West Lake in full — causeways, an island, a pagoda at dusk
One of the most beautiful lakes in China, a causeway walk beneath the willows, and Leifeng Pagoda for the best sunset over the water — this is the day Hangzhou introduces itself.
Start at the Broken Bridge on the northeast corner of West Lake around 08:00–08:30, before the big tour groups arrive. This is where the Legend of the White Snake — a story every Chinese visitor knows — begins. From here, walk the Bai Causeway across the northern edge of the lake; willows alternate with peach trees, and the view opens out to the hills ringing the water.
The causeway leads to Gushan (Solitary Hill Island), where the free Zhejiang Provincial Museum is worth a look. If you have time, take a boat out to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon — the small stone pagodas standing in the water that appear on the ¥1 banknote. Three unhurried hours covers all of this. See the full West Lake guide.
After lunch, walk or hire a bike along the Su Causeway — a 2.8 km dyke built by the poet Su Dongpo 900 years ago, running straight across the middle of the lake from north to south. Six arched bridges along the way make natural stopping points; it is one of the loveliest stretches of West Lake.
At the southern end stands Leifeng Pagoda, a modern tower built over the base of the original from 975 AD, with a lift to the upper floors. From the top you see the whole lake in a single frame, and it is the best vantage point for sunset over the water. Aim to arrive about an hour before the sun goes down.
Come down from the pagoda and head back to the east shore between 18:00 and 20:00. West Lake after dark feels like a different place: lights on Leifeng Pagoda and along the causeways glow across the still water. Walk the Hubin waterfront on the east side, which doubles as a lakeside promenade and a shopping street, and find your first dinner in the city here. Order Dongpo pork (东坡肉), Hangzhou's signature braised pork belly.
