West Lake Scenic Area
West Lake is a potpourri of islands, pavilions, villas, courtyards, boulevards, arched bridges, hills, parks, museums, shopping streets, boutique restaurants, monasteries, lagoons and tea plantations.
Hills border the scenic area on three sides with downtown Hangzhou on another side. West Lake not only forms the centerpiece of the scenic area but also Hangzhou.
West Lake Scenic Area is bound to quench visitors’ thirst for authentic Chinese culture.
Top Ten Scenes of West Lake
Spring Dawn at Su Causeway, Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden, Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake, and Lingering Snow on the Broken Bridge can be appreciated all year round. Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, as their names suggest, should be visited at sunset or on moonlit nights. Sights not subject to seasons and weather are Orioles Singing in the Willows, Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds and Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill.
The sites are all linked by tree-lined boulevards, causeways, or hike-friendly trails. Visitors can travel to the sites on foot or through a free public bike program. Comfortable sightseeing battery cars and cruise boats will come to the rescue if the adventure proves exhausting.
New Top Ten Scenes of West Lake
For those visiting more than one week there are even more sights to see. The Precious Stone Hill Floating in the Rosy Cloud, Heavenly Wind over Wushan Hill, Clouds Scurrying over Jade Emperor Hill, Dreaming of Tiger Spring at Hupao Valley, Nice Creeks Meandering through a Misty Forest, Inquiring about Tea at Dragon Well, Yellow Dragon Dressed in Green and Lord Ruan’s Mound Submerged in Greenery are all places worth visiting.
The bamboo-lined path at Yunqi, known for its rolling bamboo forests dissected by zigzagging paths and studded with pavilions, pagodas, giant trees and rare flowers, sparkles as Hangzhou’s best summer resort and hiking trail. Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village is a place to enjoy with both friends and children.
For tea enthusiasts, the Tea at Dragon Well serves the most authentic, palatable, impeccably delicious and haunting green tea in China, thanks to its magical spring. For bird watchers, the unspoiled Lord Ruan’s Mound Submerged in Greenery ¬¬¬– one of the three islands of West Lake – is a haven for birds and urban dwellers.
If you want to know more about silk and tea, the China Silk Museum and Hangzhou National Tea Museum educates visitors with a tea exhibition and interactive tea ceremony.
Chinese name： Xihu Fengjingqu
Address： Downtown of Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Opening time： All day
District： West Lake Scenic Area
Ticket： Free
IC Card Acceptable： Partly
Phone： 0571-87179617
Website： http://trip.hzwestlake.gov.cn/
