Tourists who come to Hangzhou know about the West Lake, but they know little about Xiang Lake, which is known as the "sister lake" of the West Lake. Xianghu Lake is located in Xiaoshan District, across the Qiantang River and the West Lake, compared to the crowds of the West Lake, Xianghu Lake is much quieter.
There are various tourist paths in Xianghu Lake, and it is a good way to travel by boat, cycling around the lake, and strolling around the lake. Among several routes, boat tours are the most recommended, and its biggest feature is that it is convenient to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Xianghu Lake. There are many bridges across Xianghu Lake, a total of 76 large and small, which constitute a highlight of Xianghu Lake. The bridge shape of Xianghu Lake is unique, each with its own characteristics, such as the antique stone arch bridge Yuewang Bridge, the arch of the bridge is close to circular, and the bridge height is towering; Cailian Bridge with its own bridge corridor, the bridge railing is tortuous, and there is a large lotus pond under the bridge; Zhenghe Bridge is the longest bridge in Xianghu Lake, and the bridge body of more than 200 meters lies flat on the surface of the lake, just like the trend of Changhong lying on the waves. Xianghu Lake cruise operates from 9:00 to 16:00 every day, and from June to October every year, Xianghu Lake is also open to tourists for night tours, boarding at 18:00 in the evening and ending at 21:30.
The scenic spots around Xianghu Lake are not as rich as those of West Lake, among which the ruins of the cross-lake bridge, the ruins of Yueshan City, and the ruins of Xiasun are the most classic scenic spots. A variety of precious cultural relics such as pottery, stone tools, and bone tools have been unearthed at the site of the cross-lake bridge, including the earliest canoe found so far, which can be called "the first boat in China". The cultural relics in the ruins are preserved relatively completely, have great historical value, and the cultural relics are collected in the cross-lake bridge ruins museum, which is located in the cross-lake bridge ruins park in the scenic spot, and is open to the public for free.
The ruins of Yue Wang City are located on the top of the city mountain of Xianghu Lake, and in history, it is an important military castle of Yue King Goujian's troops to resist Wu. The ruins of Yuewang City are the best preserved ruins of the ancient city wall in China so far, and there are attractions such as Yuewang Temple, "Chengshan Nostalgia" archway, Wanghu Pavilion and so on. Although the Yuewang City has not regained the style of the old time, it is still worth visiting, climbing the city mountain, you can also overlook the beautiful scenery of Xianghu Lake.
The Xiasun site is located on Luyu Island in the Xianghu Lake Scenic Area, and now there is an antique park built around the site, called "Xiasun Cultural Village". Xiasun Cultural Village not only retains the four traditional houses in the original village, but also builds a number of antique buildings to serve as ancestral halls, theaters and tea rooms. There are scenic spots in the village, such as Xianghu Cultural Exhibition Hall, Antique Street, and Xianghu Art Museum. The antique street is a good place for shopping and leisure, in addition to buying souvenirs or handicrafts, tourists can also eat and rest here.
In addition to the ruins of scenic spots, Xianghu Lake is also a good place to enjoy flowers. The lotus village on the east side of the cross-lake bridge is the most famous place to watch lotus in Xiaoshan area. At the beginning of June every year, more than 1,000 lotus flowers in Lotus Village are in full bloom one after another, with a variety of flower colors and competing for beauty. Compared with Lotus Village, Xianghua Island has more complete flower species, and the island has more than 2,000 acres of flower fields. The flower fields are divided into different sections by combining seasonal characteristics, and the seeds vary from brilliant golden rape flowers in spring to cosmos and sunflowers in summer.
The water quality of Xianghu Lake is excellent, and the aquatic products are also exceptionally delicious. In the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, Xianghu Lake Scenic Area will usher in the annual fishing festival, the scenic spot invites professional fishing teams to fish, and tourists can observe the opening ceremony and fishing process on the spot. All the fish caught during the festival is sold to tourists at a price of 5 to 20% off the market price. Of course, there are also some tourists who enjoy their own fishing, and there is also a fishing area open to everyone in Xianghu Lake, and the fishing fee is 50 yuan/4 hours, and the fish caught are owned by tourists. In addition, Xianghu Lake will also hold a variety of activities, such as folk acrobatic art performances during the Spring Festival, winter swimming competitions during the Lantern Festival, etc., which are very rich.
At present, Xianghu Lake has formed dozens of scenic spots, in addition to the above, there are also scenic spots such as the sunset of the embankment and the ancient style of the slender road, which are also worth exploring by tourists. The number of tourists in Xianghu Lake is not large, and most of the people who come are locals, and it is not often crowded that crowds occur, and the experience is good.
Admission: Free
Suggested playing time: half a day
Tips: 1. Bring mosquito repellent and sunscreen products in summer. 2. The scenic spot is free, the cruise ship needs to be charged, the cost is 60 yuan/person, and children under 1.2 meters are free.
