West Lake 西湖Xī Hú

Why go to West Lake

Ringed by soft green hills and crossed by willow-lined causeways, West Lake has been painted and written about for more than a thousand years. Walk the bike-free Su and Bai causeways, take a boat out to the little islands, then climb into the Longjing tea hills above the western shore. It's a city park on a grand scale, and it rewards an unhurried pace.

The story

The Su Causeway is named after the Song-dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who as governor of Hangzhou had the silted lake dredged and used the mud to build it. Dongpo pork, the city's famous slow-braised pork belly, is named after him too.

What to see at West Lake

• Broken Bridge 断桥: A small stone bridge at the east end of the Bai Causeway, the setting for the Legend of the White Snake, and a classic view of the lake and city skyline.
• Su Causeway 苏堤: A long causeway across the lake, built in 1089 by the poet-governor Su Dongpo and lined with willows and peach trees, best walked at the end of the day.
• Three Pools Mirroring the Moon 三潭印月: Off the island of Xiaoyingzhou, three small stone pagodas stand in the water, lit for the Mid-Autumn festival; their image appears on the one-yuan banknote.
• Leifeng Pagoda 雷峰塔: A rebuilt pagoda on the south shore, with lift access and views across the lake from the top; the original, from 975, collapsed in 1924.
• Longjing village 龙井村: Terraced tea fields in the hills west of the lake, with teahouses where you can taste the local green tea.

How to visit West Lake

Start at the east shore near Broken Bridge and walk the Bai Causeway to Gushan island, then turn south for a boat from the main lakefront quays to the lake's islands. Walk the Su Causeway, which is closed to bikes, and use a bus, taxi or electric cart for Leifeng Pagoda and the tea hills. One day covers the main sights; two days let you add Longjing and Lingyin without rushing.

How to get to West Lake

Hangzhou is about an hour from Shanghai by high-speed train. In the city, Metro Line 1 to Longxiangqiao station leaves you a short walk from the eastern shore.

Where to stay

Stay on the eastern shore around Hubin and Wulin Square for metro links, restaurants and a walk to the lake, or in the quieter hills west of the lake for tea-village guesthouses.

What to eat

• West Lake vinegar fish 西湖醋鱼: A whole grass carp poached and finished in a sweet-and-sour vinegar sauce, the city's best-known dish.
• Longjing shrimp 龙井虾仁: River shrimp stir-fried with fresh Longjing tea leaves for a delicate, fragrant flavour.
• Song Sao fish soup 宋嫂鱼羹: A thick, savoury soup of shredded fish, ginger and egg, a long-standing West Lake dish said to go back to the Southern Song.

Tips for visiting West Lake

• Bikes aren't allowed on the Su and Bai causeways, so walk those early in the morning and cycle the lakeshore roads and quieter Yanggong Causeway instead.
• Head up to Longjing (Dragon Well) village to drink tea among the plantations; the spring picking season starts in late March.
• Avoid Chinese national holidays, when the lakeside paths are shoulder to shoulder.

Nearby

• Lingyin Temple & Feilai Feng 灵隐寺 under 10 km
  A working Chan monastery beside a hillside of 1,000-year-old rock carvings
• Wuzhen Water Town 乌镇 60 km
  Stone bridges and lantern-lit canals in a water town that's best after dark
• Zhouzhuang 周庄古镇 120 km
  Jiangnan's most famous water town, famed for its Twin Bridges and merchant halls
• Hengdian World Studios 横店影视城 120 km
  A working film backlot of palaces and old streets, run as a theme park

Also within 30 km: Wenlan Pavilion 文澜阁 (under 10 km), Historic Buildings of the Zhejiang Library 浙江图书馆旧址 (under 10 km), Xiling Seal Engravers' Society 西泠印社 (under 10 km), Hangzhou Confucian Temple & Forest of Steles 杭州孔庙碑林 (under 10 km), Leifeng Pagoda 雷峰塔 (under 10 km), West Lake Expo Museum 西湖博览会博物馆 (under 10 km).

Trips with West Lake

• Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan in eight days 8 days · Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Huangshan City

On the map

Open West Lake on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)