China Travel Guides
Last updated 2026-08-24

Hangzhou Travel Guide: Six Places Worth Visiting and a Three-Day Itinerary

West Lake was China's first 5A scenic area to charge no entry fee — a claim that's been repeated for years, and checking the public sources, it turns out to be true. I went through the sights around West Lake one by one; what's left by the lake each has its own story. Lingyin Temple was built in the Eastern Jin; Leifeng Pagoda carries the Legend of the White Snake; Liuhe Pagoda was Qian Chu's device to calm the tidal bore; the Yue Fei Temple is where Yue Fei is buried; and Hefang Street has been bustling from the Song down to today. This list is ordered by the lake's orientation: start at the lakeside, head north into the temples, south to the pagodas, and finally drop back into the old city.

When to come to Hangzhou

Hangzhou has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons — spring and autumn are short, winter and summer long. The annual average temperature is 17.5°C. The most uncomfortable stretches are the early-summer plum rains (meiyu) and the midsummer drought (fuhan): the plum rains run roughly from mid-June to mid-July, hot and humid, followed by typhoon-prone August. Autumn is most pleasant — crisp air, plenty of sun, and the lake at its best. To save money and avoid crowds, come in spring or autumn and steer clear of holidays. Winter works too, though the wind by the lake is cold — dress warmly.

West Lake — walk a circuit first

The lake and mountain reflections of West Lake
Bird's-eye view of West Lake. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by MasaneMiyaPA, CC BY-SA 4.0.

West Lake covers about 6.39 square kilometers; a circuit is close to 15 km. The lake is divided into several water surfaces by Gu Hill, the Bai Causeway, the Su Causeway, and the Yanggong Causeway — walking a circuit is just the way to understand it. The Su Causeway was built by the Northern Song's Su Shi when he oversaw the dredging of West Lake: heaped from the silt dug out, with six stone-arch bridges along it, later generations named it for him. The Bai Causeway was then called Baisha Dike; the name was borrowed to honor Bai Juyi, who served as Hangzhou's prefect and built water works. "One hill, two pagodas, three isles, four causeways, five lakes" describes the lake's grand layout.

In 2011, the Hangzhou West Lake Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the World Heritage list. Worth mentioning separately on the lake is "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon" — three stone pagodas standing in the lake's heart, the motif on the back of the one-yuan note. Most of the parks along the shore are free; the "Ten Views" — Orioles Singing in the Willows, Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor, Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard — come one after another every few steps. If you have the stamina, walk the whole circuit; if time is tight, take the circuit bus; but the Bai or Su Causeway you should at least walk one of end to end.

Lingyin Temple and Flying Peak (Feilai Feng)

The Mahavira Hall of Lingyin Temple
The Mahavira Hall of Lingyin Temple. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Tyg728, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stone carvings on the Flying Peak cliff
Carvings on Flying Peak. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Gisling, GFDL and CC BY-SA 3.0 (multi-license).

Lingyin Temple lies northwest of West Lake, in the foothills between Flying Peak and North High Peak. In the first year of the Xianhe era of the Eastern Jin (326), the Indian monk Huili saw the place's strange and secluded beauty and judged it where "immortals hide," and built the temple, naming it Lingyin ("Hidden Spirit"). It is one of China's ten great ancient temples, and the legend of the monk Ji Gong is attached to it. When the Kangxi Emperor toured the south he bestowed the name "Yunlin Chan Temple," though the folk still call it Lingyin. The Mahavira Hall has three tiers of eaves and stands 33.6 meters; the seated Shakyamuni inside was carved in 1956, 19.6 meters tall, the whole figure sculpted from camphor wood — China's largest wood-carved Buddha.

Flying Peak, at the temple gate, is even more worth seeing first. The cliff carvings run from the Five Dynasties through the Yuan and are a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level; 232 Song-era figures survive, and the Yuan carvings are the largest surviving group of Yuan sculpture in China. The figures are carved into the cliffs and caves — you can see them without entering the temple.

Leifeng Pagoda

Leifeng Pagoda and the lake at dusk
Sunset glow at Leifeng. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Yinweichen, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Leifeng Pagoda stands on Leifeng, on the lake's southeast shore, built by Qian Chu, king of Wuyue in the Five Dynasties; its original name was Huangfei Pagoda. In the Legend of the White Snake, the monk Fahai traps the White Snake beneath it — this is the very pagoda. The old pagoda collapsed in September 1924, leaving only its base; it was rebuilt on the original site in 2002, the new tower sheathing the old white-brick base, and from atop you can see the old ruined stump below. "Sunset glow at Leifeng" is one of the West Lake Ten Views; at dusk, looking across the lake at the pagoda, is its most famous image. North across the lake, on Gem Hill, stands the Baochu Pagoda — the two pagodas face each other from afar.

Liuhe Pagoda

Liuhe Pagoda by the Qiantang River
Liuhe Pagoda. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Liuhe Pagoda stands on Yuelun Hill by the Qiantang River. In the third year of Kaibao in the Northern Song (970), the Wuyue king Qian Chu ordered it built — said to calm the Qiantang tidal bore and to enshrine Buddhist relics. The surviving body is a Southern Song rebuild, with exterior eaves restored in the Qing and after. It appears to have thirteen stories but is actually seven, 59.89 meters tall, and was listed among the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level in 1961. By the river, it has an open view; from the top you can see the Qiantang and the bridge across it. In "Water Margin," the monk Lu Zhishen hears the tide by Liuhe Pagoda and attains nirvana seated — set in this very area.

Yue Fei Temple (Yuewang Miao)

Front of the Yue Fei Temple, Hangzhou
The Yue Fei Temple. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Siyuwj, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Yue Fei Temple stands at the northwest corner of West Lake, at the southern foot of Qixia Hill. First built in the 14th year of Jiading in the Southern Song (1221), it is where Yue Fei is buried — hence "Yue's Tomb" — and was listed among Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level in 1961. In 1142 Yue Fei was put to death at Fengbo Pavilion on trumped-up charges; a jailer named Kui Shun stole out his body and buried it. Twenty years later the Xiaozong Emperor posthumously exonerated him and had the remains moved to the present site. The temple was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in 1979. In the main hall, the Hall of Loyal Martyrs, Yue Fei's seated statue is 4.5 meters; the four characters "Return our mountains and rivers" hanging behind, in Yue Fei's own hand. Before the tomb, inside an iron railing, kneel cast-iron figures of Qin Hui, Lady Wang, and the others; every visitor looks, then moves on to the stele gallery.

Hefang Street

Street scene and shops on Hefang Street
Hefang Street. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hefang Street lies at the foot of Wu Hill, in Shangcheng District, paired with Zhongshan Middle Road (the Southern Song Imperial Street) as the "four corners." From the Song through the early Republic it was Hangzhou's most important commercial district. Today the whole street is part of the Qinghefang Historic Block, a national AAAA scenic area, with around a hundred old-name shops. The Huqingyutang, founded by the merchant-official Hu Xueyan, opens onto this street, now a Chinese-medicine museum worth a look. The street has both food and goods — antiques and calligraphy mixed with pastries and braised snacks; when you're tired, find a teahouse and sit down to a cup of West Lake Longjing.

Eating in Hangzhou

Hangzhou cuisine (Hangbang) is known for being light and elegant, emphasizing original flavors. West Lake fish in vinegar, Dongpo pork, and Longjing shrimp are the signatures; old houses like Louwailou and Zhiweiguan all make them. Beggar's chicken, old-duck stew, "Sister Song's" fish soup, and crisp-fried "xiangling" are also regulars on the menu. Street snacks are another stream — pian'er chuan noodles, xiaolong buns, "cat ears," and scallion-wrapped fried dough (congbao hui'er) — filling and cheap. Congbao hui'er is a Hangzhou-only snack: a thin flatbread wrapped around fried dough stick and scallion, pressed on a griddle, brushed with sweet bean sauce. For tea there's no shortage of places, with over seven hundred teahouses on Hangzhou's streets. West Lake Longjing's four producing areas — the Lion, Dragon, Cloud, and Tiger hills — all sit on the mountains around the lake.

How to arrange the route

Three days is comfortable, ordered by the lake's orientation.

Day one, around the lake: walk the Bai and Su causeways in the morning; lunch around Gu Hill; Leifeng Pagoda in the afternoon; sunset glow at Leifeng at dusk.

Day two: Lingyin Temple and Flying Peak in the morning; down the hill in the afternoon, on the way to the Yue Fei Temple — both in the lake's northwest quarter.

Day three: Liuhe Pagoda by the river for the Qiantang, back to the city in the afternoon for Hefang Street. With a day to spare, add Longjing Village for tea, or take a boat onto the lake.

Things to confirm before you go

Frequently asked questions

How many days for Hangzhou?

Three days is comfortable and covers the main sights. If you're rushing, you can compress to two — but tiring.

Which season is best for Hangzhou?

Spring and autumn, especially autumn — lots of sun, and the lake at its finest. Summer is humid-hot with the plum rains, and you must dodge typhoons.

Does West Lake charge admission?

Most parks along the shore are free; it was China's first 5A scenic area to charge no entry fee. Climbing pagodas, taking boats, and some individual sights carry separate fees.

How to buy tickets for Lingyin Temple and Flying Peak?

The two sights adjoin each other and currently share a combined ticket; for specifics on price and how to buy, go by the scenic area's official notice.

Where to watch the Qiantang tidal bore?

Around Liuhe Pagoda is a popular viewing point; the bore is largest around the 18th of the 8th lunar month — and mind your safety when viewing.

Sources

The facts in this article were checked against the following Chinese Wikipedia entries, retrieved August 11, 2026.

  1. Hangzhou (city) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/杭州市
  2. West Lake https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/西湖
  3. Lingyin Temple https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/灵隐寺
  4. Flying Peak carvings https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/飞来峰(杭州)
  5. Leifeng Pagoda https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/雷峰塔
  6. Liuhe Pagoda https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/六和塔
  7. Hangzhou Yue Fei Temple https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/杭州岳王庙
  8. Hefang Street https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/河坊街

All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC licenses; re-use requires attribution.