Hangzhou City Hills Climbing Day Tour

Hangzhou was described by Marco Polo as the world's most beautiful city. It is built along the shores of West Lake and surrounded by the hills on its three sides. Climbing the hills allows you to have a fantastic view of West Lake and the city itself as well explore the historical sites on the hills.

Pick up from your midtown hotel in Hangzhou and head to the foot of Baoshu Hill ( Precious Stone Hill). It is situated on the north of West Lake. The hill is not high, only taking you about 30-40 minutes to reach the top. There you can have a panoramic view of West Lake. On top of the hill, erected Baoshu Pagoda in Northern Song Dynasty. It is one of the outstanding landmarks around the lake. Later it was destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly. It is now a solid pagoda with 6 sides and seven floors, 45 meters high. Like a slim beauty, it stands on the hill, just a backgroud for the "Broken Bridge".

Then move on to the Solitary Hill , the only natural island on the West Lake. It is actually a peninsula projecting from the northen bank of the lake. It is connected to the bank by the Bai Causeway and Xiling Bridge. Solitary Hill Island is home to several ancient relics, including imperial palaces in the successive dynasties from the Southern Song to Qing Dynasty periods. Attractions include Zhongshan Park , named after Sun Yat-sen, popularly known as the Father of Modern China, and the Xi Leng Seal Society , an academic community devoted to the study of seal-cutting. The Crane Pavilion, built in memory of Lin Bu, a poet of the Southern Song.

After Chinese lunch, you are taken to the area near to the top of the Jade Emperor Hill . Then walk to the top of the hill. Jade Emperor Hill is between West lake and Qiantang Rive. It is 239 meters high. "Flying Clouds over Jade Emperor Hill" is one of the new top ten views of Hangzhou. The Jade Emperor Hill had the present name in the Ming Dynasty, due to the establishment of the Taoist Temple and the shrine of Jade Emperor. On its top, there stands a taoist temple. From the top of the hill, you can have a bird eye's view of the lake and city and devour the beautiful view of the hills circled West Lake and the peaceful Qiantang River.

Come down and continue to ascend Wu Hill near the downtown area. A solemn seven-floor high tower ( Chenghuang - Pavilion for the City God ) is perched on the elegant 94-meter high evergreen hill stretching into the city area. From the hill you have the most gorgeous panoramic view of the city as well as the lake. A wax museum is built in the tower housing 28 historical figures. The hill is green all year round planted with gingko and camphor trees that always are green. Some of the camphor trees are very old - about 400-500 years old, and some have the ages of over 800 years.

After the whole day tour, you are transferred back to your midtown hotel in Hangzhou.