West Lake - The Unrivaled Poetic Gem of China’s Cultural Landscapes

Historical Background: Originally a brewing workshop established by the Southern Song Dynasty court, it was named for the abundance of lotus flowers in the courtyard. After Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty inscribed the name “曲院风荷” it officially became one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake.

Scenic Features: It is most famous for its lotus flower scenery in summer. The lake surface is planted with a large number of lotus flowers. When the lotus leaves are lush and the flowers are in full bloom, the fragrance spreads far and wide, creating a picturesque scene in harmony with the lake water.

Historical Background: The name “Broken Bridge” first appeared during the Tang Dynasty, and its origin has several interpretations. One theory suggests that the bridge was named so because the path to Gu Hill ends here. Another theory proposes that it was originally called “Duan’s Bridge 段桥” (shortened from “Duan Jia Bridge 段家桥”), which later evolved into “Broken Bridge 断桥” due to its phonetic resemblance. The bridge is one of the three famous “love bridges” of West Lake and is renowned for its appearance in the love story of The Legend of the White Snake, where Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian meet.

Scenic Features: The bridge is famous for its appearance after a winter snowfall, when it seems to partially disappear into the lake. When viewed from a distance after the snow has partially melted, the sunny side of the bridge is free of snow, while the shaded side still retains some snow. This creates an illusion that the bridge appears to be broken, making for a particularly enchanting scene.

Historical Background: The predecessor of Viewing Fish at the Flower Harbor was a villa owned by Yun Sheng, an imperial attendant of the Southern Song Dynasty. It was named "Flower Harbor" because it was located at the foot of Huajia Hill (Flower Hill). In 1699 (the 38th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty), Emperor Kangxi inscribed the four characters “花港观鱼”officially making it one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake.

Scenic Features: It is famous for its flower and fish viewing. The garden is home to schools of red fish that swim among the flowers and trees, creating a delightful scene. A wide variety of flowers are also planted within the garden, ensuring beautiful views throughout all four seasons.

• Location: Situated on Xizhao Hill, on the south bank of West Lake.
• Recommended Visiting Hours: about 1-1.5 hours

Historical Background: The Leifeng Pagoda was originally constructed in the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Northern Song Dynasty (977 A.D.). It was named for its particularly charming appearance when illuminated by the setting sun in the evening. The pagoda gained fame due to its association with the story of Legend of the White Snake in which the character Bai Suzhen was said to be imprisoned beneath it. After being reconstructed in 2002, it has become one of the important landmarks of West Lake.

Scenic Features: The Leifeng Pagoda is one of the iconic structures of West Lake. In the late afternoon, as the setting sun bathes the pagoda in its warm light, the tower’s reflection on the lake creates a truly spectacular scene.

Best Ways to Visit: To fully appreciate the breathtaking panoramic view of West Lake, climbing up the Leifeng Pagoda is highly recommended as the ultimate experience. The ticket price for entry to the Leifeng Pagoda area is CNY 40/pp (only for your reference).

• Location: Situated on the west side of West Lake, it connects the Southern Hill and the Northern Hill.
• Recommended Visiting Hours: 0.5-2 hours

Historical Background: Su Causeway was constructed by Su Shi (Su Dongpo) during the Northern Song Dynasty when he served as the prefect of Hangzhou. After dredging West Lake, he used the excavated mud to build this long causeway. In one of Su Shi’s poem, he mentioned, “Six bridges stretch across the Milky Way, connecting the Northern Hill with the Southern Hill,” referring to this very causeway.

Scenic Features: The causeway is approximately 2.8 kilometers long and features six ancient bridges: Yingbo Bridge, Suolan Bridge, Wangshan Bridge, Yadi Bridge, Dongpu Bridge, and Kanhong Bridge. In spring, the causeway is adorned with blooming peach blossoms and willows that resemble mist. The interplay of the lake’s scenery and the surrounding mountains creates a picturesque scene, making it an ideal spot to enjoy the spring views of West Lake.

Best Ways to Visit: Stretching 2.8 kilometers, Su Causeway typically requires around 60 minutes to traverse on foot. To conserve energy, visitors are advised to board the scenic sightseeing car at the Leifeng Pagoda stop for a leisurely journey along the causeway. The car offers not only a comfortable ride but also informative commentary on the surrounding attractions, enhancing visitors’ understanding of Su Causeway’s historical and cultural significance. The fare for the sightseeing car ranges from CNY 10-20/pp/segment (only for your reference).

• Location: Situated in the southern part of the middle section of West Lake, it is one of the three islands in West Lake.
• Recommended Visiting Hours: about 1.5-2 hours

Historical Background: Located in the southern water area of Xiaoyingzhou Isle,the Three Pools’ originally referred to the three stone pagodas erected by Su Shi to mark the water area where plants were forbidden to be cultivated. The three pagodas we see today are remains tracing back to the 38th year of Kangxi's reign of the Qing Dynasty (1699), when Emperor Kangxi inscribed the four-character name of the scenic spot and ordered a stele and a pavilion to be set up.

Scenic Features: The island of Three Pools Mirroring the Moon features winding bridges, pavilions, and towers. There are three stone pagodas in the lake. At night, the moonlight reflects in the holes of the pagodas, creating the unique spectacle of "moons within the moon," making it one of the most representative attractions of West Lake. Besides, the site is also the scene depicted on the reverse side of the one-yuan Chinese currency note.

Best Ways to Visit: To visit the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, you need to take a West Lake cruise, and the most recommended option is the on-island tour boat, which costs between CNY 55-70/pp (only for your reference), including the admission ticket to the island.

Historical Background: The predecessor of "Orioles Singing in the Willows" was the imperial garden “Jujing Garden” of the Southern Song Dynasty. It was named for the shaded green willows and the melodious singing of orioles within the garden. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty inscribed the four characters “柳浪闻莺” officially making it one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake.

Scenic Features: This place is shaded by lush green willows and filled with the melodious singing of orioles, making it an ideal spot for appreciating willows and listening to birds in spring. The willow branches along the lakeshore sway gently in the wind, forming a “willow wave” that complements the singing of orioles and the dancing of swallows.

Historical Background: The predecessor of “Peaceful Lake and Autumn Moon” was the Lake-Viewing Pavilion of the Northern Song Dynasty. It was named for the exceptional scenery of the calm lake surface, which mirrors the moonlight like water, making it an ideal spot for moon viewing. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty inscribed the four characters “平湖秋月” officially making it one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake.

Scenic Features: Peaceful Lake in Autumn Moonlight is one of the best spots for moon viewing in West Lake. With its vast lake surface and excellent visibility, the scene on an autumn night is particularly enchanting. The lake acts like a mirror, reflecting the moonlight as if it were flowing water, creating a mesmerizing view.

West Lake Cruise & Boat

The West Lake cruise area is like a bustling aquatic kingdom, offering a variety of boat options such as tour boats (island tour), tour boats (loop tour), foreign affairs boats, rowing boats, etc. The docks are scattered like stars across the area. Visitors can choose the most suitable boat according to your budgets and preferences. Most cruise docks are located along Hubin Road and Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn spot, and the price for the cruise is negotiable.

Check more about Hangzhou West Lake Boats Types, Tickets, Time & Tips

Sightseeing Car

The battery sightseeing car is suitable for people who are short of time, and it’s the fastest and most energy-saving way to travel, and the car is equipped with a guide or the driver will introduce the sceneries along the drive. The whole journey is 13.5 km and takes about 70 minutes. CNY 40/CNY 80 (sightseeing car with an antique-style design) for one circle, and CNY 10/CNY 20 (sightseeing car with an antique-style design) for one section (the whole route has divided into four sections, and each section will charge CNY 10/CNY 20). Once you get off, your ticket will be expired, and you need to buy a new ticket when you take another sightseeing car. While sightseeing cars generally follow a "wave and stop" policy, they won't halt if they're already at full capacity. Passengers tend to get off in large numbers at spots like the Broken Bridge, Yongjin Plaza, Leifeng Pagoda, and Yuewang Temple. Visitors are advised to go to these places to catch the sightseeing cars.

Route: Yongjin Gate - Orioles Singing in the Willows - Changqiao Park - Leifeng Pagoda - Su Causeway - Yuefei Temple - Xiling Bridge - Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn - Broken Bridge - Hubin Road - Yongjin Gate. (The whole journey is for 70 minutes.)

Time: 8:30-17:00; 8:30-21:00 (in summer)

Walking

Walking to enjoy the sceneries of West Lake needs time and energy. So you can choose some sections for sightseeing.

Route 1 (West and north parts of West Lake): Su Causeway - Gushan Hill - Bai Causeway - Broken Bridge (4.5 kilometers; 2-3 hours with sightseeing)

Route 2 (South and east parts of West Lake): Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond - Su Causeway - Leifeng Pagoda - Changqiao Park - Orioles Singing in the Willows - West Lake Museum (3 kilometers; 1.5 -2 hours with sightseeing)

Recommended West Lake Tour Packages:

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

West Lake is rightly situated in the downtown of Hangzhou City. There are many convenient public means of transportation taking you to West Lake including subway, public bus, taxi, private car, etc. But, since West Lake is Large, you need to know which specific spots you want to visit in advance. The nearest metro station is Longxiangqiao Station (Metro Line 1) that is 5 minutes’ walking to Hubin Road, and Dingan Road Station (Metro Line 1) 15 minutes’ walking to Nanshan Road and Yongjin Park.

Private Transfer Service from China Discovery

If you want to get rid of hustle of public transportation and troublesome navigation, you can book a private tour package which covers sightseeing, dining and transfer from us. Our local tour guide and driver will escort you to West Lake with speed and convenience, and take care of all the details. You just need to focus on sightseeing.

Recommended West Lake, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Tour Packages:

☛ 6 Days Zhejiang Highlights Tour from Hangzhou (Hangzhou - Wuzhen - Ningbo - Putuoshan)

☛ 6 Days Enchanting Zhejiang Tour with Shenxianju & Hengdian Adventure (Hangzhou - Wuzhen - Shenxianju - Hengdian)

From Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport

West Lake is about 27 km west to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, which usually needs about 1 hour to go by car.

By Airport Shuttle Bus

Tourists can take the shuttle bus from the airport to get to Wulin Gate for about 2 hours (2 km from West Lake), and then take a taxi there for about 8-15 minutes;

By Metro

You can take Hangzhou Metro Line 19 from the airport to West Lake Cultural Square, transfer to Metro Line 1 to Longxiangqiao Station (龙翔桥) and then walk about 5~15 minutes there. Such a way needs about 1 hours.

From Hangzhou East Railway Stations

Hangzhou East Railway Station most used for Hangzhou high speed trains is about 6.5 km from West Lake, which usually takes about 0.5 hour by car. Besides, you can take Hangzhou Metro Line 1 from the train station to Fengqi Road Station or Longxiangqiao Station and walk there, which needs totally about 20-40 minutes.

From Hangzhou West Railway Stations

Hangzhou West Railway Station is about 22 km away from Longxiangqiao Subway Station (near Hubin Road and east side of West Lake), and it usually needs 40 minutes to go by car. Visitors can take Hangzhou Metro Line 19 to West Lake Cultural Square (西湖文化广场) and transfer to Metro Line 1 to Longxiangqiao Station (龙翔桥) and walk 5-15 minutes to West Lake. The entire transfer needs about 40 minutes.

Check more about How to Get to West Lake | West Lake Maps 2025 | How to Get to & Around Hangzhou >

No matter in rainy days or sunny days, or spring time or winter time, West Lake always shows its beauty to the public, just in different forms. You can visit West Lake all around the year, however, to avoid too many crowds, you are highly recommended not go during peak tourist periods around Labor’s Day Holiday or National Day Holiday.

Spring

Spring is the best time to appreciate willows and peach flower. The weather at this time is warm but not hot, very comfortable. The ground is covered with light green with colorful flowers interspersing among it. Hangzhou’s spring is very short, about 60 days, thus March and April is a tourism peak.

Must-see sites: Dawn on Su Causeway in Spring, Fishing Viewing at the Flower Pond.

Summer

Summer is rather hot in Hangzhou, however, it’s a great time to see various beautiful lotus flowers at this time. For those who want to find a tranquil place to avoid the hot waves, visit the old temple or the bamboo forests around the West Lake are definitely a pleased experience.

Must-see Sites: Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer, Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter (also good place to appreciate lotus flower).

Autumn

Autumn is the season of chrysanthemum and osmanthus flowers. Order a cup of Longjing Tea, smell the fragrance of osmanthus flower and see fall foliage, seek a tranquil time at here. Besides that, autumn is the best time to enjoy the full moon, especially in the Mid-autumn Festival. A full moon hangs over the peaceful lake, a great place to experience this traditional Chinese festival.

Must-see sites: Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn, Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon

Winter

Winter is a bit of bleak for West Lake, however, it’s very special for those who love snow scenery. Snowy days are always the carnival days for the whole city and the locals will flush into the West Lake, just to see the gorgeous and tranquil snowy scene. Besides that, winter is also a great time for appreciating plum flowers, and tourists can also climb up Nanping Hill to ring the New Year bell in Jingci Temple.

Must-see sites: Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter, Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill, Gushan Hill

Check more about Hangzhou Weather & Seasons

Recommended West Lake Tour Packages

☛ 2 Days Essence of Hangzhou Tour

☛ 5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour

Lingyin Temple

Lingyin Temple with a long history of about 1700 years is the oldest and most famous temple in Hangzhou City. With reputed Buddhist temple clusters hidden in luxurious forest, it is particularly popular to soak in the Buddhist culture of the city. Besides, Feilai Peak beside there is usually traveled together to marvel at the uncountable Buddhist carvings dating back to 10th century. Check more about Lingyin Temple

Longjing Tea Plantation

The authentic plantation of the famous Longjing Tea which reputed as No.1 among the Top 10 Famous Tea in China is located about West Lake, where you can walk in the large spread and layers of emerald green Longjing Tea trees and know more culture, history and art of Longjing Tea. Longjing Village and Meijiawu Village are most popular to go. Check more about Longjing Tea Plantation

Check more about Attractions in Hangzhou

☛ 3 Days Classic Hangzhou Tour (at Leisure Pace)

An old Chinese say once described: “just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth.” As the landmark of Hangzhou, West Lake provides numerous shooting materials for shutterbugs. Except for the lake itself, there are many pavilions, hills, bridges and green plants you can shoot.

Equipment Tips:

(1). No matter what kind of camera you use, cellphone, pocket camera or SLRs, you can always find places to use them.

(2). Focal length: 28mm – 70mm can handle about 70% scenes, while for the rest scenery, you will use 70mm – 300mm more than the ultra-wide angle lens under 24mm.

(3). Photography on the West Lake, sky, mountain and lake are always framed in a same picture. So there is a big contrast between the light and shade, for the filter, ND is more useful than polarizer.

Best Shooting Time:

As the old saying in Hangzhou goes:” sunny lake is not beautiful as rainy lake, rainy lake is not beautiful as night lake, while night lake is not beautiful as snowy lake.” So the snowy West Lake is the best shooting time. However, snow West Lake can be shot only in winter, while rainy lake can be shot all year round, especially in the rainy season (June and July). If you want to shoot the flowers, spring is for peach flower, summer for lotus flower, autumn for osmanthus flower and winter for plum.

Where to Shoot the Panoramic View

(1). You can shoot the southern part of Su Causeway and the three islets in the lake from the top of Leifeng Pagoda. No need of a tripod, you can put your camera on the handrails of the pagoda.

(2). On the Baoshi Hill, to the west of Baocu Pagoda, there is a giant rock and you can climb on it to shoot the Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter, Bai Causeway and the scenery along Hubin Road. For your safety, you’d better slide down the rock after the shooting.

Check more about Hangzhou West Lake Photography Guide with Best Locations & Best Time.

Impression West Lake is the classic proud live performance by Yimou Zhang who was the director of the opening ceremony of 28th Beijing Olympic Games, and Enduring Memories of Hangzhou is the new version of that great art which was prepared for G20 Summit in Hangzhou in 2016. Such performance is really popular for travelers to Hangzhou. During the show, travelers may have the chance to enjoy “Spring River in the Flower Moon Night”, “Dance of Picking Tea Leaves”, “A Tale of Chinese Romeo and Juliet”, “High Mountains and Flowing Waters”, “Ballet Swan Lake”, “Mu County and I”, “Moon Light”, “The Unforgettable Jasmine Flower” and “Ode to Joy”.

Location: No.82 Beishan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou (the opposite of Yue Temple)

Ticket: Standard seats start at CNY 360/pp, with VIP and premium options available (with higher charge).

Time: every night at 19:40, 21:10 (newly released and it may do some change according to the real situation. It usually suspends performance in winter from December to the next February or March.)

Get to there: Public buses, taxi and private car can take you to “Impression of West Lake” ticket office. It is about 15 minutes from Wulin Gate by car.

Check more about Top 7 Impression Shows in China

The 126-meter-long West Lake Musical Fountain takes full advantage of the vast West Lake as background that travelers can enjoy the amazing musical fountain show at the fixed time every night. Rhymed with dulcet music, the fountain is dancing over the quiet lake with willows waving in the wind.

Every night, travelers can enjoy three songs about West Lake, Chinese and Western classical music and pop music, like “The Butterfly Lovers”, “Once Every a Thousand Years”, “Impressions of the West Lake”, “Tea Picking Dance”, “Love My China”, “Good Time”, “Blue Danube”, “My Heart Will Go On”, “The Power of Love”, “Scarborough Fair”, “Welcome Symphony”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “The Prayer”, “Time to Say Goodbye”…

Check more about West Lake musical fountain show.

Time: every night at 19:00, 20:00 and each performance lasts for about 15 minutes

Location: at the lakeside near Third Park of West Lake

Ticket: Free

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 >>

☛ 2 Days Essence of Hangzhou Tour

☛ 3 Days Classic Hangzhou Tour Plus Tea Plantation Exploration

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 >>

☛ 3 Days Best Hangzhou Tour with Wuzhen Water Town

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.

☛ 5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour

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

☛ 4 Days Heavenly Hangzhou Suzhou Tour with Zhouzhuang Water Town

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.

☛ 5 Days Yellow Mountain Tour from Hangzhou

Have your preferences? Please feel free to tell us your likes and let our professional travel consultants customize a personal tour for you!

Since 2012, we China Discovery have helped numerous customers to visit Hangzhou and surroundings. With our fully-inclusive private tour packages, all of our customers enjoyed their trips to the West Lake, Lingyin Temple, etc. Some of them kindly shared their precious photos and stories about their Hangzhou journey, just get inspired now.

"Impression Show is a must see when visiting Hangzhou…" - shared by Nguyen (Read her entire travel story: The Pursuit of Natural Beauty with the Beloved one - 14 Days Beautiful China Exploring Tour)

"This last night in Hangzhou led us to explore a different side of West Lake, vastly changing our erstwhile bland impression of the famed tourist site…" - shared by CS from Singapore (Read her entire travel story: Delightful Journey to Poetic Jiangnan Area)

Besides the wonderful travel stories, many customers who visited Hangzhou with China Discovery also send us their first-hand feedbacks about their trip, feel free to read the Hangzhou Reviews and learn what they say about their experience. If you want to start your Hangzhou tour now, don't hesitate to contact us.