Cruising West Lake

Cruise boats (yóuchuán; incl entry to Three Pools adult/child ¥45/22.50; 7am-4.45pm) shuttle frequently from four points (Hubin Park, Red Carp Pond, Zhōngshān Park and the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei) to the Mid-Lake Pavilion (Húxīn Tíng) and Xiaoyíng Island (Xiaoyíng Zhōu). Trips take 1½ hours and depart every 20 minutes. Alternatively, hire one of the six-person boats (xiao chuán; per person/boat ¥80/160) rowed by boatmen. Look for them across from the Overseas Chinese Hotel or along the causeways. Paddle boats (¥15 per 30 minutes, ¥200 deposit) on the Bái Causeway are also available for hire.

Getting There & Away

Air Hángzhōu’s airport is 30km from the city centre; a taxi will cost ¥100 to ¥130. Shuttle buses (¥20, one hour) run every 15 minutes between 5.30am and 9pm from the Civil Aviation Administration of China office (Zhōngguó Mínháng; 8666 8666; 390 Tiyuchang Lu; 7.30am-8pm), also stopping at the train station.

Bus Frequent buses (¥68, two hours, regularly from 7.10am to 7.20pm) run from Shànghai South long-distance bus station to Hángzhōu’s Jiubao bus station, north bus station and south bus station. In 2012, Hángzhōu’s Jiubao bus station was due to be linked to the centre of town by metro.

Buses (¥68) also run to Hángzhōu from the Shànghai long-distance bus station, north of Shànghai Railway Station. Hourly buses (¥85, two hours) also run to Hángzhōu from Hóngqiáo International Airport long-distance bus station and six buses daily (¥100) go from Pudōng International Airport.

Metro Hángzhōu’s new metro line 1 was due to begin operating in 2012, running from the southeast of town, through the main train station, the east side of West Lake and on to the east train station, Jiubao bus station and the northeast of town.

Train The best way to go. Very regular G-class trains (2nd-/1st-class seat ¥78/124, one hour, 6.38am to 9.32pm) to Hángzhōu depart from Shànghai Hóngqiáo Railway Station in Shànghai’s west. The last G-class train back to Shànghai Hóngqiáo Railway Station is at 8.48pm. There are also four G-class trains (2nd-/ 1st-class seat ¥93/148, 1½ hours) daily to Hángzhōu from Shànghai Railway Station.

Need to Know

» Area Code 0571

» Location 170km from Shànghai

» Tourist Office Hángzhōu Tourist Information Centre (Hángzhōu Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn) At the train station, near Léifēng Pagoda and other locations.

TOP SIGHTS

West Lake

West Lake didn’t appear until the 8th century, when the governor of Hángzhōu had the marshy expanse dredged. As time passed, the lake’s splendour was slowly cultivated.

The poet Su Dongpo had a hand in the lake’s development, constructing the Sū Causeway (Sūdī) during his tenure as local governor in the 11th century, to accompany the Bái Causeway (Báidī). Lined by willow, plum and peach trees, today the traffic-free causeways with their half-moon bridges make for excellent outings, particularly by bike.

Connected to West Lake’s northern shores by the Bái Causeway is Gūshān Island (Gū Shān), the lake’s largest island. It’s the site of the modest Zhèjiāng Provincial Museum, Zhōngshān Park (Zhōngshān Gōngyuán) and the intriguing Seal Engravers’ Society.

Across from the entrance to the 3km-long Sū Causeway stands Yuè Fēi Temple. At the other end of the Sū Causeway is Red Carp Pond Offline map Google map (Huāgang Guānyú), another collection of gardens on the southern shore, home to a few thousand red carp. East along the shore rises the splendidly eye-catching Léifēng Pagoda Offline map Google map, across the road from the tranquil Jìngcí Zen Monastery.

Don’t Miss…

» Sū and Bái Causeways

» Léifēng Pagoda

» Gūshān Island

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14