A Two-Day Adventure in Hangzhou: Must-See Spots at West Lake and Lingyin Temple

Rushed to the subway station after work on Friday, caught a high-speed train at 10 PM, and arrived at Hangzhou East Station at 00:14. I headed straight to the hotel for a quick four hours of sleep. The next morning at 6 AM, when my alarm went off, my eyes still barely open, I was already thinking: “Hurry to the lakeside, or it’ll be packed!”

Day 1: Strolling by the Lake and Classic Cultural Experiences

The Charm of West Lake at Dawn

I arrived at "Lakeside Sunny or Rainy" at 7:30 AM, and the music fountain square was completely empty. A thin mist floated over the lake like milk, and the sun was just rising behind the Jixian Pavilion—you only have 15 minutes for photos, if you miss it, you have to wait for the next chance.

After snapping some pictures, I jumped on a Hello bike and rode over the Broken Bridge to the Bai Di. No stopping at the Broken Bridge, it was as crowded as Double Eleven, just ride straight through for the real thrill. The willows along Bai Di danced with sunlight, and the stone path “click-click-clicked” all the way to Gushan.

Exploring the Gushan Culture Zone

Gushan isn’t big, but it’s packed with stuff:

First, I dashed to the Zhejiang Provincial Museum Wulin Branch; you have to make an appointment a day in advance using a mini-program and swipe your ID to get in. Just a quick glance at the museum's treasure and then I left, the main thing was to enjoy the AC.
Turning right outside, I hit up the Xiling Seal Art Society with its heavy vibe of ink and stone; you can get a mini rubbing for free at the entrance.
Headed down to Zhongshan Dock where you can rent a rowboat for 150 RMB/hour, or 30 RMB per person if you split the boat. Make sure to have the boatman take photos near the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, that’s the Instagram spot.

Savoring Hangzhou Cuisine

By 11 AM, I was starving. Initially, I aimed for Lou Wai Lou, but after seeing the menu averaging 150 RMB, I quickly changed course and hit up Bailu Restaurant (Longyou Road Branch).

Egg Yolk Chicken Wings: Crispy skin, I devoured 6 in one go.
Dongpo Pork: A piece just for one, tender but not greasy at all; the sauce mixed with rice could have made me eat two bowls.
Bill came to just 59 RMB, I was left questioning my life choices.

Afternoon Lake Tour

After lunch, I continued cycling, Su Causeway is 2.8 km long. At 1 PM, the sun was blazing, so I put on my sunglasses. I took a break at Huagang Viewing Fish, where a crooked willow stood by the fish pond, perfectly reflecting the Leifeng Pagoda—got a great wide-angle shot with my phone.

At the end of Su Causeway, I returned the bike and took a 5-minute walk to the Leifeng Pagoda, the elevator goes straight to the 6th floor (40 RMB), and the wind at the top was fierce, messing up my bangs. After taking some photos, I slipped down to Jingci Temple; around 5 PM, monks ring the bell, and it sounds amazing, definitely worth the 10 RMB entrance fee.

Evening Light Show

Had a tough time deciding for the evening:

Plan A: Watch "Impression West Lake: Most Memorable is Hangzhou," same as G20, the water curtain 3D is truly stunning. VIP tickets for 680 RMB don’t require you to rush, but regular tickets are 360 RMB and need to be bought 3 days in advance.
Plan B: Save money by strolling along Lakeside Pedestrian Street + Wulin Night Market. The night market has delicious Wushan BBQ for 12 RMB each that’s irresistible, and getting a piece of Dingsheng Cake to munch on while walking is also delightful.

I went with A; my wallet cried, but my eyes had a feast. As the show ended, the lampposts by the shore reflected in the water like stars, I didn’t want to leave, and I finally took a cab back to the hotel at 10:30 PM.

Day 2: Zen at Lingyin and Tea Culture Experience

To "dodge" the crowds, I got up at 6:40 AM and dashed to Feilai Peak by 7:30 AM.

Entrance ticket was 45 RMB, doesn’t include Lingyin Temple. Qinglin Cave’s "One-Line Sky" had a 5-minute wait, snapped a silly picture of “holding up the sky” and left.
The Song Dynasty stone carvings were eerily lit up by tourists’ flashlights, shooting with a 0.5 wide angle made it feel intense.

Tranquil Journey at Lingyin Temple

I entered at 8:45 AM, first bought a 30 RMB incense coupon. I followed the proper order to visit: Heavenly King Hall → Great Hero Hall → Medicine Master Hall → Flower Garland Hall. At the Dharma Relics circulation place, a string of eighteen beads was 46 RMB, and there were only a few left, so I quickly got one.
At 10:30 AM, I had vegetarian noodles at Shifang Garden within the temple for 15 RMB; the broth was like mushrooms having a meeting, and the noodles were so chewy, I cleaned my bowl.

Zen Vegetarian Meal on Tianzhu Road

By 11:30 AM, I strolled over to Tianzhu Road, where I waited 30 minutes at Zhizhu Vegetarian Restaurant.

Hand-pulled noodles with mountain mushrooms for 39 RMB, the broth was fresh and delightful.
Sweet potato cake had a mild sweetness and a good chew, perfect as a snack after a meal.
To grab a scenic spot, I hiked 200 meters uphill to Taoguang Tea House, where a stomach-soothing noodle set for 88 RMB came with a cup of Longjing tea, letting me relax and enjoy the view of the tea garden.

Afternoon Tea Aroma Journey

In the afternoon, I wrote out two options for you to choose from:

Option	Keywords	Time Budget	My Actual Tips
A. In-Depth Dragon Well Tea Culture	Tea picking, tea serving, buying tea	13:30-17:00	Need to make a booking through a mini-program for tea ceremony at the China Tea Museum a day in advance, 98 RMB includes clothes and photos. It's a 40 RMB hike to Longjing Village where you can overlook the village; tea picking experience is only available in March-April, so don’t go at the wrong time! Ask for price when drinking tea in the village, generally, the pre-Qingming Longjing is 200-300 RMB per tael, and there's room to negotiate.
B. Canal Culture Line	Museums, water bus	13:30-17:00	Take the subway to Gongchen Bridge West Station, Umbrella/Knife & Scissors/Sword/Fan Museums are free, with plenty of AC; after, take the water bus line 1 to Wulin Gate, just 3 RMB using Alipay. At 3:30 PM, swing by the small streets and straight street, grab a dirty coffee at Hexia Coffee, and chill by the river. Next to the café is Da Ju's house, where the desserts are even better than the coffee.

I picked A since I hadn’t tried the Song-style tea serving before; switching to Hanfu and making tea for 30 minutes made my hands sore but I got a ton of photos. By 5 PM, I carried half a pound of tea leaves and boarded the high-speed train home, perfect weekend end.

Avoiding pitfalls in a nutshell: early rising + advance booking = 80% quality experience.