Hangzhou
The very definition of classical beauty in China, West Lake is utterly mesmerising: pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift…
Must-see attractions in Zhejiang
Hangzhou
Hangzhou’s most famous Buddhist temple, Lingyin Temple was originally built in AD 326, but has been destroyed and rebuilt no fewer than 16 times. During…
Hangzhou
The lush, green scenery around this tea village up in the hills southwest of West Lake makes for a wonderful break from the bustle of Hangzhou. Visitors…
Zhejiang
Oddly overlooked by most visitors, this 400m stretch of 100 (or so) wooden row houses, flanking a narrow canal, is Nanxun's most charming spot. The…
Hangzhou
The serene yet monastically active Chan (Zen) Jingci Temple was built in AD 954 and has been fully restored. The splendid first hall contains the massive,…
Zhejiang
Jinhua Architecture Park is made up of 16 pavilions, designed by international and domestic architects, strung over 2km along the Yìwū River. It was…
Hangzhou
The 60m-high octagonal Six Harmonies Pagoda, dating from AD 1165 in its current form but first built in AD 960, is a stout pagoda that once served as a…
Wuzhen
Opened in 2015, the imposing white slabs of this gallery couldn't be more in contrast to the black timber houses of the surrounding Xizha scenic area of…
Zhejiang
Fronted by large ponds and overlooked by towering camphor trees and luohan pines, this restored Chan (Zen) temple stands by the main square and dates from…
Hangzhou
At the southern end of Zhongshan Zhonglu is this touristy, crowded and bustling pedestrian street, with makeshift puppet theatres, teahouses, and gift and…
Zhejiang
Traditional Chinese village architecture and feng shui planning have created a village laid out according to the bāguà (八卦, eight trigrams) of the I Ching…
Zhejiang
Colossal camphor trees and a huge gingko tree tower over this yellow-roof-tiled Chan (Zen) temple, where a vast glittering statue of Guanyin sits…
Zhejiang
The first thing you see as you approach Putuoshan by boat is this 33m-high glittering statue of Guanyin, overlooking the waves at the southernmost tip of…
Zhejiang
A blessed release from the suffocating summer torpor roasting north Zhejiang, this delightful hilltop resort (719m) was developed by 19th-century…
Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum
Hangzhou
The Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum has a dispensary and clinic adjoined to the museum. Established by the Qing dynasty merchant Hu Xueyan in 1874,…
Hangzhou
Wooden cruise boats shuttle visitors from a number of points on the banks of West Lake to the Mid-Lake Pavilion and Xiaoying Island, which has a fine…
Ningbo
The centrepiece of the Old Bund is a cobblestoned street with strings of fairy lights luring you towards the clubs and live-music bars. If that's too much…
Hangzhou
This vast museum is devoted to all things silk, covering fashion, craftsmanship and the historic Silk Road in great depth. Extensive galleries showcase…
Hangzhou
In the forested hills above West Lake, reachable by a pleasant hike, is the striking tiled-roof, yellow-walled Baopu Taoist Temple. The temple’s first…
Zhejiang
Without its homestay program, the few visitors to the miniscule village of Siping would miss out on its collection of brick and wood carvings. Siping lies…
Hangzhou
Topped with a golden spire, the eye-catching Leifeng Pagoda can be climbed for fine views of the lake. The original pagoda, built in AD 977, collapsed in…
Zhejiang
This splendid memorial hall overlooking the tàijí diagram pond at the centre of the village is a huge, airy space with a pairing of huge black Chinese…
Hangzhou
A repository of silence and calm, Hangzhou’s Confucius Temple is worth exploring for the main hall and the fabulous painted woodwork of its beams and…
Hangzhou
Baoshi Hill is one of the loveliest places in Hangzhou to take a hike. Numerous well-kept paths wind through the forest, taking you up steep slopes and…
Zhejiang
Eight (the number mirroring the eight trigrams of the bāguà) lanes radiate from this pond at the heart of the village. The feng shui symbol of the Zhuge,…
Hangzhou
With huge tracts of towering bamboo, flowering magnolias and other delightful plants and trees, these vast gardens make for lovely walks to the northwest…
Hangzhou
This exquisite and serene park just south of the Su Causeway off West Lake offers quiet walks among lush woodland, ponds, lakes, rose gardens and lawns…
Three Pools Mirroring the Moon
Hangzhou
From Xiaoying Island, you can look over at Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, three small towers in the water on the southern side of the island; each has…
Wuzhen
The Xīzhà scenic zone is more spread out so feels less packed, even though visitors spend more time here. It is the more photogenic of the two scenic…
Hangzhou
This Catholic church has lovely stained glass windows and a compassionate effigy of Mary above the door. It's got quite the history – dating back to 1659,…
Zhejiang
The gracefully arching, covered Beijian Bridge is the most picturesque of Sixi's wooden bridges. It was originally built in 1674 and last rebuilt in 1803…
Hangzhou
On the northwestern shore of West Lake, this lovely collection of gardens spreads out over numerous islets and is renowned for its fragrant spring lotus…
Hangzhou
A Ming dynasty Chinese pavilion sits on this small islet in the West Lake. Many of the cruise boats pass close by it, but it's not accessible to tourists.
Zhejiang
Shrouded in ivy and shaped like the character for lucky number eight (八, bā), this 900-year-old stone bridge is Shaoxing's most famous.
Hangzhou Old City Wall Exhibition Hall
Hangzhou
Hangzhou is famed for its lake, but the lake was once only a (glorious) appendage to a flourishing and magnificent city. The historic city of Hangzhou –…
Zhejiang
This lived-in Southern Song dynasty water town has unique architecture that fuses Chinese and European styles. With fewer visitors than other canal-filled…
Hangzhou
Not far into the hills of Hangzhou, you’ll begin to see fields of tea bushes planted in undulating rows, the setting for the China Tea Museum – 3.7…
Zhejiang
A steep but beautifully shaded half-hour to 45-minute climb can be made up Foding Mountain – Buddha’s Summit Peak – the highest point on the island. This…
Zhejiang
There is a lovely big-family feel to this village in Zhejiang Province, and no wonder when virtually everybody is related across a 'Ye' surname family…
