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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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 –…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Hangzhou
At the southern end of Zhongshan Zhonglu is this touristy, crowded and bustling pedestrian street, with makeshift puppet theatres, teahouses, and gift and…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Hangzhou
Commander of the southern Song armies, General Yue Fei (1103–42) led successful battles against northern Jurchen invaders in the 12th century. Despite…
Zhejiang
Wǔjiān Huāxuān is the birthplace of Dai Yinniang, Siping's most famous historical resident, who became an imperial concubine. Flowery brick carvings hang…
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…
Hangzhou
This vast museum is devoted to all things silk, covering fashion, craftsmanship and the historic Silk Road in great depth. Extensive galleries showcase…
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…
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…
China National Tea Museum – Lóngjǐng Scenic Area
Hangzhou
This second branch of the China National Tea Museum, which opened in 2015, enjoys stunning views of the surrounding tea plantations and is set amid…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…