Hangzhou Travel Guide

Hangzhou (杭州) is the city that Marco Polo described as "the finest and most splendid city in the world" — and even after 700 years of development, it still has the power to enchant. As the capital of Zhejiang Province and one of China's ancient imperial seats, Hangzhou's identity is inseparable from West Lake (西湖), a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose misty waters, pagodas, and causeways have inspired poets, painters, and emperors for over a millennium. West Lake is the heart of everything here. Its ten celebrated scenes — from "Spring Dawn at Su Causeway" to "Melting Snow at Broken Bridge" — change with every season and every hour of the day. A boat ride at sunrise, with the morning mist lifting off the water and the hills dissolving into soft silhouettes, is a quintessential Chinese experience. The lake is free to visit and accessible from the city center on foot. Hangzhou is also synonymous with Longjing (龙井) green tea — China's most famous variety. The tea villages around Longjing, just a short bus ride from West Lake, offer the chance to walk through terraced tea gardens, watch the roasting process, and sip fresh-brewed tea with the growers. The city's silk heritage stretches back over 4,000 years, and the China National Silk Museum is one of the best free museums in the country. Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺), one of China's most important Buddhist temples, nestles in the forested hills west of the lake. And Xixi Wetland (西溪湿地) — China's first national wetland park — offers a completely different landscape of waterways, birdlife, and quiet beauty.