Ask a QuestionHangzhou as a major tourist city, offer much to explore but not only its beautiful landscape. What to do in Hangzhou? Come with TopChinaTravel, we would like to introduce some of the recommended activities for you to find a way to experience Hangzhou in a traditional local way. You will find yourself the fastest way to access to the local culture, to get a closer look of this graceful city.
Su Causeway starts from the foothills of Nanping Mountain in the south and ends at Qixia Mountain in the north, with a total length of nearly 3 kilometers. Su Causeway is named after famous poet, Su Shi, who built the Su Causeway.
Spring Dawn at Su Causeway is one of Ten Scenes of West Lake. After the cold winter, Su Causeway is like a graceful herald of spring, with willows on the shore, peaches blossoms and lakes like mirrors, reflecting beautiful images of spring. The most touching thing at Su Causeway is strolling on the Su Causeway in spring with the breeze blowing slowly and the willows shaking.
Located in the northwest corner of West Lake, Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard is known for its scenery of lotus blossoms in summer. Breeze at Crooked Courtyard is one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. According to records, there was a official brewing workshop near the Hongchun Bridge in the Song Dynasty. Every summer, when the wind blew, the lotus fragrance and wine fragrance overflowed, which was intoxicating.
Nowadays, the whole park of the Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard is divided into five scenic spots. The pavilions and pagodas in the park are elegantly laid out. The lotus pond covers an area of about 38 mu, and there are rare and precious varieties such as red lotus, white lotus, golden lotus and double lotus(twin lotus flowers on one stalk). Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard have become a popular destination to enjoy lotus blossoms in China.
Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake is one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. Viewing Spot of the Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake is located at the western end of Bai Causeway, with its back against the lonely mountain and facing the outer lake. In autumn, the lake is as calm as a mirror, and the clean autumn moon is reflected on the calm surface of the lake, which is beautiful and peaceful.
Melting Snow on the Broken Bridge is one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. Broken Bridge is located at the eastern end of Bai Causeway. After the winter snow, the snow on the one side of the Broken Bridge melts, but there are still snow on the other side. Overlooking the Broken Bridge, it seems to be broken covered by the snow. Standing at the bridge and looking around, you will have a panoramic view of the distant mountains the water. The Broken Bridge is an ideal destination to enjoy the snow scene of the West Lake.
The Broken Bridge is also famous for China's famous folklore Legend of the White Snake, which is said to be the bridge of love between White Snake and Xu Xian.
Leifeng Pagoda is located on the Xizhao Mountain in the south of the West Lake. Leifeng Pagoda is one of the best places to have a panoramic view of the West Lake and enjoy the sunset of the West Lake. Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow is one of the Ten Scenes of the West Lake. Under the sunset, the Leifeng Pagoda is golden and it is reflected on the calm surface of the lake, which is impressive.
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island is the most distinctive water garden landscape among the Ten Scenes of the West Lake. Covering an area of about 7.67 hectares, it is the largest island among the three islands in the West Lake.
With flowers, towering ancient trees, curved and winding bridges, you will get picturesque image at Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island on your each step. In spring, there are weeping willows on the waves. In summer, there are fish playing with lotus leaves. Scenery at the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island are always beautiful in different seasons.
The total length of the outer causeway of Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island is about 928 meters, and it takes about 30 minutes to stroll around. The inner causeway in the east-west direction is about 8.5 meters wide and 232 meters long. The north-south direction is a winding water bridge, and the main cultural landscape is concentrated on the central axis of the north-south direction.
Lingyin Temple was built in Eastern Jin Dynasty(326AD). It has a history of about 1,700 years and is the earliest famous temple in Hangzhou. Lingyin Temple is located in the west of Hangzhou West Lake, near the Beigao peak and facing Feilai Peak. Surrounded by two peaks, Lingyin temple is ancient and quiet.
At Lingyin Temple, you can burn incense and worship, taste the vegetarian foods and know about the Buddhist culture of China.
Meijiawu Tea Plantation is famous for its terraced tea gardens. In spring, you can experience the tea leaves picking and tea garden trekking. In summer, you can enjoy the lush greenery at Meijiawu. In autumn, you can enjoy the stunning view of the sea of clouds here. In winter, you can see the wonderful rime at Meijiawu.
Early in the morning, you can step on the stone road of Meijiawu Tea Plantation with unique fragrance of Longjing tea and start a trekking trip here. It is a paradise surrounded by tea gardens where you can experience the beauty of Jiangnan.
Venue: West Lake
First show: 19:45-21:00 (every day)
Second show: 21:15-22:30 (every Thu-Sat)
Like the Impression of Liu Sanjie performed in Guilin, Impression of West Lake is a large-scale and the first-rate international art performance on the real landscape. This glorious show is an optional entertainment for your Hangzhou night.
Staged on the wavy, mellow and changing West Lake, the performance appears vivid and natural. Contented with the myths and legends of the West Lake, the show leads you to a sweet thousand-year dream.
The special concealable auditorium provides a wide and bird’s-eye view. Each seat is a wonderful place to enjoy the panoramic view of the West Lake even without watching the show. The pioneering individualized sound system, combined with the sound-oriented system, is surely to offer a surprising musical enjoyment.
Venue: Theater in Song Park Scenic Spot
Address: 148, Zhijiang Road
Duration: 1 hour (20:00 – 21:00 every day)
Based on the historic stories and legends in the city of Hangzhou, the Romance of the Song Dynasty, together with Moulin in Paris of France and O Show in Las Vegas, are “World’s Top Three Famous Shows”. With 120 square meters LED screen, 300 square meters water arena,3000 square meters scene of misty rain and 100 meters time tunnel, the spectators may be impressed as if they live one thousand years back. It is a not-to-be-missed performance for each tourist to Hangzhou.
The Romance of the Song Dynasty is a large stereoscopic musical drama which was wholeheartedly made by Song Dynasty City. The drama adopted the old stories and legends in Hangzhou City, integrated the world music with acrobatic art, and applied the high technology to create a dreamy poetic imagery. You can have a strong visual impact. Till now, the drama has received more than ten million audiences and wins a large outpouring of favorable comments. It is a must for the visitors coming to Hangzhou.
Venue: West Lake
Duration: Summer
The scene of lotus flowers covering the West Lake in summer is a splendid and charming for locals as well as travelers. In Hangzhou, the hottest season will be the best time to appreciate lotus flowers.
A sentence in Chinese poem just describes a fantastic picture – the tender sunlight reflected by the West Lake makes lotus flowers extremely bright-colored.
During the sunny day, you can pick a lotus leaf to get rid of the sunburn. While during the drizzle day, you can listen to the rhythm that raindrop beat leaves gently. And you will find a clean and charming picture after this rainy day, leaves are greener and flowers are brighter with a lucid West Lake.
Related Information
► More popular activities in Hangzhou: Things to do in Hangzhou & Hangzhou Activities
► Highly Recommended Tours: Hangzhou Tours
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