10 Must-Do Things in Hangzhou, China (With Map)

The city has a subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and cool winters. Autumn and spring are supposed to be the best times to visit. We visited in December, though and thought it was just grand. Visiting over Christmas is perfect if you want to avoid the crowds, as everyone will be in school or at work.

When Marco Polo visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century, he proclaimed Hangzhou “beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world.” According to a Chinese proverb, “Above is heaven and below is SuHang (Suzhou and Hangzhou).

Today, the beauty of Hangzhou remains, and it’s easy to see why the Chinese can claim to have a piece of heaven here on Earth. The beauty of West Lake alone is a good enough reason to visit Hangzhou.

Being one of China’s wealthiest cities, Hangzhou’s sights are all kept in excellent condition. The city is clean, safe, and has a world-class infrastructure.

Now, that doesn’t make it any easier, as there are thousands of hotels and guesthouses around West Lake. At first, we considered the Ji Hotel, but then we found another place that we liked more. When we got to Hangzhou, we walked past the Ji Hotel, and it looked like a nice hotel in a great location.

However, we chose to stay on the opposite side of West Lake, as we thought it might be quieter and more relaxing. So, let’s tell you about the place where we stayed in Hangzhou.

We stayed at the Haitang Yishu Hostel, located on a quiet street in a whole neighbourhood full of guesthouses and boutique hotels. There is nothing hostel about the Haitang Yishu, though. Boutique guesthouse might be a more accurate description.

Hangzhou proudly boasts the largest bike-sharing scheme in the world. With at least 175,000 bikes, you are never too far away from a bike. Cycling between sights is the most enjoyable way to see Hangzhou.

All you need to do is scan the QR code using Alipay, and you’re ready to roll. Alipay is an unmissable app when travelling in China, so do yourself a favour and set it up before you come. Read here how to install and use Alipay as a foreigner.

We really liked how most of the things to do in Hangzhou were free, and we only had to pay entrance fees to the Lingyin Temple complex.

We rode a bike to the Xiling Seal Society, then walked to the Crooked Courtyard before connecting to Su Causeway. The narrow Su Causeway, flanked by the lake on both sides, is 2.8 km long and makes for an excellent stroll surrounded by the beauty of West Lake.

Along the way, you’ll cross six arched stone bridges with poetic names such as Crossing Rainbow Bridge or Ripples Locking Waves Bridge. By the time you reach Leifeng Pagoda on the opposite side of Su Causeway, you’re most likely to be in a Zen state of mind.

Entrance Fee: Free

Longjing is incredibly picturesque and should definitely not be missed. Plan to spend at least half a day here, walking between the tea bushes and tasting tea at one of the many tea houses. Of course, you should also drink the Longjin green tea while you’re here.

While you might be tempted to immediately follow the sign saying Dragon Well – DON’T. Ignore that sign for now and continue walking straight down the road. This will take you to the Nine Creeks, which is really beautiful.

We walked down this road, crossing small creeks along the way, and the scenery just kept on getting better and better. You will be swimming in a sea of green, with tea bushes tumbling down the hills from every direction.

You could hike across the mountains or take the same road you came on to return to Longjing village. Back in the village, follow the sign to the Dragon Well for more great views. We think, though, that the scenery along the Nine Creeks is much, much better. See both and decide for yourself.

Longjin Village itself is actually very nice. It was definitely not tacky or as touristy as we expected. The ladies offering tea are friendly but not pushy. Come in winter, and you’ll see hundreds of ducks hanging outside curing, often on the same washing line as the laundry.

The fantastic Green Tea restaurant, halfway between West Lake and Longjing, should definitely not be missed. It was our favourite restaurant in Hangzhou. Stop here for dinner or lunch before heading back to Hangzhou.

Entrance Fee: Free

The best place to see the Grand Canal is at the Gongchen Bridge (大运河拱宸桥). This three-arched stone bridge, 92 meters long and 16 meters high, dates back to the Ming dynasty and also marks the end of the Grand Canal.

The Gongchen Bridge is beautifully lit up at night, so come here before sunset and watch the never-ending line of barges ply up and down the canal.

Cross the bridge on foot, and you’ll enter the very charming Qiaoxi History Culture Street. Most of the old houses have been turned into little art galleries, restaurants, cafes or museums without it being tacky.

The temple complex consists of several enormous halls, each containing equally enormous statues of gods and deities. The main hall houses a 19-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni sitting on a 10-meter-tall lotus flower. In another hall, you’ll find hundreds of bronze statues depicting weird and wonderful Arhats (Buddhist disciples).

We particularly liked the nice temple gardens and the yellow-black-green colour palette of the temple.

Lingyin Temple is about 4 km from West Lake, and a DiDi or taxi should cost about RMB 15.

To enter Lingyin Temple, you will first need to pay 45 RMB to enter the Lingyin Scenic Area. Then, once you reach Lingyin Temple, you will need to buy an entrance ticket to the temple, which costs 30 RMB.

Legend also has it that before landing here in Hangzhou, the mountain went on a rampage and destroyed hundreds of villages while flying around.

Carved into this mountain that flew all the way from India are hundreds of Buddhas—big and small. These Buddhas were carved into the mountain to help it calm down and stop it from destroying villages again. The most famous of these Buddhas is the fat, laughing Buddha.

Particularly scenic is the Jixianting pavilion (集贤亭), which is one of Hangzhou’s iconic scenes. The small pavilion almost seems to be floating on the lake and, with the mountains in the background, is one of the most photogenic places along the lake.

This area has many cool lakeside cafes and restaurants, and it is also popular with Chinese singing or dancing at night.

Also read:
➜ 10 of the Best Books to Read Before Travelling to China

So here is our top tip: Screengrab pictures you find online and simply show them to your waiter. This has worked for us for months before Jin’s Chinese mumbles turned into speech. If all else fails, use a translator app and tell the waiter to choose something for you.

Here are the places we recommend to eat in Hangzhou (remember the screenshots, people 🙂 ).

There are also branches in the city, but for atmosphere and ambience, this setting right between the green tea fields can’t be beaten.

You can scan the QR code on your table to see the picture menu and order everything you want.

When you order the Beggar’s Chicken, the chef/ chicken man will bring the chicken to your table. He will then hand you a wooden mallet. After saying a blessing, you need to tap the clay pot with the mallet. This is repeated two more times, at which point the chicken man will open the chicken for you. Seeing your chicken as it’s revealed will be love at first sight.

Forget fish and chips. The way the Chinese do fish is quite different. First, the fish is grilled until it’s wonderfully smokey and crispy. Add extras of your choice, such as potato, mushrooms, rice cake, corn or glass noodles. Then it’s smothered in a soup of your choice, from not spicy all the way up to what were you thinking!!!???

And that’s how you do Hangzhou. Enjoy your time in Hangzhou. We are sure you are going to love it! Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions.
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