Hangzhou : Main Scenic Spots

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West Lake
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Hangzhou's immortal West Lake, called Xihu in Chinese, has graced the landscape of this lovely city for more than 2,000 years. Xihu reveals its full beauty at sunrise and again at sunset, when mists rise magically from its surface. Fanciful pagodas and classical gardens dot the countryside around Hangzhou. Peach, acacia and plum trees bloom at varying times of the years, forming a colorful border around the two dikes that divide the West Lake. These ancient dikes or causeways, which bear the names of two famous classical poets (Su Dongpo and Bai Juyi, who in the 18th century became Hangzhou's Governor), serve as scenic walkways around the lake. Three manmade island called Gushan Island. All may be reached by causeway.

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Ling Yin (Soul's Retreat) Temple
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Set at the foot of northern Peak, to the west of the lake, is the Ling Yin Buddhist temple, founded during the 4th century. The front temple, called the Hall of Celestial Kings, houses a large laughing Buddha covered with gold. The Great Buddha Hall, dating from the late Qing, displays a 60-foot (18 meters) Sakyamuni cared from camphor wood. Four hand-carved columns dating from the 10th century flank the main doors; two octagonal stone stupas may be older still.

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Xiling Seal Engravers' society
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Located on Gushan Island atop a hill, this pavilion provides an excellent vantage point from which to view the surrounding scenery. This is the headquarters of a group of scholars, intellectuals, and seal engravers who first met in the early part of this century. In addition to the ornamental trees, rock pools, and a 900-year-old pagoda found here, there is a small collection of prints bearing various old seal styles.

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Three Pools Mirroring the Moon
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The second of Xihu's manmade islands lies in the southern part of the lake. The name Three Pools Mirroring the Moon comes from the Three Stupas (San Tan) that were built centuries ago along the shoreline to ward off evil spirits. In the evening, candlelight from the stupas' light creates magical images on the water's surface. The long picturesque Zip-Zag Bridge keeps evil spirits at bay (since, as everyone knows, evil spirits travel only in a straight line).

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Tomb of Yue Fei
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Located at the northwest edge of Xihu,the Tomb of Yue Fei honors a famous Song Dynasty military hero who was unjustly executed in the early 13th century. The tomb dates from 1221 A.D.

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Jade Spring and Hangzhou Botanical Garden
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Famous for its goldfish pond and ornamental gardens (including a lovely bonsai garden), Jade Spring sits just off the northwest corner of the lake on Yugu Road, inside the Hangzhou Botanical Garden. The botanical garden displays more than 3,700 varieties of bamboo and other plants, including specimens of the "dawn redwood" tree, once thought to be extinct.

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Fei Lai Feng
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The peak facing Ling Yin Temple is covered with 280 rare rock carvings that date to the 13th and 14th centuries. The first cave houses statues believed to have been carved by monks who brought Buddhism to China.

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Tiger Spring
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The area surrounding Hangzhou is blessed with many natural springs, including Yellow Dragon Spring and Dragon Well. Tiger Spring is found at the site of an old hillside monastery that has been converted to a teahouse. The spring water is known for its fine tea-brewing qualities as well as its natural sweetness and high mineral content. So strong is the water's surface tension that you can float a handful of Chinese nickels on it. Sitting in the teahouse, the visitor commands a sweeping view of the tea-growing valley below. Dragon Well is frequently crowded with visitors from Taiwan and other parts of China, but crowds thin out in the late afternoon.

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Dragon Well Village
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Located near the Dragon Well Spring, this scenic village produces the clear-green Longjing tea, one of the finest teas in China. Visitors in late March of early April may see the tea leaves being harvested along the hillsides. The leaves are processed at the nearby Meijiawu Tea Grarden.

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Liu He Pagoda
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The name means Pagoda of the Six Harmonies, representing the six tenets of Buddhism: embrace speech, body, opinion, mind, wealth and abstinence from temptation. Liu He is about 800 years old (it replaced the original pagoda built in 970). Visitors can enjoy a fine view of the Qian Tang River from the terrace.

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