, the agricultural hall, the education hall, the hall of public health, the silk hall, the industry hall, the special exhibition center and the reference exhibition center. During the Expo, Central Aviation Bureau was invited to give air shows with 4 amphibious aircrafts: 1 hydroplane and 3 landplanes. The hydroplane "Gold Horse" flew over counties around Zhejiang Province, distributing promoting publications and leaflets. Landplanes "Peace No. One" and "Peace No. Two" carried passengers to travel in space for 5 days. Celebrities and experts were also invited to give 64 lectures and speeches. Sports games were also held during the Expo, such as ping-pong, mountain climbing, men's and women's cycling, Chinese chess and go.   

This spectacular West Lake Expo in 1929 presented over 3,000 awards, uplifting the reputation of Chinese commodities, the products in Zhejiang and Hangzhou in particular, as well as that of West Lake in Hangzhou. Like cardiotonic, the Expo injected vigor and fresh blood into the then desolate commerce and industry. The Expo presented an excellent opportunity for businessmen to promote their products and to improve enterprise development. In addition, a great number of exhibits in this West Lake Expo aroused people's awareness to compare foreign products and domestic products. This West Lake Expo also utilized many means of publicity so that the idea to support domestic products took root in the hearts of the people. It's 100 years in 2010 when the Shanghai is to host the World Expo since 1910 when the Southern Seas Industrial Association was held in Nanjing. The Southern Seas Industrial Association, the West Lake Expo and the Shanghai World Expo respectively representing three historical periods, namely the period of imperialism, Republic of China and People's Republic of China. They are the three most important expos in the past 100 years in China, which are epitomes for the development of China's modern society.