CN · Zhejiang · 30.27°N 120.15°E

hangzhou

West Lake strolls, Longjing tea villages and Lingyin Temple's cliff carvings.

Best time
March to May for blossoms and fresh Longjing tea, and September to November, when osmanthus scents the city. Summer is hot and humid, and the lake gets very crowded on public holidays.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Direct flights from KL take about 5 hours. Or fly to Shanghai and take the high-speed train, about an hour.
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CN · Zhejianghangzhou30.27°N 120.15°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,West Lake strolls, Longjing tea villages and Lingyin Temple's cliff carvings.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingHangzhouCN, Zhejiang
KLhangzhou
≈ 3,588 km from KL, as the crow flies
Hangzhou Qianjiang New City

Photo: EditQ · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Zhejiang's capital wraps around West Lake, a landscape of causeways, pagodas and willow-lined shores that poets have praised for centuries. It's a green, easy city to slow down in, with tea villages in the hills and its own gentle, slightly sweet style of cooking.

Makan

  1. Dongpo porkSquares of pork belly braised slowly in Shaoxing wine until meltingly soft.Map ↗
  2. Longjing prawnsSmall river prawns stir-fried with Dragon Well tea leaves.Map ↗
  3. West Lake vinegar fishPoached fish in a sweet and sour vinegar sauce, a Hangzhou classic.Map ↗
  4. Longjing teaGreen tea from the hills around the lake. The early spring pick is the most prized.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. West LakeWalk or cycle the Su and Bai causeways, or take a boat out to the islands.Map ↗
  2. Lingyin Temple and Feilai FengOne of China's best-known Buddhist temples, with hundreds of carvings in the cliffs beside it.Map ↗
  3. Longjing tea villagesTea terraces in the hills west of the lake, where you can sip Dragon Well tea where it's grown.Map ↗
  4. Leifeng PagodaA rebuilt pagoda on the south shore, linked to the Legend of the White Snake, with views over the lake.Map ↗
  5. Hefang StreetAn old-style street of snacks, crafts and traditional medicine halls.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Walk or cycle around the lake rather than drive. The roads around it jam up at weekends.
  • Visit Lingyin Temple early in the morning, before the crowds arrive.
  • Malaysians can currently visit mainland China visa-free for short stays, but check the latest rules before you fly.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.