Discover Zhejiang: Lakes, Mountains and Culture

The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou brings together a lake surrounded on three sides by hills. In Zhejiang, such waterscapes sit alongside distinctive mountain regions and places whose history is reflected in architecture, archaeology or religious traditions. When planning your trip, you can start by considering whether you would like to discover landscapes, historic sites or both.

Lakes and mountain landscapes

At West Lake, ten poetically named scenic areas form part of the overall landscape. Since the Southern Song dynasty, they have been regarded as embodiments of idealized classical landscapes. The name therefore refers not only to individual viewpoints, but also to an idea, shaped over centuries, of how a landscape can be designed and perceived.

Qiandao Lake, also called the Xin’an River Reservoir, is artificial: a hydroelectric dam holds back the Xin’an River. Its many islands are the hilltops that remained above water after the reservoir filled. West Lake and Qiandao Lake thus represent different forms of waterscape—one a culturally shaped setting of lake and hills, the other a lake whose islands emerged as a result of the reservoir’s creation.

The area around Mount Yandang covers 450 square kilometers. Volcanic rocks, deep valleys, steep peaks, caves and unusual rock formations characterize the landscape; waterfalls are also among its well-known features. More than 500 sights are spread across eight major scenic areas. The Shenxianju Scenic Area is likewise known for mountain landscapes with cliffs and waterfalls, and features numerous waterfalls and deep pools. The name Shenxianju dates back to an edict by Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty. The occasion was a prose work by the poet Li Bai, in which the area is described as a dwelling place of deities.

Archaeology, architecture and religious traditions

The archaeological ruins of the city of Liangzhu date back to approximately 3300–2300 BCE. They provide evidence of an early regional state with a unified belief system based on rice cultivation. As an example of early urban civilization, the ruins reveal various aspects of social organization: earthen monuments, urban planning and a water management system, as well as a social hierarchy reflected in different burial practices. Liangzhu thus offers a different historical perspective from the region’s later architectural ensembles.

The old town of Xitang contains extensive, well-preserved groups of traditional architecture, dating mainly from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its historic riverside landscape includes numerous bridges, narrow lanes and covered walkways. Wuzhen offers its own distinct character: the town preserves its riverside landscape and traditional buildings. Visitors interested in historic architectural styles can therefore find different features in these preserved townscapes, without reducing Xitang and Wuzhen to the same type of landscape.

Mount Putuo is one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and has been regarded by Buddhists since ancient times as a holy site of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Its noted features include lush trees, unusual rocks, temples and large inscriptions carved in stone. Here, religious significance and landscape come together; the site can therefore be considered both in terms of Buddhist tradition and for its described natural and cultural features.

The Grand Canal and Zhejiang

The Grand Canal also connects the region’s history to a broader context: it runs from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang Province in the south. In the 13th century, it comprised more than 2,000 kilometers of artificial waterways linking five of China’s most important river basins. Today, the canal continues to serve as a major transport route. Its historical extent and continuing transport function show two different sides of the same waterway—as a large-scale feat of engineering from the past and a connection that remains in use.

Discover more destinations: Jiaxing, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Shaoxing, Taizhou, Jinhua, Lishui, Huzhou, Zhoushan, Yiwu, Quzhou, Hangzhou.

Back to the main travel overview: China.