Hangzhou Tour from Shanghai

Hangzhou Train Station - West Lake -- Chenghuang Pavilion -- LingyinTemple -- Flying Peak

Pick up from your hotel in Shanghai and transfer to Railway Station for board the train to Hangzhou. Meet your Hangzhou local guide upon arrival.

Your tour guide will drive you to the pier for taking a cruise boat on the West Lake. Regarded as a shining pearl in China, the West Lake is reputed for charming scenery, a multitude of historical sites and brilliant cultural relics. It’s surrounded by graceful mountains on three sides. When cruising above peaceful lake, you can enjoy a complete view of the West Lake on your boat and feel the gentle ambience of Hangzhou. You will get on the island named Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, where you can immerse yourself into the nature completely, listening to the melodious singing of the birds. All those great enjoyments are like the gift from the heaven.

After the 3-hours boat trip, you will visit Chenghuang Pavilion at Wushan which is 1 km from the West Lake. The pavilion has six floors and is quite luxurious of the architectural styles, having been built in the 1990's. It’s an optimum spot get a bird eye view of Hangzhou. From here, you can overlook the grand view of the West Lake and the whole downtown area of Hangzhou, which is magnificent! You can have a brief lunch as tearoom and coffee shop are available for leisure enjoyment here. Southern Song Dynasty refreshments will be offered except weekend.

In the afternoon, move on to Lingyin Temple, one of the most prestigious Buddhist monasteries in China. Surrounded by ancient trees and solemn mountains, the temple owns a splendid and unique collection of architectural and artistic cultural relics. The temple is still functional that the local people and Buddhist faithful come to pray in the courtyard. You can go around to look for every indiscoverable detail of the complex and immerse yourself into the tranquil Buddhist atmosphere. Its extremely beautiful environment which is serene and suitable for "Soul's Retreat”. You can even participate in activity if any, like Laba Festival, a warm-up celebration for the upcoming Spring Festival.

Flying Peak, located at side of Lingyin Temple. With a collection of more than 300 exquisite Buddhist carvings dating back to the Five Dynasties and Yuan Dynasty, Flying Peak has high artistic value. Apart from the magnificent caves, Flying Peak has a variety of odd stone figures, such as dragon, elephant and tiger shapes. You will be shocked as the place is like an extraordinary zoo of stone carved animals.

Boat Ride on West Lake

West Lake Scenery

Worshippers in Lingyin Temple

Buddha Carvings on Flying Peak

Meijiawu Village -- Jinghang Grand Canal -- Experience Making an Oiled Paper Umbrella

Today, you will spend the whole morning to visit the dragon well tea plantation in Meijiawu Village to explore the authentic Chinese traditional tea culture, which is the most interesting experience. Local farmers will give you a bamboo basket and teach you to pluck fresh tea leaves properly. When walk along the tea plantation, you can smell the refreshing fragrance of the wide range of tea. After plucking, the farmer will show you the detailed process of stir-frying tea leaves. You can also have a try under his guidance. Then the farmer will make a fresh dragon well tea and you can have a chance to watch the tea ceremony performance, including tea making, tea manners, proper way to drink tea, etc. Lastly, enjoy a great lunch of local cuisines offered by the tea family.

In the afternoon, you will start cruising on the Jinghang Grand Canal, which is the earliest and longest artificial waterway in the world. Cruising on the canal does give you an opportunity to see the Chinese culture and the authentic life of the ordinary people. After 30-minute cruise, you will visit Xiangji Temple. It’s a wonderful and large temple from the 4th century, combining traditional architecture and modern art.

The last stop is the oiled paper umbrella workshop, a craft center where you can experience making an oiled paper umbrella. Here you can peruse this museum of important traditional crafts, like stone carving, textile printing, silk weaving, kite making, bamboo chopsticks and silk umbrellas. And oiled-paper umbrella took an important part in the past time of China, due to the complicated making process and beautiful painting. Here the oiled-paper craftsman will teach you how to draw a picture on an umbrella and you can take this meaningful souvenir back home.

After the tour, we will transfer you to Hangzhou Train Station and a train ride back to Shanghai.

Learn How to Pick Tea Leaves in the Garden

Jinghang Grand Canal Boat Trip

Oiled Paper Umbrella Framework Making

Paint on the Umbrella Fabric