West Lake, Hangzhou · Photo: Circa24, CC BY-SA 4.0
Suggested time
A full day
Checked
2026-11-09
Mood
Lake & temples
Region
Zhejiang
“The West Lake Cultural Landscape has inspired poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century, reflecting an idealized harmony between man and nature.”
West Lake is a freshwater lake of 6.39 km², about 3.2 km north to south and 2.8 km east to west, with four causeways and three artificial islands. UNESCO lists it as the West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou.
Hangzhou also has two other World Heritage sites, the Grand Canal and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. A single day trip covers the lake, a temple and a tea hillside.
Highlights
一West Lake and its causeways
二Lingyin Temple
三Longjing tea hillside
四Leifeng Pagoda
Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou · Tyg728, CC BY-SA 4.0Tea plantation near Hangzhou · Shizhao, CC BY 1.0
The lake has four causeways, three artificial islands and Gushan, the only natural island. Wikipedia dates the Bai Causeway to 822 and the Su Causeway to 1089.
Wikipedia lists the Longjing Tea Plantation among sites around West Lake. The terraced hills are a short drive from the lake.
Getting there
The Shanghai–Hangzhou high-speed railway opened on 26 October 2010 and cut the journey from 78 to 45 minutes, according to Wikipedia. It is designed for 350 km/h. The line length is given as 169 km in the station table and 202 km in the lead, and the page does not reconcile the two, so we do not quote a single figure.
We can meet you at Hongqiao railway station in Shanghai, which opened on 1 July 2010, and a driver and guide join you in Hangzhou.
Key facts
Province
Zhejiang (Hangzhou is the capital)
From Shanghai
45 minutes by high-speed rail (Wikipedia)
High-speed line opened
26 October 2010
West Lake
6.39 km²; 3.2 km north–south, 2.8 km east–west
UNESCO
West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, 2011 (ref. 1334)
