Hangzhou Travel Guide: West Lake, Lingyin, Longjing
Updated
Hangzhou is 45 minutes from Shanghai by fast train, and West Lake is free and open all night. Spend day one on the 2.8 km Su Causeway, then sunset on the west shore.
A short story about Hangzhou in Mandarin, with English alongside. The beginner version needs no Chinese. Jump to the storyA short history of Hangzhou
Hangzhou was the Southern Song capital from 1138 to 1276, probably the world’s largest city. The causeways, islands and named views date from then.
The shallow lake silts up and has been dredged for a thousand years; the Su Causeway is the mud dug out in 1089. UNESCO listed it in 2011.
West Lake
西湖 Xī Hú
Six square kilometres, with hills on three sides and the city on the fourth. The Bai Causeway in the north is short and busy. The Su Causeway, built under the poet-governor Su Shi, runs 2.8 km over six bridges: an hour’s walk, and the best thing to do here.
How to visit West Lake
- 1
Nothing to book; start early
Start at the Broken Bridge in the northeast before the tour groups, and walk the Bai Causeway to Solitary Hill.
- 2
Walk the Su Causeway
Walk south over the six bridges; bikes have been banned on both causeways since 2018. In summer, see the lotuses at Quyuan Garden.
- 3
Take a boat to the island
From the south end, boats run 20 minutes to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, the island on the one-yuan note.
- 4
End on the west shore for sunset
Leifeng Pagoda (rebuilt 2002) is the sunset view. The picture is from the shore, not the top.
Weekends and holidays are packed; go on a weekday.
Things to do in Hangzhou beyond the lake
The tea hills and Lingyin are west of the lake, the canal north.
The Longjing tea villages 龙井村
Lóngjǐng Cūn
Longjing, “Dragon Well”, is a village and China’s most famous green tea. Longjing village and Meijiawu are 15 to 30 minutes by taxi from the west shore. Walk the terraces and drink a glass in a farmhouse.
Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng 灵隐寺 · 飞来峰
Língyǐn Sì · Fēilái Fēng
A 4th-century Buddhist temple in a wooded valley. On the way in, Feilai Feng is a limestone hill with hundreds of Buddhas carved in the 10th to 14th centuries. Free since December 2025, with a booked slot. On weekends a shuttle replaces taxis for the last stretch.
The Grand Canal at Gongchen Bridge 拱宸桥
Gǒngchén Qiáo
Gongchen Bridge (1631) marks the southern end of the 1,800 km Grand Canal. Take the water bus up; come back at dusk, when the warehouses are lit.
What to eat in Hangzhou
Dongpo pork 东坡肉
Dōngpō ròu
Pork belly braised in soy, rice wine and sugar, named after Su Shi of the causeway.
West Lake fish in vinegar 西湖醋鱼
Xīhú cùyú
Poached grass carp in sweet-and-sour sauce. The signature dish, and the most argued about.
Longjing shrimp 龙井虾仁
Lóngjǐng xiārén
River shrimp stir-fried with fresh Longjing leaves. Light and a little bitter.
Plan your trip to Hangzhou
Best time to visit Hangzhou
- JanMixed
- FebMixed
- MarGood
- AprBest
- MayBest
- JunMixed
- JulMixed
- AugMixed
- SepGood
- OctBest
- NovGood
- DecMixed
Spring brings the tea harvest; osmanthus flowers from late September (smell it at Manjuelong). June has the plum rains, July and August heat and lotuses. Avoid Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year.
Getting to Hangzhou
- Hangzhou East station by train20 min
- Shanghai Hongqiao by train1 h
- Xiaoshan Airport by train1 h
- Beijing South by train4½ h
Most fast trains stop at Hangzhou East; metro Line 1 runs to Longxiangqiao by the lake. Xiaoshan airport, 30 km east: Line 19 with one change, or a taxi.
Getting around Hangzhou
Walk the lake; for the hills, use Didi. Shared bikes unlock in Alipay once your passport is verified.
Alipay and WeChat Pay take foreign cards. Small-restaurant menus are rarely in English.
Where to stay in Hangzhou
The east shore around Hubin and Longxiangqiao: lake, metro and late restaurants. Hefang Street, just south, is the other easy base. For quiet, a tea-village guesthouse.
Hangzhou in two days
- Day 1. The Broken Bridge and Bai Causeway early, the Su Causeway, a boat to the island, sunset facing Leifeng Pagoda.
- Day 2. Lingyin and Feilai Feng in the morning (booked), Longjing village for tea, the canal water bus to Gongchen Bridge at dusk.
Questions about visiting Hangzhou
Is West Lake free?
Yes, and it never closes. The island boats and Leifeng Pagoda charge.
Can you cycle around West Lake?
Yes, about 15 km on the shore roads. Bikes are banned from the Su and Bai causeways; use the Yanggong Causeway.
Do you need to book Lingyin Temple?
Yes. Entry is free; book a slot with your passport on the “Hangzhou Lingyin Feilai Peak” mini-program in Alipay or WeChat. Slots open at 8 am, seven days ahead.
Is Hangzhou worth a day trip from Shanghai?
For the lake, yes: an early train, both causeways, back for dinner. Lingyin and the tea hills need a second day.
When is the new Longjing tea picked?
From mid to late March. Tea picked before Qingming (early April) costs the most. Taste before you buy.
Chinese you’ll see in Hangzhou
At the station, around the lake and at the temple gate.
- 杭州东站Hángzhōu Dōngzhàn
- Hangzhou East station
- 地铁dìtiě
- metro
- 出口chūkǒu
- exit
- 西湖Xī Hú
- West Lake
- 苏堤Sū Dī
- the Su Causeway
- 码头mǎtóu
- pier, where the boats leave
- 雷峰塔Léifēng Tǎ
- Leifeng Pagoda
- 灵隐寺Língyǐn Sì
- Lingyin Temple
- 预约yùyuē
- booking, reservation
- 龙井茶Lóngjǐng chá
- Dragon Well tea
Want more? Browse Chinese vocabulary by level.
Hear Hangzhou in Mandarin
A walk on the Su Causeway, and how a shallow lake is kept from turning to marsh.
The story is Hangzhou: The Lake That Would Vanish If Nobody Dug It. Every level has a transcript, pinyin and English.
