The monster city of Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province. Home to West Lake, this is one of China’s most popular and enduring vacation spots.

“beyond dispute the finest and the noblest city in the world.” – Marco Polo.

I rocked into town for the Golden Week national holiday in October 2017 with my long term travel mate Daryl Wonderboy. Setting up camp in a crappy hostel, we spent our entire days out and about exploring the city among what felt like a billion people.  

Battling the Golden Week crowds was a hell of an experience. In fact, it redefined my comprehension of the word busy.

Nevertheless, we had an amazing trip. In addition to a mandatory lake cruise, we toured the city’s gorgeous parks and admired its sculpted stone bridges.

Moreover, there were breathtaking city views from a towering pagoda and the Ming era pavilions of the beautiful Wushan Hill. Not to mention dinner at one of China’s most manic market streets and coffee at a swanky lakeside hotel.

For the full lowdown on my visit to Hangzhou, dive into my travel reports from:

Hefang Market Street

Leifeng Pagoda

Orioles Singing in the Willows Park

Shuangtou Bridge

Su Causeway

The Shangri-La Hotel

Wushan Hill

Check out the Leighton Travels interview on Ericotrips.