West Lake
西湖 · Xīhú
Hangzhou’s famous lake, ringed by hills, pagodas and willow-lined causeways. A UNESCO World Heritage site.
No booking neededHalf to full day
Tip
Walk or cycle the Su Causeway early in the morning, before the tour groups arrive.
- Opening hours
- Open all day, every day. Boats run roughly 08:00–17:00 or later in summer. To be confirmed
- Price
- Lake shore and causeways free. Boat to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon island about ¥55–70 including island entry; hand-rowed boats about ¥150–180 per boat per hour. To be confirmed
- How to book
- No booking for the lake. Island boat tickets are sold at the main piers (Hubin, Su Causeway, Solitary Hill) and on the 西湖旅游 WeChat mini-program; foreign cards are not always accepted at the piers, so have Alipay ready. To be confirmed
- Getting there
- Longxiangqiao (Line 1) for the east shore; Wushan Square (Line 7) for the south-east
- Address in Chinese
- 浙江省杭州市西湖区龙井路1号
Photo: HoweyYuan · CC BY-SA 4.0
From other travelers
Write a reviewIn the encyclopedia
Encyclopedia · PeopleMarco Polo 马可·波罗The lake he described, where guests dined on painted pleasure boats as the city slid by; you can still hire a boat today.Encyclopedia · PeopleSu Dongpo 苏东坡Walk the Su Causeway, built from the mud he had dredged from the lake in 1090; a small memorial hall stands near its southern end.Encyclopedia · DynastiesSong dynasty 宋朝The Southern Song capital’s lake: its classic Ten Scenes were named under the Song, and the Su Causeway dates from 1090.Encyclopedia · Legends and novelsLegend of the White Snake 白蛇传The Broken Bridge on the Bai Causeway, where Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian first met in the rain.Encyclopedia · FestivalsMid-Autumn Festival 中秋节A classic moon-viewing spot; boats go out to the island of Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.
Stories about this place
LegendsThe White Snake and Leifeng PagodaA snake spirit in love, a monk who stood in her way, and a real pagoda on West Lake that fell in 1924 and rose again.
Travelers of the pastMarco Polo’s City of HeavenIn the 13th century a Venetian called Hangzhou the finest city in the world. What did he really see, and what is still there at West Lake?
Food originsThe poet, the causeway and the porkSu Dongpo governed Hangzhou, saved West Lake and left his name on a causeway, and, people say, on its most famous braised pork.Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-27. Rules change often, so confirm on the official site before you go.
Not yet confirmed by an official source: Opening hours, Price, How to book
More in Hangzhou
灵隐寺Lingyin Temple and Feilai FengOne of China’s great Buddhist temples, below a limestone hill carved with hundreds of Buddhist figures.雷峰塔Leifeng PagodaA rebuilt pagoda on the south shore, tied to the Legend of the White Snake, with wide views over the lake.龙井村Longjing tea villageHillside tea terraces where Dragon Well (Longjing) green tea is grown, a short ride from the lake.西溪国家湿地公园Xixi National Wetland ParkA maze of waterways, reed beds and old fishing villages on the city’s western edge, best seen by boat.