Hangzhou · West Lake｜Picking up Lady White Snake by Broken Bridge

🌊 The landscape marinated by Su Dongpo

When the tip of Baochu Pagoda pierces through the morning mist, local elders have already claimed the best fishing spots on Beishan Street. The stone lanterns of Three Pools Mirroring the Moon hide the secret oil lamp recipe from Emperor Qianlong’s southern tour—this giant bonsai left from the Southern Song Dynasty even makes the rain taste like Longjing tea.

📸 Local exclusive photo guide

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Long Bridge and Leifeng Pagoda: One hour before sunset, camp at the southeast corner and wait for the sunset to turn the pagoda body persimmon-colored; phone photos straight out of the camera beat DSLRs
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Maojiabu’s towering dark green trees: Avoid the crowds in this green fairyland; in June, the water lilies bloom like Monet’s canvas, and the stone slab bridge adds a magical aura to Hanfu photos
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Jixian Pavilion at sunset: At 7 PM, grab a stone bench on the west side of the pavilion to shoot magical scenes of thunderclouds pressing down on the city while the pavilion’s tip splits the skyline

🎫 Free millennium scenery guide

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The core area around the lake is completely free! But climbing Leifeng Pagoda costs 40 RMB (ticket sales stop after 5 PM, but you can watch the pagoda lights gradually turn on)
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Three Pools Mirroring the Moon boat ticket is 55 RMB including island access; bring a 1 RMB bill to unlock the classic photo spot
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Lingyin Temple incense and flower ticket is 30 RMB; those seeking love at Faxisi Temple should touch all five hundred Arhat halls

🚲 Crowd-breaking tactics

✔️ Exit at Longxiangqiao Station, Line 1, Exit C, then rent a shared bike and cycle counterclockwise around the lake (the downhill on Yang Gongdi is more thrilling than a roller coaster)

✔️ Water Bus Line 2 costs 3 RMB and goes directly to Huagang Fish Viewing, ten times more fragrant than the 150 RMB hand-rowed boats

❌ Don’t drive on weekends! The Youth Palace parking lot queues for at least 2 hours, and traffic police issue tickets more diligently than woodpeckers

🌅 Hardcore player timetable

▫️ Dead times: During Qingming and National Day, Broken Bridge turns into a human rainbow candy, and Su Causeway becomes a 5A-level pedestrian street

▫️ Walking Easter egg: Behind Xiling Seal Art Society’s back mountain is a wild pavilion that frames Gushan, Baochu Pagoda, and Leifeng Pagoda all at once

▫️ Night tour secret: After 10 PM, the lakeside music fountain stops, but on Long Bridge you can hear the waves hitting the stone pagoda—Southern Song ASMR

⚠️ West Lake survival rules

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Wear non-slip shoes! The stone slabs on the six bridges of Su Causeway are polished smooth and become slides after rain
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Bring mosquito repellent! The poisonous mosquitoes at Quyuan Fenghe only bite ankles; locals fight back with mugwort sachets
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Eavesdrop on wild guides: Follow silver-haired tour groups holding yellow flags to learn unofficial stories of Qianlong’s southern bathing trips
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Panoramic photo spot: Gem Mountain’s Toad Peak; climb for 15 minutes using hands and feet to unlock a god’s-eye view

(The third railing on Broken Bridge has a lock carved by a Republican-era couple, more nostalgic than the trendy lock walls)

🍵 Lake and mountain recovery guide

✅ Lotus powder family: No. 62 Nanshan Road, hand-brewed lotus powder sprinkled with osmanthus flowers sweeter than a girlfriend

✅ Scallion pancake with Qin Hui spirit: Grandma’s stall on Hefang Street, the flatter it’s pressed, the more it has Qin Hui’s backbone