UNESCO World Heritage SiteNational 5A Scenic AreaEast China
West Lake, Hangzhou
杭州西湖 · Zhejiang, Hangzhou
China's most celebrated lake, whose pagodas, causeways and willows have inspired poets for a millennium.
West Lake is a large freshwater lake in central Hangzhou ringed by hills, gardens, pagodas and tea villages. Its tree-lined causeways, arched bridges and islets create a classical landscape of mist and willow that has shaped Chinese garden aesthetics. Boating and cycling the shore are the classic ways to explore.
The lake's fame grew in the Southern Song dynasty when Hangzhou became the capital, and the poet Su Dongpo shaped its causeways in the 11th century. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 as a cultural landscape that has profoundly influenced garden design across East Asia.
Day-by-day routes you won't find online — now starting with an 8-day, 1,500 km loop through western Sichuan. New regions are added regularly; tell us where you want to drive next.
