West Lake

Why it's worth it

The lake that Chinese poetry has been describing for twelve centuries — 15 kilometres of shoreline, three causeways stitched with willows, pagodas on the hills, all of it free to walk. UNESCO listed it as a 'cultural landscape': the scenery and the ten thousand poems about it are one thing.

Don't miss

• Su Causeway at dawn — six stone bridges, no crowds, herons in the shallows
• Leifeng Pagoda at sunset (the 'Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow' scene, and the White Snake legend's prison)
• A boat to the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon island — the island on the 1-yuan note

Getting there

Metro Line 1 to Longxiangqiao for the east shore; the lake loop is walkable, cyclable and boat-able from every side.

Tips

• Walk or rent a bike; the shoreline roads are closed to through traffic — that's the whole magic
• The 'Ten Scenes' framing is worth borrowing: each is a specific viewpoint, most are free
• Weekend afternoons on Broken Bridge are shoulder-to-shoulder; shift your circuit to early morning