Hangzhou (杭州)
Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang (浙江) province, is located on the eastern side of central China and can be reached by high-speed rail from Shanghai in 1 hour.
With more than 12 million people, Hangzhou is among the 15 most populated cities in China.
Hangzhou is also the southern end of the 1764km-long Grand Canal (中国京杭大运河), which is the world’s longest man-made waterway that took hundreds of years to complete to connect Hangzhou and other major cities such as Suzhou (苏州), Yangzhou (扬州), Tianjin (天津), and Beijing (北京), which is the northern end of the Grand Canal. The canal runs through many parts of Hangzhou and creates many scenic water views all around the city.
Hangzhou’s West Lake (西湖) has been loved by poets and artists since the 9th century. West Lake plays a huge role in making Hangzhou one of the most liveable cities in China.
Hangzhou CBD is located between West Lake on the west and Qiantang River (钱塘江) on the east. Remarkedly, the boundary of Hangzhou has spread well beyond West Lake in all directions and onto the east shore of the Qiantang River and well beyond.
Hangzhou’s metropolitan area is served by 13 metro train lines with more than 250 train stations and a very extensive public bus service network. 8 of its 13 metro train lines run through underwater tunnels beneath the Qiantang River.
The city’s good public transport system means travelling on public transportation is quite feasible and is a good way to really see a lot of Hangzhou if you are travelling on a small budget. Though you will have to be prepared to walk a lot.
If you speak basic Mandarin and understand basic Chinese language, it is not difficult to move around Hangzhou City and visit Hangzhou attractions on your own. However, you will have to do a lot of research online and read travel guides.
West Lake (西湖)
West Lake was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2011 by UNESCO and is the only lake heritage site in China.
The 6.4 km2 West Lake has a perimeter of around 15km. West Lake is actually very shallow, with an average depth of 1.5m. The deepest part of the lake is around 3m.
West Lake is divided into sections by Su Causeway (苏堤) which runs in the north-south direction across the lake and Bai Causeway (白堤) in the northern part of the lake. The causeways, lined by trees and flowerbeds, 4 man-made islands on the lake, as well as the many pagodas, temples, pavilions, gardens, and bridges, make West Lake so uniquely scenic in different ways in different seasons and in different weather conditions.
Hop-on-hop-off round-the-lake sightseeing cars are very popular for visitors who do not want to walk too much to see different parts of West Lake. Public buses that run around the lake are readily available as well.
The Walk – Duanqiao (断桥) <> Jixianting (集贤亭) pagoda
Longxiangqiao Station (龙翔桥站) is the nearest subway station to West Lake. From the ground level exit of this underground station, it is a short 100m walk to West Lake Scenic Area Music Fountain show (西湖景区音乐喷泉) site where visitors can enjoy the very popular free nightly music fountain show.
You may start your walk from West Lake Scenic Area Music Fountain show site by the lakeshore in the northward direction towards Duanqiao (断桥) on Bai Causeway (白堤) or southward towards Jixianting (集贤亭) pagoda. You will walk past many boats and ferries carrying passengers for lake cruises.
If you choose to walk in the morning, you will see many local residents walking, dancing, and practising Taichi as their regular morning exercise – Instagram Post.
The one-way distance between Duanqiao (断桥) and Jixianting (集贤亭) pagoda is approximately 2km.
Want to discover more great walking locations around Perth? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Hangzhou’s West Lake (西湖) has been loved by poets and artists since the 9th century. West Lake plays a huge role in making Hangzhou one of the most liveable cities in China.