Nine Considerate Tips for Traveling to Hangzhou During the May Day Holiday – Save this list!
1️⃣ During the May Day holiday, avoid visiting the West Lake area during the day as it's extremely crowded. It's recommended to go early in the morning when there are fewer people and the morning light is soft, which is great for photography. During the day, you can visit the areas around West Lake, such as Nine Creeks in Misty Forest, Yunqi Bamboo Pathway, and Longjing Tea Village. The scenery deeper in West Lake is more beautiful, the paths are quiet, it's not crowded, and you can listen to the sound of springs and the chirping of birds and cicadas, gaze at the vast tea plantations, savor the fragrance of Longjing tea, and enjoy a lovely time walking or cycling.
2️⃣ You can take a bus directly to Nine Creeks in Misty Forest and start hiking up the mountain. Take the bus down from Longjing Village, or you can walk all the way up, which takes about four to five hours round trip. We once rode bikes from Leifeng Pagoda all the way up, and halfway, we had to push our bikes for a bit. Going downhill was like lightning with continuous braking, and it only took 20 minutes to get back to Leifeng Pagoda, haha.
3️⃣ If it's a sunny day, don't miss the sunset over West Lake; it's incredibly beautiful. The tourist boats and painted boats on the lake are dyed red by the sunset, resembling an oil painting. You can bargain for the price of a manually rowed boat, and in the evening, you can cut the price in half, which is much cheaper than in the morning.
4️⃣ For internet-famous streets like Hefang Street, it's best to casually stroll around in the evening or early morning. It's not a big deal if you don't go, as it's commercialized and crowded, making it less comfortable to visit. Instead, I recommend visiting old streets like Wuliu Lane, Chengtou Lane, Dama Lane, and Shiwuku Lane to see Hangzhou's old buildings, full of local life and authentic local snacks, which are especially wonderful.
5️⃣ The scallion pancakes in Dama Lane cost five yuan each, which is much more authentic than the internet-famous ones that cost ten or twenty yuan. The Bao Mei pastries in Chengtou Lane, Pian Er Chuan, water-fried buns, wontons, and tofu pudding from time-honored brands cost only a few yuan and are delicious. Su Qin's home-cooked dishes like white-cut chicken and braised bamboo shoots are authentic Hangzhou cuisine, and you can get several dishes for just a few dozen yuan, which is tasty and a great value. The green dumplings, osmanthus cakes, and zongzi in Shiwuku Lane are so good that they make my mouth water just thinking about them.
6️⃣ As for accommodation, it depends on your budget. If you're looking for something nicer, you can stay near West Lake at places like Dahua or Xinxin. If you want to visit Lingyin Temple, you can stay nearby. In the city center, I recommend Zancheng Hotel, an old brand, which is convenient for eating, playing, and taking public transport. Additionally, Hupao is a great location for a holiday, quiet and elegant, with an excellent surrounding environment, suitable for friends who like peace and quiet.
7️⃣ When visiting Hangzhou during the holiday, especially if it's your first time, don't go to the internet-famous shops. You won't get the essence of Hangzhou's cuisine, which is all in the residential areas. Just wander around the residential areas, and you can't go wrong with inconspicuous shops with many locals sitting inside. There are no price traps, so go ahead and eat boldly. For a big meal, you can choose famous time-honored brands like Ziyi Hall, Jinsha Hall of Four Seasons, Xin Rong Ji, or more ordinary places like Xin Bailu and Grandma's Home.
8️⃣ Hangzhou's pastries are also very good, suitable for personal enjoyment or as gifts for friends and family. Zhi Wei Guan, Cai Zhi Zhai, and Nan Song Hu Ji are all good choices, with a wide variety, and quality assurance. I've bought from them many times and have rarely been disappointed.
9️⃣ A special reminder for those coming to Hangzhou during May Day: do not drive to the scenic spots. Do not drive, do not drive, as parking is very hard to find. By the time you find a parking spot, it might be two hours later. It's recommended to take a taxi or the subway. You can drive in the suburbs, but it's highly discouraged to drive to urban scenic spots.
2019 has come to a great extent, the years are getting older, and memories are always repeated in the mind, like various fragments, occasionally patched together into an old photo, but always missing a corner of time, or missing a character's face, The imperfect memory fragments made my nostalgic plots grow, and I wanted to go to the old town to piece together the memories. As the old town near the Drum Tower, 15 Kui Lane is a place worth remembering for every Hangzhou person like a water year. Most of these are old buildings in the Republic of China, low bungalows, wooden stairs, and compact living space. The high-rise buildings and 15 Kui Lane in the new era are insulators, and they seem to be two eras, which are irrelevant and do not disturb each other. However, the elderly are here to live in their old age, flowers, birds, fish and insects, fresh air, vegetable market, snack bar, daily necessities, complete supporting facilities. Time is solidified for them, no need to learn modern technology, no need to climb high buildings every day, open your eyes every day, go to the neighbors' homes, play mahjong, chat, drink, time flowed safely in the fingertips, but did not waste time. 15 Kui Lane, time in the long history.
Visiting the old buildings of 15 Kui Lane, the buildings of the townhouse stone library always let me return to my childhood, those people, those things seem to be around like clouds and mist again, feel within reach, but a hand is like a dream bubble disappeared. Chunyanli is a historically protected building in an old-fashioned house, which has been vicissitudes of time, but also retains the last trace of grace and dignity in the years. At present, the elderly still live here, settle down and live in peace and freedom. The rapid development of modern Hangzhou and them are irrelevant, and the old buildings are dependent on each other, and the old together, not lost for a leisurely life. Spring Yanli, Swallow Spring to return to the hometown, my hometown, Hangzhou, please slow down your rapid development, to the homesick people leave the most primitive foothold.
Fifteen Kui Lane, full name Zhou Tongnong North 15 Kui Lane, is located in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The south is connected to Chenghuanglou Pai Lane. Most of the houses in the alley are green tiles on the roof and slabs in the interior. It is a typical Hangzhou residential "building French" in the late Qing Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty.
Very good location, pleasant scenery and beautiful environment
Come to 15 Kui Lane to feel the fireworks of old Hangzhou!
杭州的老街,有味道,与鼓楼相邻,胡雪岩旧居隔街相望,周围人文景观众多,有深厚的历史底蕴,晚上巷子两边是美食一条街,各种小吃目不暇接,交通便利,去西湖,到市中心都很方便。清早,地道的名式当地早点让你垂涎欲滴,生煎,汤包,油条,麻圆,馄饨,豆腐脑,…听听当地老人聊聊皇城根…