So, how to describe Hang Zhou? I think the most apt description of Hang Zhou comes from a old Chinese saying… 天上有天坛，天下有苏杭，which means above earth there is the Temple of Heaven, on earth there is Su Zhou and Hang Zhou. It is a comparison to the beauty of the two cities mirroring that of the heavens.
Hang Zhou combines the city and the natural beauty of the environment wonderfully. This gives Hang Zhou all of the benefits of the city while still maintaining peaceful air of the natural surroundings. Hang Zhou is also one of the wealthiest cities in the wealthiest province (at the time of writing this) in China. The most alluring part of Hang Zhou is without a doubt West Lake. This is where you can definitely see all of the wealth that Hang Zhou has to offer.
Getting the Most Out of Your Time In Hang Zhou & West Lake
West Lake is undoubtably the main attraction in Hang Zhou. In order to get the most out of your experience at West Lake I recommend renting bikes for a day (or two). This way you are not tethered to an Uber or cab driver and can enjoy the sites of West Lake even while in transit to your destination. You will be able to go where you want on your time. Bikes will cost something like 10RMB per hour (you can find places to rent them to you for 8RMB or haggle the owner down if you rent bikes for multiple days). Don’t pay more than 10RMB per hour. West Lake is large but it is still doable on a bike if you take 2 days time.
You also have the option to rent a scooter. This will save you a lot of energy while in Hang Zhou. The scooters are obviously more expensive, so it is dependent on your travel budget and the level of physical conditioning that you’re comfortable with while still being able to enjoy your vacation.
What to eat while in Hang Zhou
小龙包 （xiǎo lóng bāo）
This might be a bit hard to pronounce and you may just be better off showing a waiter or vendor the characters above, but it is pronounced She-ao loan-g Bao.
These are Bao Buns specific to Hang Zhou. They are a bit smaller than regular Bao Buns and they will often have a meat and vegetable mix filling inside. I normally would eat them for breakfast or lunch but they are good anytime of the day.
Renting a bike is highly recommended!
A helpful Tip: If you rent a bike or scooter be sure to lock and secure it to a bike rack or something solid. In China, there are people who make it their business to steal people’s insecure bikes and scooters by driving around in a truck/van and putting them in the back of the truck/van. So, locking the wheel of the bike or scooter is not enough to safely secure it.
West Lake 西湖 (Can’t Miss)👍
This is the reason that people travel thousands of miles to come to Hang Zhou. West Lake is a very large very beautiful lake in the city of Hang Zhou. Around the perimeter road that surrounds West Lake there are several high-end car stores. Personally, I am from Miami and a bit used seeing luxurious cars but I have never seen more expensive cars being sold within such a close proximity of one another (Aston Martins, Lamborghini, Ferrari and etc.). It is worth it to go to Hang Zhou, if for nothing else than to admire the cars being sold.
However, West Lake is one of the premium locations for couples about to be married or recently married to take their wedding pictures because of the natural beauty that Hang Zhou has to offer. There have also been countless works of art that were inspired by West Lake’s beauty. There is no shortage of scenic area around West Lake.
West Lake’s Scenic Areas
红鱼池 Red Carp Pond
- The Red Carp Pond 红鱼池– I would say that the Red Carp Pond is a must do while at West Lake. This pond is quaint, peaceful, scenic and (for the most part) quiet. On a good day, it will only be you and a pond full of carp. If you’d like to take a load off, relax and forget about all of the problems you have in you work and personal life visit the Red Carp Pond. It is free of charge, if there are too many people there when you go, visit another site and circle back at a later time.
孤山岛 Gu Shan Island
- Gu Shan Island 孤山岛 (The Island of the Lonely Mountain)- Alright so the name is a bit dramatic, this island isn’t as cool as the translated name makes it seem but still a very nice place to go. This is the biggest island on West Lake. Even though it is an island there are bridges connecting it, so you don’t have to take a boat to get there.
On this island there is a small park called Zhong Shan Park (中山公园). At Zhong Shan Park you can take a stroll and go up the mountain (its more of a high hill but who’s judging). Zhong Shan Park might cost a few RMB to get into (I think 10RMB) but not much.
On Gu Shan Island there is also the Zhe Jiang Museum (浙江博物馆). I personally don’t care much for museums but if you do this place might interest you. This island should certainly be included on your itinerary to Hang Zhou.
- The Lei Feng Pagoda 雷峰塔- The translation of this pagoda could get a little shaky, so I decided to call it the pagoda because it is the most largest and obvious one around West Lake. At night it is lit up beautifully and is often the backdrop in photos and painting of West Lake. This is a very picturesque pagoda. Personally, I believe that pagodas are beautiful but not always worth it to go inside. The inside usually just consists of stairs upon stairs and nothing eye-catching to admire of photograph. However, since this pagoda sits at the edge of West Lake it might be worth it to go up to get a bird’s eye view of West Lake. The cost of an admission ticket is around 40RMB.
- The Islands on West Lake- There are other smaller islands in the middle of West Lake that you could hire a boat or take a tour to get to. These islands are almost sure to have less people than Gu Shan Island, however, I am not to sure what there is to do at these island except photograph the lake.
To be honest you could spend 2-3 days exploring West Lake alone. There are quite a few activities to do and sights to see.
International Kev 