Public Security Bureau
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB, 公安局, Gōng’ānjú GOOGLE MAP ; %0571 8728 0600; 35 Huaguang Lu; h8.30am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri)
Can extend visas.
Post
China PostPOST
(中国邮政, Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; 284 Fengqi Lu, 鳳起路284號 h9am-5.30pm)
Western Union, ATM and currency exchange service offered here.
Tourist Information
Asking at, or phoning up, your hostel or hotel for info can be very handy.
Hángzhōu Tourist Information Centre (杭州旅游咨询服务中心; Hángzhōu Lǚyóu Zīxún Fúwù Zhōngxīn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0571 8797 8123; Léifēng Pagoda, Nanshan Lu; 雷峰塔 南山路 h8am-5pm) Provides basic travel info, free maps and tours. Other branches include Hángzhōu train station and 10 Huaguang Lu, just off Qīnghéfāng Old Street.
Tourist Complaint Hotline (%0571 8796 9691) Can assist visitors with problems or issues during their stay. No English is spoken.
Travellers Infoline (%0571 96123; h6.30am to 9pm) Helpful 24-hour information, with English service from 6.30am to 9pm.
Travel with Children
Most of Hángzhōu's activities are child-friendly, from lighting incense in temples, to gentle boat trips and exploring parks and gardens. Children are always welcomed in restaurants, regardless of the hour.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Hángzhōu Airport has flights to all major Chinese cities (bar Shànghǎi) and international connections to Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Singapore and other destinations. Several daily flights connect to Běijīng and Guǎngzhōu.
Most hotels will also book flights, generally with a ¥20 to ¥30 service charge. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC; 中国民航; Zhōngguó Mínháng GOOGLE MAP ; %0571 8666 8666; 390 Tiyuchang Lu; h7.30am-8pm) office is in the north of town.
Bus
All four bus stations are outside the city centre; tickets can be conveniently bought for all stations from the bus ticket office (长途汽车售票处; Chángtú Qìchē Shòupiàochù MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Chengzhan Lu; 城站路 h6.30am-5pm) right off the exit from Hángzhōu’s main train station.
Buses leave Shànghǎi's South Station frequently for Hángzhōu’s various bus stations (¥68, 2½ hours). Buses to Hángzhōu also run every 30 minutes between 10am and 9pm from Shànghǎi’s Hóngqiáo airport (¥100, two hours). Regular buses also run to Hángzhōu from Shànghǎi’s Pǔdōng International Airport (¥110, three hours).
Buses from the huge Main Bus Station (客运中心站; Kéyùn Zhōngxīn %0571 8765 0678; Jiubao Zhijie; 九堡直街 ) at Jiǔbǎo, in the far northeast of Hángzhōu (and linked to the centre of town by metro, a taxi will cost around ¥65):
ANíngbō ¥62, two hours, frequent
AWūzhèn ¥27 to ¥30, one hour, 16 daily
AXīn'ānjiāng ¥35 ¥42 two hours, eight daily
Buses from the North Bus Station (汽车北站; Qìchē Běizhàn 766 Moganshan Lu):
ANíngbō ¥65, two hours, frequent
AShànghǎi ¥70, 2½ hours, frequent
ASūzhōu ¥73, two hours, frequent
ATónglǐ ¥64, two hours, frequent
Buses from the West Bus Station (汽车西站; Qìchē Xīzhàn GOOGLE MAP ; 357 Tianmushan Lu):
AWùyuán ¥140, 4½ hours, 9.20am and 1.40pm
AXīnyè ¥61, 2½ hours, 8.20am and 1.50pm
Train
The easiest way to travel to Hángzhōu from Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo Train Station is on the high-speed G- and D- class trains to Hángzhōu East Train Station (杭州东站; Hángzhōu Dōngzhàn Dongning Lu; 东宁路 ). For Běijīng, the overnight Z10 (soft sleeper ¥537) departs Hángzhōu Main Train Station (杭州火车站; Hángzhōu Huǒchēzhàn %0571 8762 2362; Chengzhan Lu; 城站路 ) at 6.05pm, arriving at 7.40am, and the handy T32 (hard/soft sleeper ¥351/¥537) departs at 6.20pm, arriving at 10.21am. Most G class trains to Běijīng leave from Hángzhōu East Train Station.
G-class trains running from the huge new Hángzhōu East Train Station, linked to the centre of town by metro, include:
ABěijīng South 2nd/1st class ¥538/907, six hours, frequent
AShànghǎi Hóngqiáo Train Station 2nd/1st class ¥73/117, one hour, frequent
AShàoxīng North 2nd/1st class ¥20/33, 20 minutes, frequent
ASūzhōu 2nd/1st class ¥111/178, 1½ hours, three daily
AXiàmén North Train Station 2nd/1st class ¥281/357, seven hours, one daily
AWēnzhōu South Train Station 2nd/1st class ¥153/218, three hours, frequent
Daily G-class high-speed trains from Hángzhōu Main Train Station:
ABěijīng South Train Station 2nd/1st class ¥629/1056, 6½ hours, two daily
ANánjīng South Train Station 2nd/1st class ¥117/198, 2½ hours, five daily
AShànghǎi Hóngqiáo Train Station 2nd/1st class ¥78/124, 55 minutes, frequent from 6.10am until 8.26pm
ASūzhōu 2nd/1st class ¥118 to ¥184, 1½ hours, two daily
Daily sleepers to Běijīng depart from Hángzhōu Main Train Station (杭州火车站; Hángzhōu Huǒchēzhàn %0571 8762 2362; Chengzhan Lu; 城站路 ) at 5.17pm, 6.20pm and 7.24pm, soft/hard sleeper ¥583/351, 16-20 hours.
A handy train ticket office (火车票售票处; Huǒchēpiào Shòupiàochù MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 147 Huansha Lu; 浣纱路147号 h8am-5pm) is north of Jiefang Lu, just east of West Lake. Other offices are at 72 Baochu Lu (near turning with Shengfu Lu) and 149 Tiyuchang Lu. Train tickets are also available at certain China Post branches including 10 Desheng Lu and 60 Fengqi Lu.
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
Hángzhōu’s airport is 30km from the city centre; taxi drivers ask around ¥100 to ¥130 for the trip. Shuttle buses (¥20, one hour) run every 15 minutes between 5am and 9pm from the CAAC office (also stopping at the train station).
Bicycle
The best way to rent a bike is to use the Hángzhōu Bike Hire Scheme (%0571 8533 1122; www.hzzxc.com.cn; deposit ¥200, credit ¥100; h6.30am-9pm Apr-Oct, 6am-9pm Nov-Mar). Stations (2700 in total) are dotted in large numbers around the city, in what is one of the world’s largest networks. Apply at one of the booths at numerous bike stations near West Lake; you will need your passport as ID. Fill in a form and you will receive a swipe card, then swipe the pad at one of the docking stations till you get a steady green light, free a bike and Bob’s your uncle.
Return bikes to any other station (ensure the bike is properly docked before leaving it). The first hour on each bike is free, so if you switch bikes within the hour, the rides are free. The second hour on the same bike is ¥1, the third is ¥2 and after that it’s ¥3 per hour. Your deposit and unused credit are refunded to you when you return your swipe card (check when it should be returned as this can vary). Note you cannot return bikes outside booth operating hours as the swipe units deactivate (you will be charged a whole night’s rental).
Bus
Hángzhōu has a clean, efficient bus system and getting around is easy (but roads are increasingly gridlocked). ‘Y’ buses are tourist buses; ‘K’ is simply an abbreviation of ‘kōngtiáo’ (air-con). Tickets are ¥2 to ¥5. The following are popular bus routes:
ABus K7 Usefully connects the Main Train Station to the western side of West Lake and Língyǐn Temple.
ATourist bus Y2 Goes from the Main Train Station, along Beishan Lu and up to Língyǐn Temple.
ABuses 15 and K15 Connects the North Bus Station to the northwest area of West Lake.
ABus 27 Runs from Beishan Lu to Lóngjǐng Tea Village.
ABuses K4 and 334 Run from downtown to the Six Harmonies Pagoda.
Metro
Hángzhōu’s metro line 1 (tickets ¥2 to ¥8; first/last train 6.06am/11.32pm) runs from the southeast of town, through the Main Train Station, along the east side of West Lake and on to the East Train Station, the Main Bus Station and the northeast of town. It's not very useful for sigh
tseeing around town. Line 2 runs south from Chaoyang to Qianjiang Road and Line 4 runs from Pengbu to Jinjiang, with a south extension to Puyan expected to open in 2017. Other lines are planned for the future.
Taxi
Metered Hyundai taxis are ubiquitous and start at ¥11; figure on around ¥20 to ¥25 from the main train station (queues can be horrendous) to Hubin Lu.
WORTH A TRIP
QIáNTáNG RIVER TIDAL BORE
An often spectacular natural phenomenon occurs every month on Hángzhōu’s Qiántáng River (钱塘江), when the highest tides of the lunar cycle dispatch a wall of water – sometimes almost 9m tall – thundering along the narrow mouth of the river from Hángzhōu Bay, at up to 40km per hour. Occasionally sweeping astonished sightseers away and luring bands of intrepid surfers, this awesome tidal bore (钱塘江潮; qiántáng jiāngcháo) is the world’s largest and can be viewed from the riverbank in Hángzhōu, but one of the best places to witness the action is on the north side of the river at Yánguān (盐官), a delightful ancient town about 38km northeast of Hángzhōu.
The most popular viewing time is during the International Qiántáng River Tide Observing Festival, on the 18th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar (the same day as the mid-autumn festival), which usually falls in September or October. You can, however, see it throughout the year when the highest tide occurs at the beginning and middle of each lunar month; access to the park in Yánguān for viewing the tide is ¥25. The Hángzhōu Tourist Information Centre can give you upcoming tide times. To make it a day trip, a through ticket (¥100) is available in Yánguān to explore the charming historic temples and buildings of the town.
Take a train (¥92, 35 minutes) fom Hángzhōu East to Hǎiníng (海宁) and change to bus 109 (¥10, 25 minutes) to Yánguān.
Mògànshān 莫干山
%0572
Refreshingly cool in summer and sometimes smothered in spectral fog, Mògànshān (莫干山; Mògànshān ¥80) (莫干山), 60km northeast of Hángzhōu, is famed for its scenic vistas, forested views, towering bamboo and stone villa architecture. It was developed as a hilltop resort by 19th-century Europeans living in Shànghǎi. Largely abandoned during the second half of the last century, it is now seeing a new buzz of activity (and construction), reclaiming its reputation as a weekend bolt-hole for expat tàitai (wives) fleeing the simmering lowland heat.
1Sights
The best way to enjoy Mògànshān is just to wander the winding forest paths, taking in some of the architecture en route. There’s Shànghǎi gangster Du Yuesheng’s old villa (杜月笙别墅, Dù Yuèshēng biéshù) – now serving as a hotel; the villa where Chiang Kaishek spent his honeymoon; a couple of churches (375 Moganshan and 419 Moganshan); and many other villas linked (sometimes tenuously) with the rich and famous, including a house (毛主席下榻处; Máo Zhǔxí Xiàtàchù 126 Moganshan; 莫干山126号 ) where Chairman Mao once napped.
To preserve the mood you will have to work hard to ignore the often slapdash new constructions. Genuine, older villas are identifiable by their irregularly shaped stones.
2Activities
Besides the attractions on the summit, you can strike out on longer hikes, including the five-hour loop, known colloquially as the 'temple hike', to an old, deserted temple; pick up a map at Mògànshān Lodge. Containing Tǎ Mountain (塔山; Tǎ Shān) in the northwest, the Dàkēng Scenic Area (大坑景区; Dàkēng Jǐngqū) is great for rambling.
Many accommodations also offer excursions, such as picking tea leaves in the fields nearby.
4Sleeping
Mògànshān is full of hotels of varying quality, many housed in former villas; room prices nearly double at weekends and some places require a two-night minimum booking. If you come in low season (eg early spring) you can expect good rates. Many hotels either shut up shop or close for renovation over the winter.
Mògànshān Fleecity ResortGUESTHOUSE$$
(莫干山离城度假别墅, Mògànshān Líchéng Dùjià Biéshù %0188 5722 9640; www.moganshan395.com; Láolǐngcǔn Sānjiúwù, 劳岭村三九坞 d weekday/weekend from ¥599/799; pnaW)S
Fleecity is located halfway up the mountain (meaning you can stay here and dodge the entry fee), surrounded by bamboo (though construction sites inch ever nearer). There are only eight rooms; some have balconies while some have Japanese-style tatami floors. The best part is the food: dinners (¥80 per person) feature local produce, like wild mushrooms and bamboo, prepared home-style.
oLe Passage Mohkan ShanBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
(莫干山里法国山居, Mògànshānlǐ Fǎguóshānjū %0572 805 2958; www.lepassagemoganshan.com; Xiānrénkēng Tea Plantation, Zǐlǐng Village, 紫岭村仙人坑茶厂 weekday/weekend from ¥2680/3180; nWs)S
Le Passage evokes the glamorous cosmopolitan history of Mògànshān perhaps better than the actually historic villas do. Ensconced within an organic tea plantation, the main house and five bungalows were designed by owners Christophe Peres and Pauline Lee to look like a classic colonial-era hill station, with high ceilings, a wood-burning stove in the salon and a spring-fed swimming pool.
Mògànshān House 23HOTEL$$$
(莫干山杭疗23号, Mògànshān Hángliáo 23 Hào %0572 803 3822; www.moganshanhouse23.com; 23 Moganshan, 莫干山23号 d & tw weekday/weekend from ¥900/1200; naW)
This restored, 100-year-old villa on top of the mountain has heaps of period charm. It’s also kid-friendly with a family room, baby chairs and swings in the garden. With only six rooms, book well in advance, especially for weekend stays (when it’s a minimum two-night stay). Staff speak English.
5Eating
Yinshan Jie (荫山街), the main strip on the summit, has a few restaurants, but most visitors eat in their lodgings.
Mògànshān LodgeINTERNATIONAL$$
(马克的咖啡厅, Mǎkè de Kāfēitīng %0572 803 3011; www.moganshanlodge.com; Songliang Shanzhuang, off Yinshan Jie, 松粮山庄 h9am-9pm; Wvc)
Grab a book from the shelves (there are many in English) and curl up in one of the vintage armchairs here with a pot of tea. Should you decide to stretch your legs, Mògànshān Lodge is your best source for advice and local maps. The kitchen cooks up roast dinners (by reservation only), full English breakfasts and sandwiches.
8Information
Be warned that the sole ATM on the mountain, on Yinshan Jie, often has no cash.
China PostBANK
(中国邮政, Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng 40 Moganshan, 莫干山40号 h8.30-11am & 1-4pm)
8Getting There & Away
The nearest train station is Déqīng (德清), a 15-minute ride (¥11 to ¥18) on one of the frequent high-speed trains from Hángzhōu East. The last return train is at 10.06pm. There are two trains daily from Shànghǎi Hóngqiáo (¥94, 1¾ hours, 7.28am and 6.05pm).
You can also go by bus from Hángzhōu's main bus station to Déqīng (¥18, one hour, six daily).
Now comes the expensive part: getting a taxi from the bus or train station to Mògànshān, which will cost ¥120 to ¥150. Most lodgings can arrange transport from Déqīng, Hángzhōu or even Shànghǎi – at a mark-up of course.
Don't take a sānlúnchē (three-wheel scooter) as they will drop you at the foot of the mountain.
Wūzhèn 乌镇
%0573 / Pop 59,000
Like many of the other famous water towns, Wūzhèn (乌镇) was part of the Grand Canal and prospered from trade and silk production. It's a major tourist attraction, and with its crowds and rows of souvenir shops its easy to write off Wūzhèn as inauthentic. But then you turn a corner and get a view of, say, an ancient stone bridge curving over a canal or a row of weathered Qing dynasty wooden homes, and realise: this place really is beautiful. It's also easily explored, with good transit links and plenty of English on the ground.
1Sights
The old town is divided into two scenic areas: Dōngzhà (东栅 ¥100; h7am-5.30pm, till 6pm in summer) and Xīzhà (西栅 ¥120, ¥80 after 5pm; h9am-10pm, till 10.30pm in summer); a combined tick
et to visit the two areas costs ¥150. Most of the row homes in both areas have been transformed into museums, galleries and artisan workshops (with giftshops), snack vendors and restaurants. All are free to enter, though you may be required to show your village admission ticket.
The Xīzhà scenic zone covers more ground than Dōngzhà, has the visitor centre and is where bus 305 drops passengers off first. For day trippers it makes sense to start here, take the free shuttle to Dōngzhà and then grab a sānlúnchē on Xinhua Lu (新华路), which runs perpendicular to Dōngzhà's main drag, Dong Dajie, back to the bus station. If you're overnighting in Xīzhà, you might want to start in Dōngzhà. Admission tickets are for one day only, but if you spend the night in Xīzhà you won't need a ticket to enter the next day.
Dōngzhà Scenic Zone
The main street of the Dōngzhà scenic zone, Dongda Jie (东大街), is a narrow path paved with stone slabs and flanked by wooden buildings. There are workshops here turning out indigo-dyed cloth, bamboo weavings and the like. Most sights are open from 8am to 5pm. Dōngzhà feels more lived in than Xīzhà, though as the road is narrow it can feel a bit claustrophobic when busy.
Jiāngnán Wood Carving MuseumMUSEUM
(江南木雕陈列馆, Jiāngnán Mùdiāo Chénlièguǎn 420 Dong Dajie, 东大街420号, Dōngzhà, 东栅 h8am-5pm)
A fine collection of wood carvings from around the region, though unfortunately no explanations as to when they were created or what symbolism is evoked.
Ancient Beds MuseumMUSEUM
(百床馆, Bǎichuǎngguǎn 212 Dong Dajie, 东大街212号, Dōngzhà; 东栅 h8am-5pm)
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