Must see attractions in Hangzhou

  • Top Choice

    West Lake

    The very definition of classical beauty in China, West Lake is utterly mesmerising: pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift…

  • Top Choice

    Lingyin Temple

    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…

  • L

    Top Choice

    Longjing Tea Village

    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…

  • J

    Top Choice

    Jingci Temple

    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,…

  • S

    Six Harmonies Pagoda

    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…

  • Q

    Qinghefang Old Street

    At the southern end of Zhongshan Zhonglu is this touristy, crowded and bustling pedestrian street, with makeshift puppet theatres, teahouses, and gift and…

  • H

    Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum

    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,…

  • X

    Xiaoying Island

    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…

  • C

    China National Silk Museum

    This vast museum is devoted to all things silk, covering fashion, craftsmanship and the historic Silk Road in great depth. Extensive galleries showcase…

  • B

    Baopu Taoist Temple

    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…

  • L

    Leifeng Pagoda

    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…

  • C

    Confucius Temple

    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…

  • B

    Baoshi Hill

    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…

  • H

    Hangzhou Botanical Garden

    With huge tracts of towering bamboo, flowering magnolias and other delightful plants and trees, these vast gardens make for lovely walks to the northwest…

  • T

    Taiziwan Park

    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…

  • T

    Three Pools Mirroring the Moon

    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…

  • C

    Catholic Church

    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,…

  • Q

    Quyuan Garden

    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…

  • M

    Mid-Lake Pavilion

    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.