Must-see attractions in Zhejiang

  • West Lake of Hangzhou

    West Lake

    Hangzhou

    The very definition of classical beauty in China, West Lake is utterly mesmerising: pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift…

  • China, Zhejiang province, Hangzhou, Lingyin temple, statues of Buddha

    Lingyin Temple

    Hangzhou

    Hangzhou’s most famous Buddhist temple, Lingyin Temple was originally built in AD 326, but has been destroyed and rebuilt no fewer than 16 times. During…

  • Longjing Tea Village

    Hangzhou

    The lush, green scenery around this tea village up in the hills southwest of West Lake makes for a wonderful break from the bustle of Hangzhou. Visitors…

  • Bǎijiānlóu

    Zhejiang

    Oddly overlooked by most visitors, this 400m stretch of 100 (or so) wooden row houses, flanking a narrow canal, is Nanxun's most charming spot. The…

  • Jingci Temple

    Hangzhou

    The serene yet monastically active Chan (Zen) Jingci Temple was built in AD 954 and has been fully restored. The splendid first hall contains the massive,…

  • Jinhua Architecture Park

    Zhejiang

    Jinhua Architecture Park is made up of 16 pavilions, designed by international and domestic architects, strung over 2km along the Yìwū River. It was…

  • Six Harmonies Pagoda

    Hangzhou

    The 60m-high octagonal Six Harmonies Pagoda, dating from AD 1165 in its current form but first built in AD 960, is a stout pagoda that once served as a…

  • Hangzhou Old City Wall Exhibition Hall

    Hangzhou

    Hangzhou is famed for its lake, but the lake was once only a (glorious) appendage to a flourishing and magnificent city. The historic city of Hangzhou –…

  • Nanxun

    Zhejiang

    This lived-in Southern Song dynasty water town has unique architecture that fuses Chinese and European styles. With fewer visitors than other canal-filled…

  • China National Tea Museum

    Hangzhou

    Not far into the hills of Hangzhou, you’ll begin to see fields of tea bushes planted in undulating rows, the setting for the China Tea Museum – 3.7…

  • Foding Mountain

    Zhejiang

    A steep but beautifully shaded half-hour to 45-minute climb can be made up Foding Mountain – Buddha’s Summit Peak – the highest point on the island. This…

  • Xinye

    Zhejiang

    There is a lovely big-family feel to this village in Zhejiang Province, and no wonder when virtually everybody is related across a 'Ye' surname family…

  • Puji Temple

    Zhejiang

    Fronted by large ponds and overlooked by towering camphor trees and luohan pines, this restored Chan (Zen) temple stands by the main square and dates from…

  • Qinghefang Old Street

    Hangzhou

    At the southern end of Zhongshan Zhonglu is this touristy, crowded and bustling pedestrian street, with makeshift puppet theatres, teahouses, and gift and…

  • Hall of Good Order

    Zhejiang

    This hall is central to the village; its front door does not open so its accessible side door faces out onto pyramid-shaped Daofeng Mountain (道峰山, Dàofēng…

  • Zhuge

    Zhejiang

    Traditional Chinese village architecture and feng shui planning have created a village laid out according to the bāguà (八卦, eight trigrams) of the I Ching…

  • Fayu Temple

    Zhejiang

    Colossal camphor trees and a huge gingko tree tower over this yellow-roof-tiled Chan (Zen) temple, where a vast glittering statue of Guanyin sits…

  • Wengjiashan Village

    Hangzhou

    In the hills near Dragon Well Village, Wengjiashan Village is an alternative place in which to enjoy lóngjǐng tea at one of the village's many teahouses…

  • South Sea Guanyin

    Zhejiang

    The first thing you see as you approach Putuoshan by boat is this 33m-high glittering statue of Guanyin, overlooking the waves at the southernmost tip of…

  • Moganshan Hilltop Resort

    Zhejiang

    A blessed release from the suffocating summer torpor roasting north Zhejiang, this delightful hilltop resort (719m) was developed by 19th-century…

  • Zhangshiming's Former Residence

    Zhejiang

    The grandest of Nanxun's wealthy merchant homes looks like a classic Chinese manor, with ornate carvings in wood, stone and brick – until you reach deep…

  • Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum

    Hangzhou

    The Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum has a dispensary and clinic adjoined to the museum. Established by the Qing dynasty merchant Hu Xueyan in 1874,…

  • Xiaoying Island

    Hangzhou

    Wooden cruise boats shuttle visitors from a number of points on the banks of West Lake to the Mid-Lake Pavilion and Xiaoying Island, which has a fine…

  • Santai Pavilion

    Hangzhou

    This pavilion was a popular feature in Ming dynasty (1368–1644) paintings of West Lake. Located at the top of Santai Hill, in the West Lake Scenic Area, a…

  • Mausoleum of General Yue Fei

    Hangzhou

    Commander of the southern Song armies, General Yue Fei (1103–42) led successful battles against northern Jurchen invaders in the 12th century. Despite…

  • Wǔjiān Huāxuān

    Zhejiang

    Wǔjiān Huāxuān is the birthplace of Dai Yinniang, Siping's most famous historical resident, who became an imperial concubine. Flowery brick carvings hang…

  • Yanxia Cave

    Hangzhou

    Accessed via a trail from the road heading east out of Wengjiashan Village, this naturally formed limestone cave features Buddhist statues carved into the…

  • China National Silk Museum

    Hangzhou

    This vast museum is devoted to all things silk, covering fashion, craftsmanship and the historic Silk Road in great depth. Extensive galleries showcase…

  • Seal Engravers Society

    Hangzhou

    Connected to West Lake’s northern shores by the Bai Causeway is Gushan Island (孤山, Gū Shān), the lake’s largest island. You’ll find the intriguing Seal…

  • Chongren Temple

    Zhejiang

    This temple, the village's largest, is dedicated to the ancestors of the Chongren, a sub-clan of the Ye people of Xinye. The Chongren are the wealthiest…

  • Luxun Native Place

    Zhejiang

    This busy cobblestone pedestrian stretch is home to several sights relating to Lu Xun (1881–1936), China’s first great modern novelist, who lived here…

  • Baopu Taoist Temple

    Hangzhou

    In the forested hills above West Lake, reachable by a pleasant hike, is the striking tiled-roof, yellow-walled Baopu Taoist Temple. The temple’s first…

  • Big Buddha Temple

    Hangzhou

    The remains of this historic temple on the western slope of Baoshi Hill north of West Lake only run to a weather-beaten and dilapidated vast stone head of…

  • Siping

    Zhejiang

    Without its homestay program, the few visitors to the miniscule village of Siping would miss out on its collection of brick and wood carvings. Siping lies…

  • Leifeng Pagoda

    Hangzhou

    Topped with a golden spire, the eye-catching Leifeng Pagoda can be climbed for fine views of the lake. The original pagoda, built in AD 977, collapsed in…

  • Dagong Hall

    Zhejiang

    This splendid memorial hall overlooking the tàijí diagram pond at the centre of the village is a huge, airy space with a pairing of huge black Chinese…

  • Confucius Temple

    Hangzhou

    A repository of silence and calm, Hangzhou’s Confucius Temple is worth exploring for the main hall and the fabulous painted woodwork of its beams and…

  • Chaoyang Cave

    Zhejiang

    At the jutting point that marks the boundary between One Hundred Step Beach and One Thousand Step Beach, 'Sun-facing' Cave is a small, rarely visited…

  • Baoshi Hill

    Hangzhou

    Baoshi Hill is one of the loveliest places in Hangzhou to take a hike. Numerous well-kept paths wind through the forest, taking you up steep slopes and…

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