The Hangzhou West Lake Scenic and Historic Area is located in Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and a famous scenic freshwater lake in China. With West Lake as its core, the scenic area is surrounded by mountains on three sides and borders the city on one side, covering a total area of 49 square kilometers, of which the lake surface area is 6.38 square kilometers. West Lake is known for its unique geographical layout of "cloud-covered mountains on three sides and the city on one," and boasts numerous natural and cultural landscapes such as the "Ten Scenes of West Lake." It integrates natural scenery, historical culture, celebrity relics, and religious art, and is a gathering place for cultural elites throughout Chinese history, as well as a tourist destination cherished by visitors from home and abroad. The scenic area contains various cultural relics, museums, and memorial halls, with diverse architectural styles reflecting the cultural characteristics of different historical periods. It was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List in 2011.
History and Culture
West Lake has a profound historical and cultural heritage. The earliest record of West Lake appears in the Book of Han, where it was called "Wulin Water." Since the Tang Dynasty, the governance and development of West Lake gradually unfolded. When Bai Juyi served as the Prefect of Hangzhou, he oversaw the construction of Bai Causeway and dredged West Lake, promoting the development of the surrounding area. The Song Dynasty was an important period for the cultural development of West Lake. When Su Shi served as the Prefect of Hangzhou, he carried out large-scale dredging of West Lake and used the excavated silt and water plants to build Su Causeway, which remains an important landscape of West Lake today.
West Lake is closely connected with traditional Chinese culture. Generations of literati and artists left behind a large number of poems, songs, calligraphy, and paintings here. For example, Bai Juyi's line "I love the east of the lake and cannot walk enough, among the green willows and the white sand causeway," and Su Shi's line "I compare West Lake to Xishi, light makeup or heavy makeup both suit her well," made the beauty of West Lake known throughout the world. In addition, West Lake is closely related to Buddhist and Daoist culture. Ancient temples such as Lingyin Temple and Jingci Temple witnessed the inheritance and development of religious culture.
Throughout history, West Lake has undergone multiple renovations and protections, forming its current basic layout of "one lake, two pagodas, three islands, and three causeways." The landscape systems such as the "Ten Scenes of West Lake" (formed during the Southern Song Dynasty) and the "New Ten Scenes of West Lake" are manifestations of the perfect combination of West Lake's historical culture and natural scenery, and have become models of classical Chinese garden art.
Major Attractions
Su Causeway in Spring Dawn
Su Causeway in Spring Dawn is the first of the "Ten Scenes of West Lake." It is located on the west side of West Lake, starting from the foot of Nanping Mountain in the south and ending at the foot of Qixia Ridge in the north, with a total length of 2.8 kilometers. Su Causeway was built under the supervision of Su Shi during his tenure as Prefect of Hangzhou in the Northern Song Dynasty. There are six stone arch bridges on the causeway, from south to north: Yingbo Bridge, Suolan Bridge, Wangshan Bridge, Yadi Bridge, Dongpu Bridge, and Kuahong Bridge. In spring, peach blossoms bloom along the causeway and willows sway gently, creating a charming scene. It is an excellent place to enjoy West Lake's spring scenery and attracts a large number of tourists every year for spring outings.
Melting Snow on Broken Bridge
Melting Snow on Broken Bridge is one of the "Ten Scenes of West Lake." It is located at the eastern end of Bai Causeway on West Lake, connecting Beishan Street and Bai Causeway. The name "Broken Bridge" comes from the fact that it stands alone in the lake. After snow in winter, the snow and ice on the sunny side of the bridge melt, while remnants of snow remain on the shady side. Seen from a distance, the bridge appears indistinct, seeming broken yet not broken, forming the unique "Melting Snow on Broken Bridge" scene. Broken Bridge is also the place where Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian meet in the folk legend The Legend of the White Snake, adding a romantic flavor. It is one of the iconic attractions of West Lake.
Autumn Moon over Calm Lake
Autumn Moon over Calm Lake is located at the western end of Bai Causeway on West Lake, backed by Gushan and facing the outer lake. With a broad field of vision, it is the best place to view the autumn moon over West Lake. On a clear autumn night, the lake surface is as calm as a mirror and the bright moon hangs high, with moonlight and lake water reflecting each other, creating a quiet and beautiful picture. Within the scenic area are structures such as the Imperial Stele Pavilion and the Autumn Moon over Calm Lake Pavilion, reflecting the elegance and refinement of Jiangnan gardens. The plaque for "Autumn Moon over Calm Lake" was inscribed by Emperor Kangxi.
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow is one of the "Ten Scenes of West Lake." It is located at the top of Xizhao Mountain on the south shore of West Lake. Leifeng Pagoda was first built in the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Northern Song Dynasty (977). The original pagoda collapsed in 1924, and the existing Leifeng Pagoda was rebuilt on the original site in 2002. It is 71.679 meters high and is a pavilion-style pagoda. Whenever the sun sets in the west, the pagoda's shadow slants and the afterglow falls on the lake, creating a magnificent scene, hence the name "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow." The pagoda is equipped with elevators, and visitors can climb up to enjoy distant views and overlook West Lake and Hangzhou City.
Lingyin Temple
Lingyin Temple is located beside Feilai Peak northwest of West Lake. It was founded in the first year of the Xianhe era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326) and is the earliest famous temple in Hangzhou, as well as one of the ten great ancient temples of Chinese Zen Buddhism. The temple covers an area of about 87,000 square meters. Its main buildings include the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, and the Medicine Master Hall. The Mahavira Hall enshrines a 19.6-meter-high Sakyamuni Buddha statue, carved and assembled from 24 pieces of camphor wood, majestic in scale. Lingyin Temple has a quiet environment with towering ancient trees and is an important place for Buddhist believers to worship and tourists to visit.
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon is one of the "Ten Scenes of West Lake." It is located on Xiaoyingzhou in the middle of West Lake, the largest island in West Lake, with an area of about 7 hectares. In the lake south of the island stand three stone pagodas, built by Su Shi in the Northern Song Dynasty. Each pagoda is 2 meters high, with a spherical body that is hollow inside and has five small round holes on the surface. On Mid-Autumn night, candles are lit inside the pagodas, and the candlelight shines through the small round holes and is reflected in the lake, forming the wondrous scene of "one moon in the sky, three reflections in the lake." Hence the name "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon." Visitors can take a boat to the island and enjoy the lake and mountain scenery.
Cuisine
West Lake Vinegar Fish
West Lake Vinegar Fish is a traditional famous dish of Hangzhou, known as "the finest fish under heaven." It uses fresh grass carp as its ingredient. Before cooking, the fish is kept in water without food for one or two days to remove any muddy taste. During preparation, the fish is steamed and then topped with a sweet-and-sour sauce made from sugar, vinegar, minced ginger, and other ingredients. The fish is tender, sweet, and sour, with a crab-like flavor. Authentic West Lake Vinegar Fish can be tasted at time-honored restaurants such as Louwailou around the West Lake scenic area.
Dongpo Pork
Dongpo Pork is named after the Northern Song writer Su Shi and is a classic Hangzhou dish. It uses pork belly as its ingredient, cut into large pieces and braised for several hours with yellow wine, soy sauce, rock sugar, and other seasonings. The finished meat is bright red, rich but not greasy, and tender and flavorful. It is said that when Su Shi served as Prefect of Hangzhou, he popularized the method of making this dish. Today, in restaurants around West Lake, Dongpo Pork is a dish deeply loved by tourists.
West Lake Longjing Shrimp
West Lake Longjing Shrimp is made mainly with Hangzhou's specialty West Lake Longjing tea and fresh shrimp. The tea leaves selected are pre-Qingming Longjing, with a refreshing fragrance; the shrimp are white and tender. After being stir-fried with the tea leaves, the dish has both the freshness of shrimp and the fragrance of tea, with elegant colors and a delicious taste. This dish is a representative of "tea cuisine" in Hangzhou's food culture and can be tasted at restaurants near the West Lake scenic area.
Dingsheng Cake
Dingsheng Cake is a traditional Hangzhou pastry commonly found in snack shops around West Lake. It uses glutinous rice flour and japonica rice flour as ingredients, adds brown sugar or white sugar, and has red bean paste filling in the middle. It is made into a diamond shape with the words "Dingsheng" printed on top. Dingsheng Cake has a soft texture and a sweet taste. It is said to originate from the Southern Song Dynasty and symbolizes good fortune and wishes coming true. It is deeply loved by tourists and local residents.
Tickets：
Admission is free, but some attractions within the scenic area require separate tickets. For example, the Leifeng Pagoda combination ticket is 95 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "Hangzhou West Lake Scenic and Historic Area" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours：
Free open areas (such as Su Causeway and Bai Causeway) are open 24 hours a day. The opening hours of paid attractions vary: Lingyin Temple is open from 7:30 to 17:00 (winter) and 7:00 to 18:00 (summer); Leifeng Pagoda is open from 8:00 to 20:30 (March 15 to October 31) and 8:00 to 17:30 (November 1 to March 14 of the following year); Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (Xiaoyingzhou) is open from 8:00 to 17:00 (adjusted according to boat schedules); Yuewang Temple is open from 7:30 to 17:30 (April 1 to October 31) and 7:30 to 17:00 (November 1 to March 31 of the following year). Visitors are advised to check the specific opening hours of each attraction in advance and arrange their itineraries reasonably.
Suggested Tour Route：
Visitors can choose a one-day tour route: In the morning, start from Broken Bridge, stroll along Bai Causeway to Autumn Moon over Calm Lake, and enjoy the morning scenery of West Lake. This section is about 1.5 kilometers and takes about 30 minutes on foot. Then go to Gushan and visit the Zhejiang Provincial Museum (free), Xiling Seal Engravers' Society, and other sites, with a tour time of about 1.5 hours. Have lunch at a restaurant near Gushan at noon. In the afternoon, take a boat from Gushan Pier to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, go ashore to visit, and spend about 1.5 hours. Take a boat back to Huagang Pier and visit Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor for about 1 hour. After that, walk along Su Causeway to Leifeng Pagoda and climb the pagoda for distant views, taking about 1.5 hours. In the evening, enjoy the Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow scene near Leifeng Pagoda. The whole journey takes about 8 hours, and visitors can adjust appropriately according to their interests and physical strength.
Transportation：
Bus: Many Hangzhou bus routes reach the West Lake scenic area, such as Routes 7, 27, 51, 52, and Tour Route 2. They can respectively reach bus stops near attractions such as Broken Bridge, Su Causeway, and Lingyin Temple. Fares start at 2 yuan.
Subway: Take Hangzhou Metro Line 1 to "Longxiangqiao Station" and walk about 10 minutes to reach the Hubin scenic area by West Lake; take Metro Line 2 to "Fengqi Road Station" or "Wulinmen Station" and walk or transfer to a bus to reach the West Lake scenic area.
Taxi: The starting fare for taxis in Hangzhou is 13 yuan (within 3 kilometers), and 2.5 yuan per kilometer beyond 3 kilometers. Taxi fares from various points in Hangzhou to the West Lake scenic area vary by distance, generally between 10 and 30 yuan.
Boat: There are multiple piers in the West Lake scenic area, providing round-the-lake cruise services and boat services to and from various islands, such as Hubin Pier, Huagang Pier, and Yuewang Temple Pier. Ticket prices vary according to different routes, generally between 45 and 70 yuan.
Self-driving: There are multiple parking lots around the West Lake scenic area, such as Hubin Parking Lot and Su Causeway Parking Lot, but parking spaces are tight on holidays. The charging standard is about 10 to 20 yuan per hour. It is recommended to choose public transportation as much as possible.
Must-Visit Attractions：
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon: Located on Xiaoyingzhou in the middle of West Lake, with three 2-meter-high stone pagodas in the lake south of the island. On Mid-Autumn night, visitors can enjoy the wondrous "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon" scene. It is one of the iconic landscapes of West Lake and requires a boat to reach the island. The ticket including the boat is 70 yuan per person.
Su Causeway in Spring Dawn: 2.8 kilometers long, with six stone arch bridges on the causeway. In spring, peach blossoms bloom and the scenery is beautiful. It is the first of the "Ten Scenes of West Lake," free and open, suitable for strolling and enjoying the scenery.
Lingyin Temple: Founded in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it is one of the ten great ancient temples of Chinese Zen Buddhism. Inside the temple is a 19.6-meter-high Sakyamuni Buddha statue. The Feilai Peak scenic area ticket is 45 yuan per person, and the Lingyin Temple incense ticket is 30 yuan per person. It is a must-visit place to experience Buddhist culture.
Melting Snow on Broken Bridge: An iconic attraction of West Lake, famous for the legend of The Legend of the White Snake. The winter snow scenery is unique. It is free and open and a popular spot for tourists to take photos.
Travel Tips：
Suggested visiting time is 2 to 3 days, allowing sufficient time to tour West Lake and surrounding attractions and experience Hangzhou's slow-paced life.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best seasons to visit West Lake. In spring, visitors can enjoy peach and cherry blossoms; in autumn, the climate is pleasant and suitable for strolling.
To taste West Lake cuisine, visitors can choose time-honored restaurants such as Louwailou and Zhiweiguan, but these restaurants are popular and may require queuing. Characteristic small restaurants around the scenic area are also good choices.
When touring West Lake, visitors can combine walking and boating, which allows them to enjoy the scenery along the way and save energy. For boat tours, the round-the-lake route can be chosen to enjoy West Lake scenery from all directions.
Check the opening hours and ticket information of each attraction in advance, especially paid attractions such as Lingyin Temple and Leifeng Pagoda. Tickets can be purchased in advance through official channels to avoid on-site queuing.
Notes：
There are many tourists in the West Lake scenic area, especially on holidays. Take care of personal belongings to prevent loss.
When touring by the lake, pay attention to safety and do not approach dangerous areas near the lake. Visitors with children in particular should keep an eye on them.
Littering is prohibited in the scenic area. Protect the environment, do not pick flowers or branches at will, and abide by the scenic area's regulations.
When taking a boat, follow the boating regulations, wear life jackets properly, do not play or roughhouse on the boat, and follow the instructions of staff.
In temples such as Lingyin Temple, loud noise is prohibited. When visiting, respect religious customs, do not touch Buddha statues or other religious items, and dress appropriately.
The West Lake scenic area is large. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes for long walks; in summer, pay attention to sun protection and carry a sunshade, sunscreen, etc.; in winter, pay attention to keeping warm.
When buying specialties, choose legitimate shops and avoid buying counterfeit or inferior goods from street vendors.