Things to Do in Hangzhou
West Lake cruises, the Song Dynasty show, tea & lakeside cycling

Chinese poets have written about West Lake for a thousand years, and not because they were paid to be kind. It is genuinely, quietly beautiful — inscribed as a UNESCO Cultural Landscape in 2011 — and taking a boat out onto it is the way to see it whole: the three islands in the centre, the "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon" pavilions, the Su Causeway running across the water, and Leifeng Pagoda on its southern hill. The evening sailing gives you the city lights on the water; the daytime one shows the hills and the colour of the lake more clearly. There are simple paddled public boats out to the islands and larger electric cruise boats — choose by the rhythm of your day.

Founded around 328 AD, Lingyin is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in China, tucked into a wooded valley west of the lake. Before you reach the temple itself you pass Feilai Feng — a limestone hill whose cliffs and grottoes hold more than 300 Buddhist figures carved from the tenth century onward, many of them smiling softly out of the rock. The walk from the carvings up to the main hall, with its roughly 20-metre carved-camphor Sakyamuni Buddha, grows quieter and more incense-scented as you climb. This is a working monastery with resident monks, not just a photo stop. Fees can change, so check before you go.

Longjing — "Dragon Well" — is the green tea many people consider the best in China, and the terraces that produce it sit in the hills just west of West Lake. Bus 27 from the north shore reaches Longjing village or Meijiawu in about 25 minutes; Meijiawu has a broader valley and fewer crowds. During the harvest (late March to early May) many farmhouses let you pick a small basket of leaves yourself, then watch them pan-roasted by hand in a hot wok before brewing a cup fresh in front of you. The smell of just-roasted leaves is nothing like a supermarket teabag. The China National Tea Museum, free to enter, is close by.

If West Lake is Hangzhou's composed, arranged side, Xixi Wetland is its natural, quiet one — a maze of small canals, fish ponds, reed beds and little islands on the western edge of the city. An electric boat carries you slowly through tunnels of overhanging trees with egrets lifting off as you pass. It is where Feng Xiaogang filmed If You Are the One, which made it famous across China. In autumn the reed flowers come out white and feathery across the whole marsh, which is especially lovely. Half a day is about right, and it makes a good break from the crowds at the lake.

Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song dynasty, and Songcheng rebuilds that era as a whole walkable town — old lanes, shops, street performances, staff in period costume. The real highlight is the Romance of the Song Dynasty (宋城千古情) show in the large theatre: it tells Hangzhou's history with sets that rise and drop, real waterfalls on stage, hundreds of performers and full light-and-sound production, running about an hour. The ticket combines park entry and the show — allow most of a day, as there is plenty in the park. It suits families and anyone who enjoys a big staged production.

Picture hundreds of performers appearing to walk on the surface of West Lake, with real hills and a pagoda as the backdrop in the dark — possible because the stage is built about 3 cm below the waterline. Impression West Lake is directed by Zhang Yimou (the same director behind the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony) and tells the lake's love legends and poetry through water, light, music and dance, running about an hour. It is completely unlike a show in an ordinary theatre, because the set is the lake. Tickets come in several zones, including seats on a boat. Book ahead and bring your passport.

The Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest and oldest man-made waterway in the world, inscribed by UNESCO in 2014, and its southern terminus is right here in Hangzhou. The cheapest way to ride it is the public water bus from Wulinmen Wharf — the fare is only about ¥3–5, paid with Alipay or a transit card. At night the boat passes the illuminated historic Gongchen Bridge (拱宸桥) and the old canalside quarters where people still live. If you want the fuller experience there is a traditional wooden "Caofang" night cruise at around ¥120 — but the ordinary water bus already gives you the canal at night for the price of a coffee.

If you have seen photos of a Chinese water town with black-tiled houses, still canals, arched stone bridges and red lanterns reflected on the water at night — many of them were taken in Wuzhen. The town splits into two zones: Dongzha (east), small and compact, and Xizha (west), larger and at its most beautiful after dark. Wuzhen is about 1.5–2 hours from Hangzhou by bus (services leave from the city's bus stations, fares around ¥31–32). It works for a full day, or an overnight to see Xizha in the evening — by day it is busy with tour groups, but once the day-trippers leave it grows quiet and far more atmospheric.

The loop around West Lake is about 15 kilometres, flat and shaded the whole way — an easy half-day on a bike that shows you corners you would never reach on foot, including the Su Causeway running across the middle of the lake, the lakeside gardens, and Leifeng Pagoda to the south. The simplest option is the city's official public bikes (Dingding) or shared bikes from Hellobike or Meituan, parked everywhere: scan the QR code through Alipay or WeChat and ride off. City public bikes are free for the first 60 minutes and roughly ¥1–2 an hour after that. You need an international credit card linked to the app first, since almost none take cash.

Hangzhou cuisine (杭帮菜) is known for being gentle and balanced — built on fresh ingredients and harmony rather than heat. The dishes to try are Dongpo pork (东坡肉), belly pork braised until it melts; West Lake sweet-and-sour vinegar fish (西湖醋鱼); and Longjing shrimp (龙井虾仁), stir-fried with the fragrant local green tea. A food walking tour on Klook takes you through the old Hefang Street quarter and the local food lanes, stopping at small places where locals actually eat, one at a time, with a guide explaining each dish — ideal on a first night to work out what to chase for the rest of the trip. You can also do it yourself: Hefang Street is lined with stalls.