The Unpleasant Truth About Hangzhou Tourism: Yeah, It's Really Like That.
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Hello, everyone who is visiting Hangzhou! As a "veteran" graduate student living in Hangzhou for over two years, I'm here to share some real-life experiences about what to expect in Hangzhou - from eating and drinking, sightseeing and transportation, to accommodation. This will be especially beneficial for foreign friends, as there are certain pitfalls that need to be avoided!
** Arrival in Hangzhou:**
• Important Advice: Avoid choosing the Hangzhou South Railway Station! It's really far from the city center (and all the scenic areas you want to explore). Getting there is very inconvenient.
• Recommended choice: The Hangzhou East Railway Station or the City Station (Hangzhou Station). From both of these stations, it’s a short ten-minute subway ride to the West Lake!
Getting around the city:
• Preferred modes: Electric scooters (which are small electric motorcycles commonly found in Hangzhou), or the subway train
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• Advice: Especially during peak hours (morning and evening rush hours), taking a taxi or bus can leave you stuck in traffic, questioning your existence (because of how slow the movement is). The subway is the most reliable option!
Exploring West Lake:
• To sum up, West Lake is just a large lake, and its surrounding attractions usually have park-like scenery, such as the Su Causeway and the Bai Causeway. Take your time to sit down leisurely, enjoy the cool breeze, and slowly appreciate the scenery.
• Heatwave warning: From May to September, Hangzhou enters a sauna weather mode, very hot! Avoid visiting West Lake between 11 am and 3 pm because it would be both hot and sunny.
• “Jiangnan Water Village” doesn’t mean cooler summers—during summer, the sun there is intense as if on a Tibetan plateau!
• Footwear advice: Never wear high heels to tour West Lake! High-heeled walking will make you feel uncomfortable.
The West Lake scenic area is huge; walking around one circle covers several kilometers, wearing high heels is absolutely not advisable.
• Recommended less crowded routes: If you want to avoid crowds, visit the Gushan Road for a stroll around 2 pm. This road is on an island in the middle of the lake. The tall trees lining the road provide shade against the scorching sun.
Food and Drink Suggestions:
• Avoid dining inside the West Lake scenic site. Prices here tend to be expensive, and food quality tends to be mediocre.
• Be cautious with this special dish, West Lake Vinegar Fish: This is a signature dish of Hangzhou, but honestly, the taste of almost every restaurant's dish is not quite pleasant. Its sour and sweet taste may be too strong for foreign pallets. Think twice before ordering.
• Breakfast in Hangzhou is wonderful, with many varieties to choose from, like soy milk, fried dough sticks, soup dumplings, wontons, pan-fried buns filled with pork, and Pian Er Chuan Noodles—popular among Chinese locals.
Other Attractions:
• For Ling Yin Temple, do note that you will need to buy two entrance tickets. Firstly, you’ll need to purchase one for Fei Lai Feng Scenic Area, which includes stone carvings worth seeing. Then, after entering Fei Lai Feng Scenic Area, you'll need to get another ticket exclusively for the temple itself.
• Hefang Street has a replica of an ancient street atmosphere, perfect for a walk. However, refrain from shopping at this place since it sells ordinary goods. You can find these same items elsewhere, at lower prices.
• I personally don’t recommend visiting Songcheng Theme Park as it isn't worth the price paid based on the tourist attraction set up there.
Souvenir Shopping:
• Be cautious when purchasing famous products: tea (especially Dragon Well Tea), silk, pearls are popular souvenirs. Avoid buying these at tourist sites, as you may pay a fortune for something subpar. Instead, purchase these items at a local store.
Accommodation:
• Important Advice: Do NOT wait until you arrive in Hangzhou to book your hotel. Not only will the prices skyrocket, but you risk not finding satisfying rooms, especially during peak tourism season. It's recommended to book hotels online early.
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It's really great, and they even provide a raincoat! Without it, I would've been completely soaked in the rain!
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Exactly! I bought a ticket for Hangzhou South station, so how do I get to West Lake by subway?
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Getting around by e-bike is both convenient and hassle-free.
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This is my second time here, and it's genuinely good. The service is great, and the e-bike has impressive range.
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Absolutely fantastic!!! Both the young lady (staff) and the owner are so sweet and kind.