2-day Tour to Hangzhou from Shanghai

The West Lake is like a supermarket of landscapes, in which you can have the favorite scene at your every fingertip, therefore when you are traveling around the West Lake, you will have a feeling of wandering in a picture. No matter what the weather is like or what time is it when you are here, you will be lost at the fascinating sceneries and reluctant to leave.

Inside the picturesque park that covers as area of 60 square kilometer, the blooming flowers in spring, the adorable water lily in summer, the charming moon in autumn and the pure snow in winter will make the top ten sceneries of West Lake more splendid.

Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway
There are six ancient stone bridges of various styles over Su Causeway that stretches 3 kilometer long, which will be the most charming scene when spring falls owing to the decoration of the blooming peach blossoms and weeping willows. Come to make it clear why it could be the best part of the West Lake since the South Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

Breeze-ruffled Lotus
If you tour schedule falls in the summer, you will get the chance to experience how wonderful walking in the water lily is. Walking on the bridge that hides in the water lily pool, you will be intoxicated in the aroma of the Chinese wine flying from the winery nearby and the fragrance of the colorful lily of various species.

Orioles Singing in Ripples of Willows
Here is a wonderful and peaceful place with the green willow waving with the breeze and birds chirping around. In the spring, when the pleasant breezes feel the willows along the lake, you will see the scene like a band of girls washing their hairs by the lake. In summer, the garden will turn into an “evening garden”. The lanterns exhibition, the traditional folk performance and cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.

Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow
Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in memory of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The pagoda with seven layers was a pavilion-type structure, built of brick and wood. When the sun is setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful.

Malting Snow at Broken Bridge
When the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the other side still lingers. Seen from a distance, the bridge seems to be broken. It is a favorite stopover for you. Especially on fine winter days after a snow, you may stand on the bridge to feast your eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting.

Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill
Nanping Hill, lying along the south bank of the West Lake, is less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the flourishing woods, which offers a peaceful resort with various sceneries. The harmonious park will be more harmonious when surrounded by the echo of the bell in the evening.

Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor
On the small island stretches out a gorgeous harbor, named Flowering Harbor, from where you can have a wonderful view of the endearing colorful fish swimming in the pure lake. In addition, the peony garden embraced by the flourishing trees is as charming as the other parts.

The Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake
As the Dawn round the Su Causeway in spring is charming, so is the moon in autumn over the Calm Lake. When the Chinese traditional mid-autumn day falls on, it will be a wonderful experience to admire the moon and the colorful lanterns of various designs while tasting the fragrant tea in the teahouse on the lake, or to have a close touch of the moon reflected on the peaceful lake on the boat.

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon
The three stone pagodas, first built over 800 years ago, 2 meters in height, are the main scenic spot calling ‘Three Pools Mirroring the Moon’. To the west of the isle stand three ball-shaped hollow stone pagodas with five round holes around. At the night of the Mid-Autumn festival, when the moon shines full and bright in the sky, a candle is lit inside each of the pagoda, the light and the moon cast their reflections through the holes on the water, hence the name.

Twin Peaks Piercing the Cloud
Twin peaks are the Northern Peak and Southern Peak. One locates southwest to the West Lake and the other locates northwest west. Northern Peak is with an elevation of 256.9 meters, Southern Peak is with an elevation of 355 meters. The two peaks face each other at a distance of more than 5 kilometers. On a drizzly day in spring or autumn, visitors may find a spectacular view of the two peaks while they look up from the Hongchun Bridge. It seems as if an enchanting landscape painting was hanging before them with the peaks disappearing and appearing amidst drifting clouds.

Here is a paradise of landscapes for you to pick up the wonderful memories.

Opening Hours: the whole day

Ticket Price: free

Location: Longjing Road, Hangzhou City

Transportation: Tour bus 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will bring you here.
 

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway locates West Lake District Nanshan Road, tops the list of the ten best known sights in Hangzhou. The causeway was built during the Northern Song Dynasty by Su Dongpo, a great scholar in ancient time. Stretching around 2.8 kilometers long, it is spanned by six bridges and heavily sheltered by green vegetation. When spring comes, the whole causeway is blanketed by peach blossoms and weeping willows, creating an especially charming scene.

In Southern Song Dynasty, Quyuan Courtyard was an official vinery which located on the bank of the West Lake beside the Hongcun Bridge on the Linyin Road where many lotuses were planted. In summer breezes, the air was scented with delicate fragrance of lotus intermingled with the tasteful bouquet of wine. However, the courtyard was very much neglected and the nearby lake silted up. Started from 1983, an extension project has been under way to develop it to a huge park. Currently, the park includes five sections: Yue Lake, Bamboo Garden, Lotus Garden, Winding Garden and Lakeside Forest. Therefore it is very popular attractions for the tourists.

The park is a wonderful leisure place with the green willow leaves and orioles warbling, locates on the Nianshan Road of West Lake District. In the spring, the vernal breezes stroke the willows, their branches sway gently, bending over to kiss the rippling water. Walk in the garden, the orioles singing, the willows dancing, it is very wonderful. Now the park is combined by three gardens: Orioles Singing Garden, Friendship Garden and Collected Scenery Garden.
 

The eastern south of the Garden is served as a traditional public entertainment site. An open stage is built there. In the Summer and Autumn, the garden is served as an "evening garden". The lanterns exhibition, the traditional folk performance and cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.
 
 

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in celebration of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The 7 storied pagoda was a storied – pavilion –type structure, built of brick and wood. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful. It was therefore named as "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow". In Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was fired by the Japanese bandits and collapsed at last on September, 25 1924 by the custom of local people to take a brick from its lower stories as a talisman or souvenir.

It snows almost every winter in Hangzhou, when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers. Looked at a distance or from a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. It is a favorite stopover for you. Especially on fine winter days after a snow, you may stand on the bridge to feast your eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting.

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
 

In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
 

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.