On the hand-rowed boat on West Lake, I found the lost "slow time" again

On the hand-rowed boat on West Lake, I found the lost "slow time" again (with a no-detour guide)

If you come to West Lake and don’t take a hand-rowed boat ride, you’ve really missed out! We headed straight to 📍Majiabang Pier. No reservation needed, just find a boatman on site to share a boat～ The boatman said he’s there from 7:00 to 18:00, ready to row whenever🛶

Each hand-rowed boat seats up to 4 people. We arrived at the pier just after nine and happened to meet two ladies waiting to share a boat, so we quickly teamed up! Only 75 RMB per person💰, super cost-effective～

🌞Strongly recommend boarding after 9 AM on a sunny day. The sunlight sparkles on the lake like scattered silver. The water is green and clear, feeling warm and soft to the touch. It’s truly breathtaking!!

🛶Recommended routes: ✅Turtle Pool route (about 2 hours, 300 RMB per boat) ✅If short on time, choose the 1-hour route (150 RMB per boat)

Don’t rush to leave after getting off the boat～ The small street inside the pier is great for strolling! 🍦Must-try Longjing tea ice cream 🐿️You might even encounter wild little squirrels, chubby and super cute; our boat-sharing friends even fed one

I also found a beautiful cherry blossom salted egg yolk lava fridge magnet🌸 at a souvenir shop, very meaningful!

It’s just a 5-minute walk from the pier to Leifeng Pagoda. Here’s a secret photo spot📸: upstairs at Jingci Temple next door (10 RMB entrance fee) is a perfect angle to shoot Leifeng Pagoda

Afterward, you can ride a shared bike to Xiling Bridge. The plane tree avenue along the way looks like a movie scene, and biking with the breeze is super comfortable～

For dinner, we went to 【Li Bai Crab · West Lake Tianshu Building】, a 10-minute bike ride away 🚴♀️ Their crab roe noodles are truly amazing! Affordable and delicious, a perfect end to the day～

Post by Cox Nicole Nikki | Oct 16, 2025