11 Cool Things to do in Hangzhou

Hangzhou is a romantic place. For thousands of years, this beautiful place has fueled the eternal legends of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and White Snake and Xu Xian. The picturesque landscapes of lakes, pagodas, waterfalls, pavilions, broken bridges and mountains only add more charm to the city. It’s no wonder the saying that in heaven there is paradise and on earth, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.

• 1. Glide Along the West Lake

West Lake has its reputation all over the world. It’s the priority for anyone to visit Hangzhou. Whenever you visit, West Lake is always there to put on a beauty show. In spring, you can walk around the lake and feel the breeze gently across your face. In summer, the West Lake is sheltered by delicate lotus. In autumn, the chilly wind brings down all the sweet-scented osmanthus, and in winter, snow covers everywhere. No matter the weather, West Lake is always charming. The sunset on a good day will give you a life-long memory. Walk, bike, or boat, choose whatever way, you are guaranteed amazing views!

West Lake

• 2. Try Longjing Tea (Dragon Well Tea)

Longjing Tea, one of the top-notch teas in China, is a must-try in Hangzhou. It’s characterized by green color, fragrant flavor, sweet taste, and beautiful shape. Enjoy a cup of Longjing tea; you will have a deeper understanding of the rich Chinese tea culture. There are two places where you can try the tea. 

Option 1: Find a quaint tea house and order a cup of Longjing tea. There are often tea ceremony performances there. 

Option 2: Visit tea plantation. Two of the most tea plantations in Hangzhou are Longjing Tea Plantation and Meijiawu Village. Whichever you choose, you will walk in the fields, observe locals picking and processing tea leaves, and taste tea.

Longjing Tea

• 3. Visit the Quaint Water Towns

As a classic Jiangnan city, Hangzhou is surrounded by many water towns. Among them, Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, Tongli, Nanxun, Xitang, and Mudu are the best. Wuzhen Water Town is the biggest water town here and the nearest one to Hangzhou. It has the original landscape and layout. The whole town is connected by bridges with buildings rising on both sides. Many old houses are still inhabited, and the wooden and the stone carves on the pillars, beams, doors, and windows are always clear. You will experience a typical southern Chinese town composed of bridges, waterways, and exquisite architectures. The views become more endearing when evening falls. If you can, stay overnight at this charming little town and savor every part of it.

Water Town

• 4. Enjoy a Live Performance

There are three most famous live shows in Hangzhou:

Impression West Lake: It’s an open-air show on the West Lake presenting the history, legends, and breathtaking landscape of the West Lake under light and a romance of two lovers. It’s a world-class musical show.

The Romance of the Song Dynasty: It’s hailed as one of the most famous shows in the world, along with “O” by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vagas and Moulin Rouge of France. It’s a national epic combing the romantic legend, grand imperial celebration, sad story, and the vibrant scene.

Night of the West Lake: It’s a show using Chinese martial arts, Chinese acrobatics, traditional musical instrument, Yue Opera, and classical and modern dances to bring the past, present, and future Hangzhou to your eyes.

Impression West Lake

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  5. Trace the Memory of Hangzhou in Qinghefang

A few hundreds of meters away is the Qinghefang street, the only historic area that has been best preserved. It’s an epitome of Hangzhou history. Qinghefang has been a prosperous region since the old times. Qinghe Prince of Southern Song Dynasty took residence at the Taiping Lane, hereby the name Qinghefang. Besides the historical sights like the Deshou Palace of Song Gaozong, many hundred-year-old stores sell characteristic local snacks, paintings, calligraphy works, antiques, silks, Chinese medicine, make-up powders, clothes, and small commodities. Make sure you have a close examination of Hangzhou powder, scissors, fans, tobaccos, and silk threads, which are regarded as the five most popular things produced in Hangzhou. 

Qinghefang

• 6. Get into the Spiritual Life of Hangzhou People

Hangzhou people have a rich spiritual life, and temples play an important role among them. Chronicles tell us there were nearly 500 temples in Hangzhou. A dozen of them survived, including Lingyin Temple, Jingci Temple, Fahua Temple, Faxi Temple, Fajing Temple, Yongfu Temple, etc. The most famous temple is the Lingyin Temple. Located beside the Feilai Peak, Lingyin Temple was built in 326 (Eastern Jin dynasty) by an Indian monk named Huili. Later, a famous monk named Jigong entered Buddhism here. The temple we see today was extended by the Wuyue Kingdom in the Five Dynasties Period. You will see the temple's incenses keep burning day and night, meaning that locals attach great importance to offering sacrifice to Buddha here.

Lingyin Temple

• 7. Relish Local Dishes

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, is also one of the hometowns of Zhejiang Cuisine. It has so many delicacies to offer. If you visit Hangzhou, make sure you try the sour-sweet and tender West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy, the chewy and fragrant Braised Dongpo Pork, fresh and tender Beggar’s Chicken, faint-scented and uniquely delicious Fried Shelled Shrimps with Dragon Well Tea, pure and palatable Fish Head and Bean Curd Soup, and the strong-flavored Noodles with Preserved Vegetables. You won’t be disappointed!

Fried Shelled Shrimps with Dragon Well Tea

• 8. Have a Factory Tour

The industrial tourism began to flourish in Hangzhou. There are 15 companies, factories, and plants opening for visit nowadays. You can see how plastic paper being processed and made into all sorts of things in Fulun Ecological Theme Park, appreciate the silk products in Wensli Silk Culture Museum, walk into the space kitchen and discover the cutting-edge kitchen technology in Jiuyang Innovative Industrial Park, explore the purified water being processed in Nongfu Spring Factory, learn the secret of bee world in Hangzhou Tianchu Miyuan Health Care Products Co.,Ltd., and be impressed by Xin’anjiang Hydropower Station, the first large-scale hydropower project designed and built by Chinese. 

Local Factory

• 9. Experience the “Hangzhou” Technology

As one of the most developed cities in China, Hangzhou is also a city of technology. There are so many places you can experience the “Hangzhou” technology. For example, in “Qinchengli (亲橙里)” Shopping Mall, the first business project of Alibaba, you can experience paying with your face, zero-burden shopping, AR shopping guide, and magic fitting. 

Magic Fitting

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  10. Dive into Nature

Xixi National Wetland Park: It’s the first wetland in China that integrates city wetland, farming wetland, and the cultural wetland. You can take a boat to enjoy its beauty.

Tianmu Mountain: It’s a place of old geology and rich plants, great to escape from the urban unrest.

Thousand-Island Lake: It’s a lake with most islands in the world. 

Xixi Wetland Park

• 11. Go Shopping

Like all the metropolises, Hangzhou is also a shopping paradise. Here are the nine most famous shopping streets for you.

1.Wulin Road: women’s clothes and accessories;

2.Qinghefang: antique street with all kinds of quaint stores and shops.

3.Hangzhou China Silk Town: the silk paradise.

4.Hubin International Shopping Street: mainly sell internationally-branded clothes, bags, jewels, watches, furniture, makeups, etc..

5.Sijiqing Clothing Street: one of the largest clothes distributing center, a great place for everyday clothes.

6.Yan’an Road Business Street: a comprehensive business street hosting specialty stores, shopping malls, shops, restaurants, etc..

7.Southern Song Imperial Street: a place of culture, hosting old-fashioned stores and shops,

8.Wushan Night Market: a food street with all kinds of stalls selling silk, antiques, clothes, accessories, etc., a great place to understand the local life.

9.Xinyifang Pedestrian Street: a traditional Chinese style street with pavilions, plazas, corridors, sculptures, and boats.

Hangzhou Shopping

Now that you’ve known some of the cool things you can do in Hangzhou let’s start exploring!