Hangzhou

Its famous points are fishes, flowers and ponds.

Built in the early 1600s, this is the largest island on the lake. When there is a full moon, candles inside the pagodas are lit, and in the candle light it appears as though you see the moonlight (if you are romantic enough to see it), hence the name.

A powerful bell in a temple on a mountain, rung at dusk. One does not need to visit the bell, it can be heard across the lake.

Built in 1552, it is the oldest island in Hangzhou. There is an inscription by the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong.

An island made by piling dirt dredged from the lake 200 years ago. At night (summer), entertainment activities take place in the garden on the island.

Hubin Parks 1, 3, 6, and probably the numbers in between, are the parks between Hubin Road and the West Lake. Relatively newly designed as the West Lake Tunnel that goes underneath was being built in early 2004, these parks are good to sit for a bit, buy ice cream or a newspaper, and most importantly hire a boat from the cluster of boat docks at each park.

Starting at the eastern end of Beishan Road, this cause way leads to Solitary Hill and cuts off the distances between, say, Hubin Road and the Shangri La.

One of the best traditional private gardens in Hangzhou. It is one of the garden masterpieces of Jiangnan (the lower region of the Yangtze River) thanks to its incomparable surroundings and the smartly managed garden space. The garden develops as you enter further into it with regular switches between tight, closed spaces and sudden, open ones. The key feature, or spirit, is water. Cleverly juxtaposing shade and light, curved and straight, yin and yang, the garden of Guo Zhuang is a wonderful embodiment of the Chinese wisdom of Tao and the Way of Nature. The teahouse, Liang Yi Xuan (两宜轩 Belvedere of Both Good) sits in a prime viewing spot within the garden between two superb water "yards", one large and the other small. While there are plenty of "old villas" in China to visit—and many are similar—this one is also on the shore of the West Lake. The ¥10 entry fee keeps many people away, and you can have some tea (¥40) on the lakeside pavilions of the villa while avoiding the tourists.

Where Lou Wai Lou restaurant is located, this is the only natural island on the lake. At least three emperors constructed palaces are here. Besides an expensive restaurant, the popular area is the home of the Xiling Seal-Engravers' Society, and the seals, calligraphy, engraving-masters, and relics that go along with it.

This is more than 3 km long and one road west of the Su Causeway. It starts at the intersection of Beishan and Shuguang Road (which becomes Yanggong Causeway once you are south of this intersection); the causeway runs north-south. Yanggong Causeway includes Quyuan Garden (aka Qu Garden aka Qu Courtyard), which is the most popular spot to see tons of lotus blossoms (late spring > summer). The water area to the west of the top of Yanggong Causeway is Maojiabu Scenic area, with orchids blended into the water scenery. Another tourist spot on Yanggong Causeway is Mr. Guo's Villa, which was built in 1907 and is considered one of the most "classical" gardens in Hangzhou. At the southern end of the causeway, just before Nanshan Road, is a fish-viewing pond.

Five kings of the Wuyue Kingdom are buried here in this memorial on the south end of the lake off Nanshan Road.

The largest comprehensive museum in Zhejiang province. Contains many rarely-seen treasures from Zhejiang, especially the celadon porcelains. It shows the elite culture of traditional China in Jiangnan region. In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.

A famous art education and exhibition center in Zhejiang province, near the classic site of Ping Hu Qiu Yue.

alongside the West lake is a special place for people to talk with different people in different languages. Everything could be something to talk about here, there is no difference between people and people, and people that are communicating here share their own experience, own anecdote, and own perspectives toward a specific topic. This is just somewhere for people to recreate and communicate, as well as getting known about the mutual cultures.

Very well-designed choreography.

Qiandao Lake, the Xin'an River Reservoir, is located in Chun'an County, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. A small part of it connects to the northwest of Jiande City, Hangzhou City. It is an artificial lake formed to block the upper reaches of the Xin'an River to build the Xin'an River Hydropower Station. After the completion of the Xin'an River Reservoir, the dam intercepted the upper reaches of the Xin'an River into a huge lake. The mountains flooded into the lake and became large and small islands, with a total of 1,078 islands, hence the name "Thousand Island Lake". Qiandao Lake is divided into six tourist areas: Southeast Lake District, Central Lake District, Northwest Lake District, Southwest Lake District, Northeast Lake District, and Shilin Scenic Area.
In 1955, the construction of Xin'anjiang Reservoir began. In 1959, Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station sealed the hole to store water. In 1960, the Xin'an River Reservoir was completed. On December 15, 1984, the Zhejiang Provincial Place Names Committee officially named the Xin'an River Reservoir "Thousand Island Lake". Thousand Island Lake is one of the three thousand island lakes in the world. The dam of Qiandao Lake Reservoir is 105 metres high and 462 metres long; the reservoir is about 150 kilometres long and more than 10 kilometres wide; the deepest part is more than 100 metres, with an average water depth of 30.44 metres. Under normal water level conditions, the area is about 580 square kilometres, and the water storage capacity can reach 17.8 billion cubic metres. At the highest water level, it has There are 1078 land bridge islands larger than 0.25 square kilometres, mainly small islands below 2 square kilometres, with a total area of 409 square kilometres. In 2010, Qiandao Lake Scenic Area was announced as a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration.

In addition to tea, the collections of the China Tea Museum also include tea culture carriers, including tea utensils, tea paintings and calligraphy, tea stamps, tea culture inscriptions, tea boxes, tea advertising leaflets, letters, silk and tea banknotes, tea shipping and sales orders, tea packaging paper, tea shop price lists, tea house tea plaques, as well as tea customs, tea poems, tea songs, tea dances and other ancient and modern material and intangible cultural relics related to tea. These relics have become the objects of collection and collection of the museum. There are 170 ancient and modern tea specimens and 349 foreign tea sets. As of the end of 2019, the China Tea Museum had 3,865 pieces/sets of collections, including 156 precious cultural relics.

A secret military command center built by Lin Biao in April 1970, hence the name "704" project. The underground tunnels cover more than with many heavy doors that could withstand nuclear and gas attack, and an elevator that directly reaches Lin Biao's bedroom.

A stone pagoda located on Gem Hill (宝石山), just off Beishan road. You cannot climb the pagoda, but the view and surrounding Baoshi Hill are awesome.

The only Taoist temple in eastern China, also located on the Gem Hill, on the north side of West Lake Scenic Area. It is a large architectural complex comprised of different themed halls. Every year, many Taoist festivals are held here, and the temple is also very popular with tourists.

One of the least-visited sites in Hangzhou despite its somewhat central location. The main temple on top of the hill offers a wonderful view of the city and lake below, and has a restaurant next door. There is another temple partway up the hill. The area can provide a quiet escape and a nice hike, as well as the chance to visit one of the few Daoist sites in the area (most other local temples are Buddhist). It is located directly south of Leifeng Pagoda. The main entrance isn't far from the Silk Museum. If you are playing along with the "10 Scenes of the West Lake" scavenger hunt still, the one that applies to the top of this hill is "clouds flying over Jade Emperor Hill".

Just off Nanshan Road, built in 954, the Jingci Temple has a huge 10-ton bell inside. Located on Nanping Road, they ring the bell 108 times here to ring in Chinese New Year. It is also rung every evening for much fewer times. Jingci Temple is the site of the legend of the miraculous well, which can be seen on the grounds of the temple.

On the shores of the southeast side of the lake and built in the year 977, all that remains of the original pagoda is the crumbling foundation, viewable from outside the glass case that it is housed in (Pagoda Remains Memorial Museum at the bottom floor of the pagoda). With escalators, elevators, and a totally new pagoda places on top of the foundation, there is not much to see within the pagoda, which was rebuilt in 2000. However, the view of the city skyline is one of the best from here, and some of the smaller seating areas around the perimeter of the pagoda have a nice breeze and view of the structure. One of the 10 Scenes of the West Lake is "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow", but this is best viewed from a distance (across the lake) just after sunset. The entry fee for the Leifeng Pagoda ¥40/person (Mar 2018) and it's not original, just rebuilt. If you don't pay to go in, you can still take pictures in front of it.

Meaning "heart of the soul's retreat", this temple west of the West Lake is an active Buddhist temple at the bottom of a hill. Nearby you can take a chairlift to the top of the hill where there is another temple (walking up is also an easy set of stairs below the chairlift). This is one of the 3 oldest and most famous temples in China. There are hundreds of Buddhist stone statues carved into the cliffs in the "Peak Flying from Afar" section next door.

Down by the Qiantang River, about a 15-minute cab ride from the lake in light traffic, but it is a pretty road to drive down through all the tunnels and tea fields. Besides the pagoda itself, which is arguably the most prominent of all the temples and pagodas in Hangzhou, there is an adjacent park with hundreds of realistic replicas of the world's most famous pagodas, complete with mini-sized trees in front of the pagoda models.

209 meters (about 700 feet) tall, is a pure limestone mountain that is very distinctive from the sandstone mountains around it. Large stones scattered along the peak are said to resemble animals like a flying dragon, a running elephant, a crouching tiger, and a fleeing monkey. On the other side of the peak, a pavilion named Cui Wei was erected to immortalize the national hero Yue Fei. This man contributed greatly in the war against Jin Tribe during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).The pavilion was destroyed many times before the large restoration of 1942. The current pavilion keeps its old face with fresh paint.

A popular temple on the north-west shore of West Lake. It was originally constructed in 1221 in memory of General Yue Fei, who lost his life due to political persecution.

One of the oldest mosques in China, the current construction at the intersection of Xihu Avenue (西湖大道) and the Central Zhongshan Road (中山中路) dating back 700 years to the Yuan dynasty.

Longjing and other tea fields further west are best visited during the harvest period, usually from the first week of March till after May Holiday, when everyone is out in the field picking tea and the tea that you can purchase is of the best quality (tea crops from later in the year have had their leaves damaged by the rain). Entrance to the fields is free of charge.

If you can't make it to Suzhou, these gardens aren't bad, especially in the spring and during the brief period when the leaves change in the fall. There is also a peacock farm, some nice ponds, and basically a wide range of plants and ecosystems to walk through. The redwood tree that Nixon donated during his visit has since died (in 2001). The flower nursery is also nearby.

Opened in May 2005, this wetlands park is in the extreme west part of the city past the west bus station. One of the easiest ways to get there would be to take a bus from Huanglong Soccer Stadium. While it may be somewhat out of the way and the road signs have the English translation as an uninviting "Xixi Swamp", this area is not to be missed, as there are not many tourists, and it is a great way to see birds and other wildlife. The birds are especially beautiful and varied.

A spring as well as a scenic and historic destination. The area includes wooded pathways, streams, bamboo groves, tea houses, historic structures, as well as the spring itself and other sights. Admission is ¥15. Tea brewed with the high-quality Tiger Spring water may be purchased for about ¥20 a glass.

It has pandas and more and is located just south of the lake. Animals treatment here is poor. Besides a few animals which have good cages (mostly water-animals) it has terrible conditions for the panda, most bears and other larger animals like the elephants. Still, they made improvements compared to a few years ago, and it seems it's mostly the missing support of larger investments that seems to hinder further development in a better zoo. The entrance fee includes a circus-style animal show with tigers, lions, bears and elephants that is particularly entertaining for children (if a little depressing for adults).

It used to be the West Lake Temporary Imperial Palace of Qing Dynasty. It is close to Zhejiang Museum and Xiling Society of Seal Arts. The historic sites of the imperial palace are well protected and available easily.

Wushan Square and Wushan Hill are major town centres in Hangzhou. The view from the top is excellent on a clear day, and there are also trails around the hills from behind the pagoda. The pagoda itself has been modernized with an elevator and nice open-air tea house at the top, but the original bell is still intact and in use. This area also features easy access to Hefang Jie shopping street at the base of the hill, full of small pedestrian streets and shopping stalls. It is also extremely close to the West Lake.

A Song dynasty-themed amusement park, approximately 21 minutes from city center. It has numerous cultural performances for tourists, and has also been used as an outdoor film set for historical dramas. Located at 148 Zhijiang Road, across the bank of Qiantang River.

On the northern side of Baochu hill near the soccer stadium. This is one of the "New Ten Scenes of The West Lake".

A famous village in Fuyang. It is the original place for paper making. The special local products of Liyuan are mao bamboo and bamboo shoot. Many people came here just want to dig some bamboo shoot. Also, there has a famous mountain named Changpu mountain. This mountain does not very huge or high but it is extremely beautiful. The bamboo with green leaves never stop swing among the wind and the water is really clean that can be drunk straightly. Although in this place, there are no big restaurants or hotels, all the villagers are willing to offer a room for visitors. So that visitors do not worry about the residence.

The only themed museum with traditional Chinese medicine in China. Huqingyutang is also a traditionally famous medicine store keeping the traditional medicine culture of ancient China. It was created by Hu Xueyan, a representative of Huizhou merchants.

Hangzhou's new business district, including many high rise buildings and some great modern architecture.

A neighborhood built in Parisian style, including a 108 m replica of Eiffel Tower, fountains and landscaping.

A museum about go (Chinese: 围棋 wéiqí), a classic Chinese board game. The museum is run by the Hangzhou Branch of the China Chiyuan, an umbrella organization for traditional board/card games. Information is available in both Chinese and English.

Due to limitations on visitor numbers, visitors are encouraged to make a booking on WeChat before visiting the museum. However, this might not be practical to do if you can't read Chinese, as the booking system is in Chinese only. The museum has another branch in Anji.

A museum about the Grand Canal of China.

A traditional Chinese mansion and Jiangnan-style garden, construction in 1872.

The spatial layout of the Liangzhu site is centered on the city site, with graded cemeteries (including altars) distributed on Yaoshan Mountain, about 5 kilometers northeast of the city site, and on the terraces of Fanshan, Jiangjiashan, Wenjiashan, and Bianjiashan within the city site. The peripheral water conservancy system is distributed within 2 kilometers to the north and 11 kilometers to the west of the city site. At the same time, a large number of various types of remains of the same period are distributed inside and outside the city site, forming a clearly identifiable spatial form of "city-suburb division" with the city site.

Directed by the golden trio including Zhang Yimou, a love story performed with impressive special effects on the lake. There are two performances every night. Entertaining but not breathtaking, especially if you see some of the newer 'Impressions' shows. Starts from ¥260 with VIP and boat seats at even higher prices. Show lasts an hour and does not need language knowledge.

Start on the north side of the lake, and head west towards Zhejiang University, then down Lingyin Road past the Botanical Gardens and into Longjing Village. Keep heading West and south through the tea villages, bamboo forest, and scenic valleys to the river and cut over towards Six Harmonies Pagoda. Go back to the south end of the lake via the road right next to Six Harmonies, past the zoo, through the tunnels. Cycling is banned directly alongside the lake for about half of the way, so walking may be better if you want to see the lake.

The largest travel and leisure holiday resort in Eastern China, covering an area of 80,000 m². It is the themed recreation area of World Leisure Expo Garden. Includes the Theme Park of Holland Village, the Theme Park of Marco Polo's Tour, Ecological Garden, Niton Hot Spring Holiday Village, Conference Center, Tennis Ball Club, Golf Club, Tiancheng Residential Holdings. Here, you can feel excitement and fun of the 108 meters high Sightseeing Tower which is the highest in Asia, the roller coaster, flying trapeze, ropeway, looting boat in rip current, pirate ship, etc. There are also exercises like bungee jumping, rock climbing and a space swing.

A full Olympic size commercial ice skating rink located in the MIXC mall, new Central Business District near the Qintang River. Weekdays have unlimited skating time for the entry price. Before 17:00, price is ¥50 and after 17:30 is ¥60. Weekends are ¥70 for 2 hour sessions. All prices include the new Canadian rental skate, use of locker, and all safety gear (elbow, knee, wrist and helmets). Professional coaching is available at the school reservations desk. Pro shop has an extensive line of figure skating equipment and apparel as well some novelty items related to skating. Located on the 4th floor of the mall. Management and some general staff speak English and Chinese. Ice is resurfaced every 2 hours by a new electric model 552 Zamboni machine. The surroundings are elegant and clean. There is a small cafe inside for snacks. The rink keeps a doctor on duty at all times to assist with minor injuries. The rink's entire refrigeration system is dramatically displayed with cool blue lighting and real time information can be viewed on an LCD screen.

Annoying electric cars that go full circle. For at least half the way around they will be on the same route as pedestrians and cyclists. They might politely announce you should step away but they also have a nice horn equipped and are not shy to use it. Basically ever since this tourist attraction was added walking around the lake is less fun but the tourists enjoy being carted around - it takes less time, you get tour info on the loudspeakers and it also is reasonably priced. There are also ¥4 per station options, but most carts are full going all the way around. The only saving grace of this 'attraction' is that they only go around clockwise.