Zhejiang is a coastal province in eastern China, on the southern shore of the Yangtze River Delta and the East China Sea. It is one of China's smallest provinces by land area yet one of its wealthiest and most densely populated, anchored by the historic capital Hangzhou and its famous West Lake. Zhejiang is celebrated for its canal-laced water towns, sacred Buddhist mountain of Putuo Shan, tea plantations, and a coastline scattered with thousands of islands.
Top attractions
The most popular and significant attractions in Zhejiang.
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1
West Lake (Xi Hu)
West Lake is the freshwater lake at the center of Hangzhou, ringed by causeways, temples and gardens that have been painted and written about since the Song dynasty. It's a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape rather than a single sight, so a visit usually means walking or cycling a stretch of the Bai or Su Causeway and stopping at a garden or pavilion along the way. Most of the lakefront, including the causeways, is open and free, so people come back at different times of day rather than trying to see it all at once.
Tip: Arrive before 8AM to see local tai chi practice and avoid tour groups · Rent a shared bicycle to cover the roughly 15km lake loop faster than walking · Leifeng Pagoda charges CNY 40 separately from the free lakeside parks · Buy boat tickets at the pier rather than from street touts · Weekends and Chinese public holidays bring heavy crowds to Su Causeway
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2
Lingyin Temple
Lingyin Temple is one of China's oldest and wealthiest Chan Buddhist monasteries, founded in the 4th century in the wooded hills west of West Lake. The complex holds several halls of increasing scale culminating in a hall with a tall gilded Buddha statue, and it remains an active place of worship with monks and incense smoke rather than a museum piece. The combined ticket also covers Feilai Feng, the limestone outcrop opposite the temple carved with hundreds of Buddhist grottoes and reliefs dating from the 10th to 14th centuries.
Tip: Buy the combined temple-and-Feilai Feng ticket at the entrance rather than separately · Arrive right at the 7AM opening on weekdays to beat tour bus groups · Photography is not permitted inside the main halls, only in the courtyards and caves · Wear comfortable shoes, as the site involves uneven stone steps up the hillside · Incense is sold near the entrance and burning it is optional, not required
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3
Xixi National Wetland Park
Xixi is a large wetland of interlocking waterways, ponds and reed beds on the edge of Hangzhou, developed from what was historically a patchwork of fish farms and canal-side villages. It's the rare major attraction in the city built around slow movement through water rather than around a single monument, with wooden bridges, old farmhouses and boat channels replacing what most cities would have paved over. The scale is large enough that most visitors pick one zone rather than trying to cover the whole park on foot.
Tip: Buy the combined park-and-boat ticket at the East Gate to avoid a second queue · Arrive before 9am on weekends and holidays to get ahead of tour groups · Hand-poled boats move slower but are quieter than the electric ferries · Bring insect repellent in summer near the reed beds · The three zones are far apart on foot; plan a boat route rather than walking between them
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4
Wuzhen Water Town
Wuzhen is a canal town in Jiaxing prefecture split into two restored districts, Dongzha and the larger Xizha, both built around timber houses, stone bridges and covered walkways along the water. Xizha in particular has been developed for overnight stays, with lodging inside the scenic area itself, and it hosts the Wuzhen Theatre Festival and the World Internet Conference, which shape when the town feels busiest. The restoration is thorough enough that it functions as much as a themed destination as a preserved historic town, which is worth knowing going in.
Tip: Buy the combined Dongzha-Xizha ticket if visiting both districts in one trip · Stay overnight in Xizha to see the lantern-lit canals once day-trip crowds leave · Gondola boat rides cost extra and are not included in the entrance ticket · Visit Dongzha in the morning and Xizha in the afternoon into evening · Wear non-slip shoes, as stone bridge steps can be worn smooth and slick
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5
Xitang Ancient Water Town
Xitang is a canal town in Jiashan County known for its covered corridors, called langpeng, that run along the water and let visitors walk for long stretches sheltered from sun or rain. It's smaller and less commercially developed for overnight stays than Wuzhen, and its lanes and bridges have been used as filming locations, including scenes for Mission: Impossible III. Walking the streets and crossing the bridges is free; the through-ticket only opens specific historic residences and gardens.
Tip: Buy the nine-site through-ticket at the main entrance if planning to visit the museums · Walking the canal-side streets and lanes is free without a ticket · Stay overnight in a canal-view guesthouse to see the town once day-trippers leave · Lantern lighting begins around dusk, roughly 6-7pm depending on season · Wear flat, non-slip shoes; stone bridge steps get slick when wet
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6
Nanxun Ancient Town
Nanxun, in Huzhou, grew wealthy from silk trading in the late Qing and Republican periods, and its former merchant residences show a distinctive mix of Chinese courtyard architecture with Western-style rooms and furnishings brought back by trading families. It draws far fewer visitors than Wuzhen or Xitang, which makes the gardens and mansions easier to walk through without crowds. The combined ticket covers the main gardens and several of these former residences, which are the real reason to visit rather than the canal scenery alone.
Tip: Buy the combined ticket covering the main gardens and former residences at the entrance · Visit on a weekday morning for the quietest walk through the silk-merchant quarter · Jiayetang Library closes earlier than the main scenic area, so visit it first · A short canal boat ride gives a different vantage on Baijianlou than walking · Comfortable shoes help on the old town's uneven stone lanes
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7
Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake)
Qiandao Lake is a large reservoir formed in the 1950s by the Xin'an River dam, named for the roughly thousand hills that became islands when the valley was flooded, submerging the old city of Chun'an in the process. Visits center on boat tours out to specific islands, each developed around a theme such as locks, birds, or forested viewpoints, since the lake itself is too large to see meaningfully from shore. It's a full-day outing from Hangzhou rather than a stop that fits easily alongside city sights.
Tip: Buy boat tickets for a specific island route rather than trying to combine too many in one day · Arrive at the pier early, as the most popular morning boat departures sell out first · Bring a jacket for the boat deck, as it is windier on open water than on shore · Diving trips to the submerged towns require booking through a licensed local operator in advance · Lakeside restaurants near the pier serve the regional specialty fish head soup
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8
Mount Putuo
Mount Putuo is a small island in the Zhoushan archipelago regarded as one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism, dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin, with several major monasteries including Puji, Fayu and Huiji spread across the island's hills and coastline. Pilgrims and visitors move between temples on foot or by the island's shuttle buses, and the coastal paths pass beaches and a large outdoor statue of Guanyin facing the sea. Reaching the island requires a separate ferry from the mainland or from Zhoushan's main islands, which is worth factoring into how much time the visit takes.
Tip: Stay overnight on the island to see the temples at dawn before day-trip ferries arrive · Book ferry tickets in advance during the Guanyin pilgrimage festival dates · Bring cash for incense and small temple donations, as card payment is limited · The cable car to Mount Foding saves a steep uphill hike but has long lines midday · Ferry schedules are seasonal, so confirm the last return sailing before heading out
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9
Moganshan (Mogan Mountain)
Moganshan is a forested mountain area known for its bamboo groves and a cluster of stone villas built in the early 20th century by foreign residents of Shanghai who used it as a summer retreat from the heat. Its elevation keeps it noticeably cooler than the surrounding Yangtze delta lowlands, which is the same reason it remains a weekend escape for Hangzhou and Shanghai residents today. A visit typically mixes walking trails through bamboo forest with views of the scattered old villa architecture on the hillside.
Tip: Visit on a weekday to avoid the heavy weekend crowds from Shanghai and Hangzhou · Book a villa guesthouse in advance during summer, as the best ones fill quickly · Bring a light jacket even in summer, since evenings are cool at altitude · Wear hiking shoes, as many forest paths are dirt and stone rather than paved · Local taxis and shuttles are needed to reach different parts of the mountain, so plan routes ahead
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10
Yandang Mountain
Yandang Mountain is a range of eroded volcanic and granite peaks in southern Zhejiang, known for its jagged rock spires, waterfalls, and cave temples. The scenic area is divided into several separately accessed zones, with Lingfeng and Lingyan among the best known for their sheer cliffs and needle-shaped rock formations. Because the site is spread over a large area, visitors generally choose two or three zones rather than attempting to cover the whole range in one day.
Tip: Buy the combined ticket covering the main scenic spots rather than paying per site · Stay overnight near Lingyan or Lingfeng to catch the evening rock-formation light show · Wear sturdy shoes; trails include long stretches of steep stone stairs · Visit after summer rains for the waterfall's peak flow · Allow two days to properly cover Lingfeng, Lingyan and Dalongqiu without rushing
Attractions by category
Explore by your interests.
Landmarks
West Lake (Xi Hu)
Zhejiang's defining scenic lake, ringed by causeways, pagodas and gardens
Six Harmonies Pagoda (Liuhe Pagoda)
Octagonal Song Dynasty pagoda overlooking the Qiantang River
Ningbo Old Bund
Riverside district of early 19th-century foreign-concession buildings
Longyou Grottoes
Vast man-made underground caverns of unresolved origin and age
Museums
China National Silk Museum
The world's largest silk museum, tracing Zhejiang's silk-making history
China National Tea Museum
Museum and plantation grounds devoted to Chinese tea culture near Longjing
Tianyige Library
The oldest surviving private library in China, founded in the Ming Dynasty
Nature
Xixi National Wetland Park
Urban wetland of canals, reed marshes and traditional villages
Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake)
Vast reservoir dotted with more than a thousand forested islands
Mount Putuo
Sacred Buddhist island mountain dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin
Moganshan (Mogan Mountain)
Cool bamboo-covered hill retreat historically favored for summer escapes
Yandang Mountain
Volcanic rock peaks, gorges and waterfalls in southern Zhejiang
Nanji Islands
Marine reserve archipelago known for clear water and seafood
Anji Bamboo Sea (Da Zhu Hai)
Rolling hills covered in dense moso bamboo forest
Water_towns
Wuzhen Water Town
Canal town of stone bridges and waterside timber houses, lantern-lit at night
Xitang Ancient Water Town
Nine-canal town with covered corridors and over a hundred stone bridges
Nanxun Ancient Town
Former silk-merchant town blending Chinese gardens with Western-style mansions
Practical information
What you need to know before you go.
- Hours
- Most museums and libraries close on Mondays; scenic parks and water towns are generally open daily, with extended hours in summer
- Fees
- Free lakeside and museum access is common in Hangzhou; water towns and mountain scenic areas typically charge CNY 75-215 (approx $11-32) for entry or combined tickets
- Best Times
- Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable weather; avoid the Chinese national holiday weeks (early May and early October) when domestic travel peaks
- Booking
- Reserve timed entry for popular sites such as Lingyin Temple and Wuzhen online in advance, especially on weekends and holidays
Tips for visiting attractions
Make the most of your sightseeing time.
Book West Lake boat rides and Wuzhen or Xitang entry tickets online in advance during Chinese national holidays, when crowds surge across the province
Carry a passport for ticket purchase at most scenic areas, as many booking systems require ID registration
Use metro and high-speed rail between Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Ningbo rather than driving, since historic town centers are largely car-free
Pack layers for hikes at Yandang Mountain and Moganshan, where temperatures drop noticeably with elevation
Visit water towns like Wuzhen and Xitang on a weekday or in the early morning to see the canals before day-trip crowds arrive from Shanghai and Hangzhou
Check ferry schedules to Mount Putuo and the Nanji Islands in advance, as sailings are reduced or canceled in poor weather
Frequently asked questions
When is the best season to visit attractions in Zhejiang?
Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) bring mild temperatures, blooming or colorful scenery around West Lake and Yandang Mountain, and comfortable conditions for walking the water towns
Are the water towns of Wuzhen, Xitang and Nanxun very different from one another?
Wuzhen is the most restored and commercialized, with evening lantern lighting; Xitang has the most covered canal-side corridors; Nanxun mixes classical Chinese gardens with Western-style former residences and is generally less crowded
Do I need a guide to visit Mount Putuo?
A guide is not required; the island has marked paths between its main temples, and ferry and shuttle bus signage is available in English, though joining a small group can help navigate the multiple ferry transfers
How much time should I budget for Zhejiang's main attractions?
Allow at least 5-7 days to combine Hangzhou's West Lake area, one or two water towns, and either Mount Putuo or a mountain destination such as Yandang Mountain or Moganshan