Hangzhou is situated in East China and it is the most populous city in the Zhejiang province. I took CRH bullet train from Shanghai Hongqiao station to Hangzhou East station. The total distance between Shanghai and Hangzhou is 200 km and the bullet train journey between the two cities lasts about 1 hour. West lake is the most famous tourist destination in Hangzhou and it is listed in UNESCO world heritage site. Hangzhou is one of the largest cities in China and it is a major technology hub of China. Ding’an road subway station is the nearest station near west lake. I took subway line 1 from Hangzhou East railway station and it took me 30 minutes to reach Ding’an road station.
West Lake is a fresh water lake and it is located at the center of Hangzhou city. West Lake scenic area features pagodas, temples, gardens and small islands. The lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The lake is circular in shape and it covers an area of 6.5 SqKm. Biking around the lake is a popular tourist activity. West Lake biking route is considered as the best biking trail in China. The length of the walking path which circles around the lake is 15 km. It is difficult to cover all the scenic spots around the lake by walking. It was a perfect day and the weather was fantastic. After walking around one section of the lake i decided to hitch a ride on the electric cart. Electric carts run around the lake frequently and it is a popular way to cover the entire scenic area.
The carts have a seating capacity of 8 people and they usually run full capacity. The Electric carts have predetermined stops along the scenic area but they stop randomly to pick up people if the cart is empty. Minimum ticket price for the cart is 10 CNY and the tour around the lake costs 40 CNY.
Huxin Pavilion is situated near Huxin park and it is a popular scenic spot in the West Lake area. The boat tours are a popular means of visiting different scenic spots around the lake. Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon is one of the most visited scenic spots around the lake and it situated on an island. I took my scenic boat ride from the pier near Leifeng Pagoda. The ticket price for the boat costs about 50 CNY and this was my first stop in the tour.
Leifeng Pagoda is a major attraction in the West Lake scenic area. The pagoda is 5 storey tall. The view from the top floor of the Pagoda is incredible and it is used as an observation deck. I decided to take stairs to the top floor because there was long queue for the lift. The top floor was very crowded because the lift directly goes to the top floor. I came down one floor because it was relative less crowded and the view was quite similar to the the view from the top floor. I really enjoyed the panoramic view of West Lake from the pagoda and it is a must visit place during your trip to West Lake.
Spring season is the Cherry Blossom season in Hangzhou West Lake area. The exact dates of the festival changes every year because of the change in weather. The festival lasts about a week. If you are visiting Hangzhou during the Cherry Blossom season then you will be greeted with beautiful scenery of West Lake along with flower blossom.
CNN listed West Lake sunset views in the list of top 12 sunset views around the world. Pro photographers line up their cameras and equipment at different scenic spots around the West Lake in order to capture perfect sunset landscapes. Changqiao Park is a popular place to view sunset on the West Lake area. Changqiao Park is located opposite to Leifeng Pagoda and it features Xizhao Pavilion. It was a clear day and Xiazhao Pavilion was crowded with tourists and photographers since afternoon. I also witnessed wedding photo-shoot near the Pavilion. Sunset on the background of Leifeng Pagoda and Xizhao Pavillion was the best part of my trip to West Lake.
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