Liuhe Pagoda - An Ancient Treasure at the Qiantang River

In 970 AD, Hangzhou was the national capital of the State of Wuyue (吴越国). And the King ordered to build Liuhe Pagoda to suppress the vigorous tide of the Qiantang River, with a courtyard embracing. And it is said that after the completion of Liuhe Pagoda, the river surprisingly became calm and flowed along the original way. And people have never worried about the tide again. Due to natural and other damages over a long time, the pagoda has been repaired and rebuilt several times, and the present brick building dates back to 1165 AD.

There are some interesting legends about Liuhe Pagoda in ancient China. According to legend as shown in one of the four national classic novels in China - Outlaws of the Marsh (水浒传), when the heroes marched south, Song Jiang camped troops at a temple outside Liuhe Pagoda. One night, Lu Zhishen and Wu Song heard the Qiantang River tide's thunderous roar. As a northerner, Lu mistook it for war drums and prepared to fight. Monks explained it was the tide, triggering his master's prophecy: "Hear the tide to awaken, see the sign to rest." Realizing his fate, he meditated and attained nirvana by the pagoda. Later, Lin Chong died there of illness, while Wu Song became a monk, was titled Ancestor of Purity, and lived to 80 in peace.

During the Qing Dynasty (1735-1796), Emperor Qianlong visited Liuhe Pagoda seven times when he toured Jiangnan (the south of the Yangtze River) six times. He wrote travel notes, which were engraved on a stone stele. This stele still stands in the stele pavilion of Liuhe Pagoda today.

See the Liuhe Pagoda from a distance, and you would treat it as a great general who is guarding the Qiantang River. And standing in front of it nearer, you can see this 13-storey pagoda of nearly 60m high, and with 8 sides presents the full flavor of antique, magnificence and tranquility. Since there are total 104 bells hanging on the rake angles of the eaves of the pagoda, you can enjoy the crispy and melodious sound of the bells while a gentle wind blows over.

Inside Charm

Inside Liuhe Pagoda, there are 7 storeys connected by spiral stairs, and every storey has distinct and distinguished decorations. From the base, you can climb along the steep stairs to feel the interest of climbing in an ancient Chinese pagoda and to admire the over 200 carvings of flowers, birds, beasts, immortals, etc., in delicate skills and fancy structures. Also, besides the colorful grottoes with some fading, you will not miss the excellent poems that praise the charm of Liuhe Pagoda and Qiantang River by famous historical people, like Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty.

After climbing the 7 storeys and up to the top place of Liuhe Pagoda, you may get a little out of breath, but the splendid view of Qiantang River and the panorama of Hangzhou city will make your effort worthy a lot. Watch out from the window, so you can see the surging river flowing by, when you can think back about the history of people surviving from the tide more than 1000 years ago, and the legend of the boy Liuhe. Moreover, you can see the Qiantang River Bridge which is the first double-decked railway and highway combined bridge designed and constructed by us Chinese and is a symbol of the progress of bridge construction of China. Furthermore, you can admire the full view of the prosperous modern Hangzhou which is the host city of the G20 in September 2016.

Qiantang River Tidal Bore

Qiantang River Tidal Bore is a super highlight of Hangzhou and one of the three tidal bores in China. For more than 2000 years, every September, countless local Hangzhou residents and people from other places will come to see the magnificent and breathtaking Qiantang River Tidal Bore. And Liuhe Pagoda is surely the best viewing deck of this rare scene, for its good location facing Qiantang River and the height without any obstructions. To see this yearly great Qiantang River Tidal Bore, you can climb up to the top of Liuhe Pagoda during the early and middle part of every month in China lunar calendar, among which the three days before and after the Lunar 18, August are the “Tidal Bore Enjoying Festival”, and you can see the very grand tide that can rise up for 1 to 1.5 m high and make very loud sound during that period and that is the famous scene named “Liuhe Listening to the Wave Sound” (六和听涛).

Located on Yuelun Mountain (月轮山) on the bank of Qiantang River, the south of West Lake, Liuhe Pagoda is very easy to get to. You can take a taxi, a private car, or a city bus to get there.

From West Lake: about 3.5 km; 10 mins by car

From Lingyin Temple: about 6 km; 20 mins by car

Form Hefang Street: about 6 km; 20 mins by car

Form Hangzhou East Railway Station: about 13 km; 0.5 hour by car

Form Hangzhou Railway Station: about 7 km; 20 mins by car

Form Hangzhou West Railway Station: about 18 km; 45 mins by car

Form Hangzhou South Railway Station: about 16 km; 0.5 hour by car

If you want to get rid of hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, it's highly suggested to travel with us China Discovery. As part of our comprehensive tour packages, we offer convenient pick-up & drop-off at airports and train stations, as well as seamless transportation between all scenic spots on your itinerary. Once you book our service, you'll bid farewell to travel-related worries, with a knowledgeable tour guide, satisfactory accommodation and dining and so on. You just need to focus on sightseeing. So, don't hesitate to contact us and let us take care of all your travel needs in China.

1. Tickets (for reference only): CNY 20/person (Excluding the Pagoda Climbing Fee) for entrance fee; CNY 10/person for Pagoda Climbing Fee

2. What to Wear: Comfortable shoes since there are lots of stairs inside the 60m-tall Liuhe Pagoda. It needs some strength to reach the top, so you can choose whether to try it based on your physical condition.

3. It is recommended to admire the miniatures of many famous towers in China and the legends about Liuhe Pagoda in the courtyard after visiting the Pagoda.

4. Watch out while climbing up in the pagoda.

Usually, visitors spend 2 days around to enjoy a classic Hangzhou tour to visit the West Lake Scenic Area, including the amazing West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Longjing Tea Plantations, etc. If you want an in-depth Hangzhou tour, you can also pay another half day or so to visit Xixi National Wetland Park, one day around to Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, or one day or so to Thousand Islands Lake, etc. Check all Hangzhou Tours >>

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Also, you can spend 1 day to take a side trip to the nearby water towns like Wuzhen and Xitang in Jiaxing, 2~3 days to Putuoshan - one of the four sacred Buddhist Mountains in China, or 1 day to the popular Nanxun Old Town in Huzhou. Check more about Zhejiang Tours >>

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Besides, compared with just travelling Hangzhou, most of the visitors prefer to travel the metropolis Shanghai, Suzhou Gardens and Hangzhou Lakes in One Go! Such an amazing tour will take 5~6 days.

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☛ 3 Days Hangzhou & Suzhou Beauty Tour by High Speed Train

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Some visitors also ride a high speed train to Huangshan to visit the world-famous Yellow Mountain. A Hangzhou Huangshan tour needs about 5 days around.

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