Hangzhou's beauty is the lake Su Shi described as equally charming in light or heavy makeup. In northern Zhejiang, peach and willow brush the dikes from March to May and the city fills with osmanthus fragrance from September to November, which makes it perfect for slow travel. Set aside a generous few days for it.
Common questions before you go
Spring Dawn at Su Causeway (March to May) and Osmanthus Rain at Manlong (September to November) are the most enchanting. Summer lotuses are lovely too but humid, and the Broken Bridge in snow is a rare winter treat.
One day circling West Lake plus Lingyin; one at Xixi Wetland and Longjing Village; a half-day at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum; the rest at Hefang Street and an evening canal cruise.
Walking or cycling around the lake is beautiful enough; for the water, take a rowed boat into Maojiabu. Leifeng Pagoda and Broken Bridge are free, so do not be talked into overpriced tours.
杭州最值得去的地方
杭州特色美食推荐
The signature Hangzhou dish — West Lake grass carp finished with a sweet-and-sou...
The dish credited to poet Su Dongpo: pork belly braised until it's rich but neve...
A Hangzhou classic — fresh river shrimp with Longjing tea leaves, delicate, frag...
Hangzhou soup dumplings with paper-thin skins and a bursting broth — the crab-ro...
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Neighboring cities worth a side trip
杭州's immersive visual journey
