Zhejiang · China
Hangzhou travel guide
Hangzhou is a city in Zhejiang, China, home to about 11,936,000 people.
- Best months
- October
- Nearest airport
- HGH25 km · Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Hangzhou
Hangzhou is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang province, China, situated at the intersection of the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the head of Hangzhou Bay. Renowned as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, Hangzhou is celebrated for its cultural heritage and its West Lake.
Hangzhou, known for its natural scenery, including West Lake (西湖; Xīhú), has been celebrated by poets and artists throughout history. The city served as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty from 1127 until the Mongol conquest in 1276. During this period, its population is estimated to have reached around one million, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time. Marco Polo visited the city, describing it as one of the finest in the world. In 2011, the West Lake Cultural Landscape was designated a.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Hangzhou
See
- West Lake
- Spring Dawn at Su Causeway
- Wind and Lotus at the Crooked Courtyard (in Summer)
- Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake
- Lingering Snow on Broken Bridge
- Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow
- Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds
- Orioles Singing in the Willows
- Viewing Fish at Flower Pond
- Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon
- Evening Bell Ringing on Nanping Hill
- Mid-Lake Pavilion
Do
- Impression West Lake
- Early morning bike ride
- Hangzhou Paradise Park
- World Ice Arena
- Car tour
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Hangzhou
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Hangzhou are October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C; June is the wettest, with about 224 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Hangzhou: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH), about 25 km from the city centre in a straight line; Jiaxing Nanhu Airport (JNH, 69 km) and Yiwu Airport (YIW, 102 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
The easiest way around Hangzhou is the metro system, with 13 lines and 270 stations operational, covering 516 km as of August 2024. Hangzhou has an extensive bus network. Bus schedules, routes, and on-board announcements are all in Chinese. There are a number of bus types.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
HGH · Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
JNH · Jiaxing Nanhu Airport
YIW · Yiwu Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Hangzhou
Eat
Hangzhou is one of the premier places to eat in China, and its local cuisine features dishes that consist more of pork and seafood rather than beef and lamb, as those are typically found in the north and west of China. Typical Hangzhou specialties include dongpo rou (东坡肉 dōngpō ròu), an extremely fatty chunk of pork in a syrupy sauce, and cùyú (醋鱼 cùyú), which is fish with a vinegar sauce. There are some characteristic local snacks: for example, small steamed buns (小笼包 xiǎolóngbāo), Xiaoshan dried turnip (萧山萝卜干 xiāoshān luóbo gān), and noodles with preserved vegetables (片儿川 piàn'ér chuān). In Wushan Square, you can find lots of food; the prices are cheap and the quality fine.
Drink
The drink of choice in Hangzhou is tea, as the local Longjing (龙井, also Lung Ching, literally "Dragon Well") is the most famous green tea in China. Longjing is divided into seven grades, the two top being Superior (旗枪 qiqiang) and Special (雀舌 queshe), and the rest numbered from 1 down to 5. Prices for the very best stuff are extremely high— in 2005, a mere 100g plucked from Qing Dynasty emperor Qian Long's personal trees sold for over US$17,000 — but a few cups in a local teahouse shouldn't cost you more than a few dozen yuan. There is a wholesale market in Zhuangtang, however, most of the tea comes from trees outside of the "special" fields in Hangzhou.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Hangzhou: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Hangzhou?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Hangzhou are October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C; June is the wettest, with about 224 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Hangzhou?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH), about 25 km from the city centre in a straight line; Jiaxing Nanhu Airport (JNH, 69 km) and Yiwu Airport (YIW, 102 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Hangzhou?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Hangzhou
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.