West Lake Hangzhou
Located in the west of Hangzhou, the West Lake, the most iconic sight in Hangzhou, is a poem, a natural picture, and a beautiful and touching story. Hailed as the paradise on earth, it is one of China's top ten scenic spots famous at home and abroad for its beautiful lakes and mountains and numerous places of interest. On June 24, 2011, it was officially included in the "World Heritage List", which is the only lake cultural heritage in China. It can be said that West Lake is the must-see site during every traveler's China tour.
West Lake basic facts
With clear blue water in the middle of the lake, West Lake is surrounded by mountains and clouds on three sides, the lake and mountains complement each other. The Solitary Hill, Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, and Yanggong Causeway divide the West Lake into five parts: Xili Lake, Xiaonan Lake, Yue Lake, Inner lake, and Outer Lake, among which, the Outer Lake has the largest area. Gushan is the largest natural island in West Lake. Su Causeway and Bai Causeway traverse the West Lake. Three small artificial islands, Xiaoyingzhou, Huxinting, and Ruangongdun, stand in the middle of the Outer West Lake. The Leifeng Pagoda of Xizhao Mountain and the Baochu Pagoda of Gem Mountain mirror each other across the lake, forming a basic pattern of "one mountain, two pagodas, three islands, three causeways, and five lakes".
- English Name: West Lake.
- Chinese Name: 西湖 (Xi Hu).
- Location: No. 1 Longjing Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
- Area: 49 Square kilometers with a lake area of 6.38 square kilometers.
- Entrance ticket: Free (Some scenic spots in the scenic area need to be charged).
- Highlights: Ten Views of West Lake.
- Opening hours: Full day.
- Recommended sightseeing hour: 1 Day.
- Best time to visit: March to April, September to October.
- Popular ways: Walking, cycling, boating, photography, etc.
Top ten views of West Lake
Originated from the title of the West Lake landscape paintings in the Southern Song Dynasty, the classic top ten views of the West Lake are located near the West Lake or in the lake with different characteristics and recognized as representatives of the landscape of West Lake.
Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring 苏堤春晓
Su Causeway is the long causeway that runs through the entire West Lake with six bridges on it, which is the best place to have a panoramic view of the picturesque West Lake and mountains. Dawn in spring is the best time to appreciate the charming scenery of Su Causeway. At this time, everything is shrouded in the light mist. On both sides of the causeway, the weeping willows are green with new sprouts, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, showing the exquisite softness of West Lake. The Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring is the first of the top ten views of West Lake.
- Best season: Spring and Autumn.
- Best time: Sunrise and sunset.
Lotus Breeze at Qu Winery in Summer 曲院风荷
One of the ten views of West Lake, where hundreds of varieties of the lotus are cultivated in Fenghe Park, which is very attractive in summer with beautiful lotus flowers dotted among the lush green lotus leaves. While people crossing the bridges of various shapes are erected on the water and like walking in the lotus.
- Best season: Summer.
- Best time: Sunny day.
Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn 平湖秋月
Located between the southern foot of the Gushan Mountain and the Bai Causeway built by Bai Juyi, the Peaceful Lake is a place for boating and admiring the moon with a wide view and a quiet artistic conception. It’s the best place to enjoy the panoramic view of the waters of West Lake by the lake on the north shore of West Lake.
- Best season: Autumn.
- Best time: The night.
Remnant Snow on Broken Bridge in Winter 断桥残雪
Located in the area of the broken bridge at the east end of Bai Causeway, one of the most lively bridges in China. The broken bridge is not broken, just because when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers. Looked at a distance or from a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. On fine winter days after the snow, it is a favorite stopover for you where you can stand to feast your eyes on the beautiful snow scene near and far.
- Best season: Winter.
- Best time: Days after snow.
Orioles Singing in the Willows 柳浪闻莺
Located on the southeast bank of West Lake, the Orioles Singing in the Willows is a large park planted with many willow trees and some famous exotic flowers. While strolling here in spring, the willow branches are blowing in the face, the orioles and birds are singing, forming a scene full of vitality. With a quiet environment, it is a nice place popular among tourists and locals to rest and relax.
- Best season: Spring.
- Best time: Sunny day.
Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond 花港观鱼
Nestled in the southern end of Su Causeway, the whole park is divided into five scenic spots: Red Fish Pond, Peony Garden, Flowery Harbor, Big Lawn, and Dense Woodland. With the theme of viewing flowers and watching fish, visitors can experience the vitality of nature. In the spring, you can appreciate the beautiful scenery of colorful petals falling in riotous profusion and countless koi carps playing in the water.
- Best season: Spring.
- Best time: Sunny day.
Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset 雷峰夕照
Leifeng Pagoda is a landmark attraction in West Lake. When the sun goes down, the shadows of the pagoda across the sky, forming a unique scenery, hence called "Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset". As long as the weather is good, you can overlook the rippling West Lake from the top of Leifeng Pagoda.
- Best season: All year round.
- Best time: Dusk.
Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds 双峰插云
It is composed of the north peak and south peak of the Tianmu mountain in the west of West Lake, and a viewing point on the banks of the Hongchun Bridge in the northwest corner of West Lake, with the theme to watch the cloud-filled landscape of the mountains around the West Lake. On days with low-lying clouds or fog, these two taller peaks pierce the cloud. With the flow of clouds, sometimes, they are hidden in the clouds, sometimes, they are visible. Looking from afar, it seems like a fairyland.
- Best season: Spring and Autumn.
- Best time: The air is humid but not cloudy or windy.
Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill 南屏晚钟
It is the oldest scenic spot among the ten views in West Lake. Around 16:00 every day, the Buddha bell of Jingci Temple in Nanping Mountain on the south bank of West Lake rings, and the bell oscillates to the rocks and caves on the mountain, forming a melodious resonance that can be heard in half of Hangzhou. Every New Year's Eve, many locals and tourists will gather inside and outside the bell tower of Jingci Temple to hold a New Year's bell-ringing event.
- Best season: New Year's Eve.
- Best time: Dusk, morning.
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon 三潭印月
It is the most iconic landscape of West Lake in Hangzhou. The landscape takes the three stone towers in the water and Xiaoyingzhou Island, the largest island in West Lake, as the core viewing elements, and the mutual reflection of the moon, towers, and lakes on the island in the moonlight night, which triggers Zen reflections and perceptions as the theme of appreciation. The only way to appreciate the breathtaking scenery is by boat to the island.
- Best season: All year round.
- Best time: Dusk, evening.
Popular ways to visit West Lake
Travelers can choose to explore West Lake by walking, taking a cruise, taking a battery car, driving, or cycling. Among them, the battery car is the most convenient and labor-saving. There are tourist buses that beckon and stop around the West Lake with routes just going around the West Lake (CN¥ 10 CNY for an interval, CN¥ 40 for the full journey). Cycling along the lake is romantic and leisurely, and there are many places to rent public bicycles easily along the West Lake.
For visitors who wish to take a boat tour, there are nearly 10 piers on the lake with various boats and routes. It is recommended to take a boat to the Three Pools Mirroring in the Moon in the center of the lake and enjoy the scenery of West Lake on the boat. Or solicit a hand rowing boat by the lake, and let the boatman row you to tour the lake more freely. Each boat costs about CN¥ 150 per hour.
Popular activities in the West Lake
See the spectacular sunsets
Watching the sunset is a very romantic thing during travel, and the beauty of the sunset also makes many photography enthusiasts crazy. While West Lake is one of the best places in the world to appreciate the beautiful sunset, especially its Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset. The Long Bridge is the most classic angle to appreciate the stunning sunset in West Lake. When the afterglow of the sunset falls on the Leifeng Pagoda, the glow is brilliant, and the natural scenery and cultural background are cleverly combined. Apart from the Long Bridge, the scenic spots such as Broken Bridge, Baoshi Mountain, Su Causeway, Maojiabu, etc., are also great locations to enjoy the beautiful sunset in West Lake.
Watch Impressive West Lake - Real-scene Performance with West Lake as its Stage
Watching the Impressive West Lake show is one of the best ways to learn about the profound culture of Hangzhou. The Impressive West Lake is a Real-scene Performance with the natural mountains, waters, and landscapes of West Lake as its stage. Performed in the Yuehu Scenic Area of West Lake, it not only presents the most beautiful moments of Hangzhou West Lake scenery in different seasons but also shows the beautiful love stories and historical legends that have been passed down to this day to the audience in fragmented form. The performance usually starts every 19:45 and lasts for one hour everyday between Mar. 15th and Dec. 16th, with the ticket’s fee of CN¥ 260-600 per person.
Enjoy Music Fountain Show
While traveling to West Lake, one of the must-see attractions that you shouldn’t miss is the charming music fountain show on the lake near Hubin Sangongyuan Park. The 126-meter-long "music fountain" shows people a charming look. The fountain lighting adopts underwater LED lights, which can change several different colors. The well-designed fountain nozzle can be rotated 360 degrees, accompanied by music, and spray various shapes of water columns, mist, and water balls. The performance time is 19:00 and 20:00 each night, lasting for 15 minutes with three songs played each time.
Inquiring About Tea at Dragon Well
Inquiring About Tea at Dragon Well is one of the new top ten views of West Lake, which is a famous spot to experience Longjing tea culture. West Lake Longjing tea is mainly produced in Longjing Village. Longjing tea not only combines the colors, fragrance, taste, and shape of tea but also integrates the famous mountains, famous temples, famous lakes, famous springs, and famous teas. The best time to go there is in Spring, especially a few days before or after the Qingming Festival.
Best time to visit West Lake
Generally, West Lake is suitable to travel all year round as it has different charms in different seasons. However, Spring (March to April) and Autumn (September to October) are the best time to appreciate the marvelous scenery of West Lake, as the climate is warm and sunny, and the scenery is charming with bright colors.
Spring is the season of recovery, the trees spit out new buds, flowers rush to bloom, birds sing happily everywhere, the Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring is a must-see view. In summer, the summer heat and scorching sun make you feel uncomfortable, but only by the name of Lotus Breeze at Qu Winery in Summer, the heat seems to have receded somewhat. If you are in Hangzhou in autumn, you must go to West Lake to enjoy the moon and the colorful leaves. The snow scene of West Lake is also very beautiful in winter.
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