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The cherry blossoms, like a light cloud, float on the branches, their shadows faintly translucent, graceful and elegant, neither overpowering nor pale, but pure and elegant, standing alone. Their graceful, gentle presence is like clouds drifting down from the western sky, dangling over the indigo-colored treetops...
In late March, Hangzhou seems enveloped in cherry blossoms, with clusters of tiny pink and white flowers blooming everywhere, in corners and windows. This is especially true at Prince Bay Park, a renowned flower-viewing destination. Looking up, you'll see cherry blossoms, and looking down, tulips, creating a vibrant display of beauty.
However, while the flowers at Prince Bay Park are beautiful, they're also crowded. Even on sunny days, let alone weekends, the sheer number of people rushing to check in and see the cherry blossoms is terrifying. In fact, why follow the crowds when it comes to flower viewing? Hangzhou offers some unique, lesser-known spots for cherry blossom viewing. The most beautiful cherry blossoms might be right next to you. The most beautiful cherry tree is the one that catches your eye when you least expect it.
The places recommended below are not popular cherry blossom viewing spots, but just some beautiful little corners where cherry blossoms are in bloom.
Turtle Pond is a hidden paradise within West Lake. Lesser-known and secluded, it's a truly unique experience to enjoy a picnic with friends while admiring the flowers. The vibrant pink and white blossoms nestle beneath the crimson leaves, creating a refreshing and delightful scene. From afar, the blossoms resemble pink and white clouds entwined among the branches.
Wuguitan is located right on the edge of the bustling West Lake, and it's easy to miss it if you're passing by Yanggong Dike. The Wuguitan scenic area is adjacent to Yanggong Dike to the east, faces Santaishan Road to the west, extends north to the Air Force Hangzhou Sanatorium, and connects to Bapanling Road to the south. Completed in 2003, this area combines typical natural landforms and wetland ecological landscapes from West Lake's history. By expanding the water area, creating landscape islands, and connecting the waterfront with curved wooden bridges, and building thatched "snow boats" along the waterfront, the thatched houses blend in with the surrounding wetland landscape, creating a scenic spot in all seasons. During cherry blossom season, the Wuguitan cherry blossoms bloom in clusters along the lakeshore, resembling clouds and rosy clouds.
Tips:
Transportation tips: Take Bus No. 51, 52, 194, 197, or 318 to Yuhuwan Station, then walk along Bapanling Road and cross the bridge to reach the destination. If you drive, navigate to "Wuguitan Scenic Area" and there is a small parking lot on the side of Yanggongdi Road, which charges 10 yuan per hour.
Scenic spot ticket: free
Maojiabucheck the details
Maojiabu is located west of West Lake, overlooking Yanggong Causeway to the east and Longjing Road to the west. Maojiabu boasts vast tea plantations and lush forests, as well as many of Hangzhou's ancient historical buildings, all whitewashed and black-tiled, offering a glimpse into the quaint elegance of traditional Jiangnan architecture. Strolling along its "country roads," one encounters densely overgrown reeds, mudflats strewn with pebbles, and plank paths supported by hardwood rafts leading deep into the reed marshes. Among the reeds, wild ducks play in the water, and migratory birds fly low, creating a charming and picturesque scene.
Recommended months: March to May
4943 recommendations, 3084 visits
Compared to West Lake, Maojiabu feels like a forgotten secret. Located west of West Lake, Maojiabu, according to "Wulin Jiushi," was once home to families with the surname Mao, who made their livings from tea picking and silkworm rearing. Because it was the pier where pilgrims embarked on their way to Lingyin Temple, during the incense-burning and ancestral worship season, people flocked to the area by water, creating a vibrant commercial hub with numerous wine shops and teahouses.
Today, Maojiabu has become a rare quiet spot beside the bustling West Lake. Visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring, foliage in summer, reeds in autumn, and snow in winter, each offering a unique and charming scene.
The main feature of Maojiabu is its "wildness", which is reflected in the randomly growing trees, the freely flying water birds (in a thatched house in Maojiabu, you can always see bird photography enthusiasts with long telephoto lenses), and the elegance of the tourists who enjoy themselves casually. Yujian Bridge is a scenic spot in Maojiabu that has been made famous by photography enthusiasts. The essence of the scenery lies in its "towering dark green trees". At the same time, Yujian Bridge is also an excellent place to enjoy the sunrise and sunset.
Maojiabu is also the water sports training base of Hangzhou. Standing on the Yujian Bridge, you can see kayaking athletes in groups of three or two from time to time.
Tips:
Like West Lake, Maojiabu is free to enter, no tickets required. If you drive 🉑️, navigate to Du Jinsheng's former residence and park near Yujian Bridge for a convenient stroll.
Bus stop: Dingjiashan Scenic Area, bus No. 197, 194, 318 are available, and it is a 3-minute walk away.
Changqiao Creek Ecological Restoration Parkcheck the details
Changqiao Creek Ecological Restoration Park is located in the Yuhuang Feiyun Scenic Area, one of the ten new scenic spots of West Lake, adjacent to Ciyunling at the foot of Yuhuang Mountain and the Silk Museum. Changqiao Creek is one of the four upper streams of West Lake, flowing into the lake at Changqiao. The park's most distinctive feature is its theme of revitalizing water. By ingeniously combining water ecological restoration techniques with landscape design, the park utilizes the micro-topography and hydrodynamics of the Changqiao Creek basin, creating a dynamic waterscape composed of multi-level waterfalls. Strolling along the creek reveals clear springs and flowing rocks. In the park, Metasequoia trees stand tall and straight, shading the trees. Pickerelweed blooms along the stream, and a gentle breeze brings a cool breeze and the fragrance of flowers. Small fish swim happily in the shallow, clear stream. Amidst the scorching sun, this place feels like a refreshing green world.
Recommended month: All seasons
318 recommendations, 62 visits
There are 20 cherry trees in the Changqiao Creek Ecological Restoration Park beside Yuhuangshan Road. Among them, there are three super-large cherry trees with a breast diameter of about 20 cm growing on the small platform at the northernmost end of Changqiao West. The white crowns are huge, the flowers are dense and the fragrance is intoxicating. When a breeze blows, the cherry blossoms on the tree float layer by layer, and large petals fall down, looking like a "cherry blossom rain", which is so beautiful.
Lonely Mountaincheck the details
Gushan, located within Hangzhou's Zhongshan Park, lies between the Inner and Outer Lakes of West Lake. Wenlan Pavilion, West Lake World View, the Zhejiang Museum, and Zhongshan Park are located at its southern slope. The Xiling Seal Society stands on the western summit, Qiu Jin's tomb is at the western foot, and the Fanghe Pavilion stands on its northeastern slope. It is the lowest and smallest of the West Lake mountains, at just 38 meters above sea level. It is both a scenic spot and a treasure trove of cultural relics, earning the reputation of "the beauty of Qiantang lies in West Lake, and the wonder of West Lake lies in Gushan." The Fanghe Pavilion, specifically, was built in memory of the reclusive Song Dynasty poet Lin Bu, known for his wife and son, a plum blossom. Plum blossoms are planted outside the pavilion, making it a popular spot for viewing plum blossoms on the lake. This brings to mind Lin Bu's timeless masterpiece: "Sparse shadows slant across the shallow, clear water, a faint fragrance drifts in the moonlit evening."
Recommended months: March-May, September-October
4651 recommendations, 2523 visits
The plum blossoms on Gushan are unique, but the cherry blossoms on Gushan are also famous. The cherry blossoms here mainly bloom in two places: one is Qingxuelu on Hougushan Mountain, and the other is Pinghu Qiuyue.
The China National Tea Museum's Sakura Hill Tea Expo boasts just over 50 cherry trees, but its charm lies in its winding paths, quiet surroundings, and breathtaking scenery. With a trickling stream and a variety of architectural structures, the cherry blossoms resemble a cloud of pink blossoms, while lush tea trees stretch out in the distance. Every year, many beautiful women come here to take photos.
A favorite spot for visitors to the Tea Expo is the "Cherry Blossom Slope" in front of the Tea Culture Exchange Center. Over 20 cherry trees line the stone path, all early Japanese cherry blossoms. When in full bloom, they resemble clouds of brilliant clouds; when they wither, the sky is bathed in a shower of cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms, even in their death, remain magnificent. And in spring, they display their ultimate beauty amidst a shower of cherry blossoms.
Tips:
Address: Shuangfeng Village, Longjing Road, southwest of West Lake, Hangzhou City. The China Tea Museum is a tea culture museum located in Shuangfeng Village, Longjing Road, southwest of West Lake, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
Opening Hours:
October 8th - April 30th: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
May 1st - October 7th: 9:00-17:00, closed on Mondays (except holidays).
Transportation: You can take bus No. 27 or tourist bus No. 3 to Shuangfeng Station. You can take bus No. 27, No. 27 scheduled service, No. 87 and get off at Shuangfeng Station to reach the destination.
Winding Courtyard Lotuscheck the details
Located where Jinshajian (West Lake's largest natural water source) flows into West Lake, Quyuan Fenghe (Wind Lotus Garden) covers 14 hectares. During the Southern Song Dynasty, a royal winery was established here, and lotus flowers were cultivated on the lake's surface. The gentle summer breeze, accompanied by the fragrance of lotus and wine, wafts through the air, refreshing visitors and making them intoxicated even without a drink. Quyuan Fenghe has become one of the ten scenic spots of West Lake. The area encompasses Quyuan, Fenghe, and the lakeside forest. Bordered by Yuehu Lake to the east, Guozhuang Village to the south, and Zhusu Garden, the Botanical Garden, and Yue Fei's Mausoleum to the north, Quyuan Fenghe is a renowned summer garden for admiring the "endless green lotus leaves reaching to the sky, the dazzling red lotus flowers reflecting the sun" and a popular leisure and entertainment destination within the popular tourist area of West Lake North.
Recommended months: June to August
4664 recommendations, 2736 visits
When it comes to Quyuan Fenghe, most people go there to see the lotus flowers in summer. In fact, Quyuan Fenghe in spring is also extremely beautiful, especially during the days when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Without the hustle and bustle of crowds watching the lotus in summer, there is a rare tranquility.
The reflections of the metasequoia and willow trees resembled a pure woman gazing at herself in a mirror, while the yellow forsythia and pink cherry blossoms bloomed brilliantly and silently. From afar, the mountains of Geling Mountain overlapped in emerald green, and the Su Causeway, lush and vibrant in the early morning, truly captured the poetic sentiment of "On a fine day, I searched for flowers by the Si River, the boundless scenery was all new for a moment, I readily recognized the face of the east wind, the myriad colors of spring always in full bloom"!
If you don't go early, this classic seat will be gone.
The title of Hangzhou's largest cherry tree remains controversial: the "Cherry King" at Pinghu Qiuyue and the "Cherry Queen" at Banshan Tianyuan are both older trees with a trunk diameter of around 40 centimeters. However, the one at Xinyifang is the newest "Cherry King."
Walk through Shengli River Food Street and you can see this cherry tree as soon as you turn the corner: it is so conspicuous that it is as tall as two and a half stories!
According to elderly residents, this cherry tree is over a hundred years old. They say a single tree doesn't make a forest, but this one is a dazzling spectacle. If I could only admire one cherry tree, I think this would be it.
Tips:
Address: No. 183 Xinyifang Commercial Street
Route: Take bus No. 90 or Y8 to Yuhangtangshang
Spring waters are just beginning to flow, spring forests are just beginning to flourish, and a spring breeze ten miles long is nothing compared to you~ Let's go see the "Yunfeng Cherry Blossoms" together. At Zhejiang University, there's a very romantic way to express love: "I want to see the cherry blossoms at Yunfeng with you"... This scene immediately reminded me of Makoto Shinkai's "5 Centimeters per Second." In the cherry blossom season, the entire campus is filled with romance and sweetness. Watching the students admiring the cherry blossoms really makes me reminisce about my time on campus...
These cherry blossoms at Zhejiang University's Zijingang Campus were donated by friends from Japan's Waseda University in 2007. Every March, they flood WeChat Moments with messages, with clusters and branches dotting the buildings. The campus is filled with an intoxicating feeling of spring breeze. Next spring, invite your loved one to go see the "Yunfeng Cherry Blossoms" together!
Attention! Yunfeng Sakura is not a specific type of cherry blossom. It is named because it blooms at the entrance of Yunfeng Academy. It just so happens that the name is so beautiful that it spread among students.
Tips:
Address: No. 886, Yuhangtang Road
Directions: Take Metro Line 2 to Sanba Station or Bus No. 74 to Zhejiang University Zijingang Campus
Baita Parkcheck the details
The White Pagoda stands 39.56 meters (37.1 meters) tall, a 13-story brick tower with a dense eaves, imitating wood, and a square shape. Its unique shape and exquisite craftsmanship make it of great historical, artistic, and cultural value. It is considered one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Nanchong and is now a protected cultural relic of Sichuan Province. The White Pagoda is a pavilion-style brick tower with a stone base and a Sumeru pedestal, surrounded by carvings of dragons and scales. The tower has 13 levels, with an arched entrance on the first level. Each of the first to tenth levels has a niche, each housing a deity, for a total of 93 niches. There are ten doors and nine windows. The tower is entirely wall-covered with white plaster, while the columns, beams, and brackets are all painted in an earthy yellow, making it particularly vibrant in sunlight. The tower's crown is a millstone-like iron structure, hollow in the center and rounded on the outside. This not only protects against lightning strikes but also allows visitors to ascend to the top and enjoy the scenery of Nanchong. "From the summit, one can gaze upon the thousand peaks, and the sound of the bells reaches the clouds," a notable sight in Nanchong.
Recommended month: All seasons
4300 kinds of grass 3012 visited
Cherry blossoms, old steam trains, gantry cranes, special storage yards... If you want to feel time slowing down and leisurely look at the scenery outside the window while sitting on a train, then go to Hangzhou Baita Park.
Hangzhou Baita Park, located on the southern edge of the Phoenix Mountain Scenic Area in the West Lake Scenic Area, is a living testimony to the cultural heritage of West Lake, the end point of the cultural heritage of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and the starting station of the Jiangshu Railway, Hangzhou's first railway more than 100 years ago.
Today, White Pagoda Park is an urban cultural park centered around the Zhakou White Pagoda, integrating the preservation and utilization of historical buildings and railway industrial relics. In spring, when the cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers bloom, the beauty is so stunning that you won't want to leave.
Tips:
Address: North Bank of Qiantang River, Xihu District, Hangzhou
Bus: Take Bus No. 190 or 308 to Baitaling Station and walk to Baita Park; Take Bus No. 119 to Baitaling North Station and walk to Baita Park
"Big Roof" is the nickname of the Liangzhu Culture and Art Center, a building designed by the architect Tadao Ando in Hangzhou. It houses a diverse collection of spaces, including a large rooftop art gallery, a small theater, a library, and a cafe. It's a gathering place for artistic youth. In late spring, the Yoshino cherry blossoms gifted to the Big Roof by Mr. Ando burst into bloom, dazzling up close and resembling smoke and clouds from afar. The delicate cherry blossoms meet the massive exposed concrete building, creating a truly stunning sight.
The cherry blossom forest is actually a path that looks like clouds and snow. After watching a play on the "big roof" and having a cup of coffee, you can take a walk in the cherry blossom forest. One can't help but sigh that spring is really wonderful.
But even more wonderful is when the cherry blossoms are at their peak, when the "Big Rooftop Cherry Blossom Market" is held on this path. Various artisans gather on the cherry blossom path, offering handicrafts, bouquets, food, music... and cherry blossoms falling in the wind.
Tips:
Transportation: Bus 389 to the east of Liangzhu Cultural Village; Bus 372, 419a, or 1221 to Liangzhu Cultural Village
The last Cherry Blossom Avenue I recommend was discovered by a photography enthusiast. Located on a non-motorized lane at the intersection of Wenyi West Road and Jingchang Avenue in the west of the city, the cherry blossoms stretch for kilometers and are truly stunning. Since not many people know about it yet, why not check it out next spring?
In fact, our city is home to countless hidden gems like this one, filled with cherry blossoms. Life is full of beauty if you pay attention! If you have any recommendations for hidden cherry blossom viewing spots that others haven't seen yet, please share them!
