Xixi National Wetland Park: Hangzhou's hidden beauty

Serenity and peace in bustling Hangzhou? You can find it in Xixi, along with great views and a unique dining experience

By Raemin Zhang 20 December, 2011

Previous Pause Next

Weeded waterway

About 70 percent of Xixi National Wetland Park is covered with water. Wild weeds lining the water provide the park with its signature look.

Liquid perspective

Land surrounded by water? Or water surrounded by land? It's all a matter of perspective -- and footing -- at Xixi National Wetland Park.

Ancient garden

Traditional architecture at Xixi National Wetland Park is adapted to the natural environment, such as these gardens designed in the delicate Jiangnan style from south of the Yangtze River.

Lazy float

The quintessential Xixi activity: Drifting in a small boat drinking tea, playing cards, enjoying a meal and enjoying the scenery.

Meals on the water

Restaurants in the park offer delivery service. Most dishes will arrive at the dock within half an hour of ordering.

Colored palette

Filled with color, water and looming mountains, Xixi scenery has been likened to Chinese watercolor and ink paintings.

Poetic pond

Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin famously wrote about the sound of rain drops on withered lotus. Few places in China evoke his words more strongly than the "ugly beauty" of Xixi's many ponds.

Painted photos

Small details in Xixi Wetland National Park can be rendered as beautiful as a painting inside a camera lens.

Rare serenity

Xixi Wetland National Park is so little-visited that it remains peaceful even on weekend afternoons.

Historic houses

Old houses with hollow wooden railings evoke Xixi's history. The area is the traditional home of fishermen and silk farmers.

Peaceful park

Serenity like this is tough to find in crowded West Lake or the urban area around Hangzhou.

1 of 1

If West Lake is the famed beauty of Hangzhou, Xixi National Wetland Park (西溪国家湿地公园) is its young maiden still hidden at home, not yet discovered by the world.

Literally meaning "west waterway," Xixi is a lush wetland that covers about 10 square kilometers, of which three-and-a-half square kilometers are open to the public as a park.

With more than 70 percent of the area being covered by water, Xixi National Wetland Park truly deserves its nickname, "wetland paradise."

Once populated by fishmen and farmers, the wetland dates back 1,800 years to the Han Dynasty.

China's first national wetland park, Xixi National Wetland Park opened in 2008.

How to get there, what to see

Most visitors arrive at Xixi National Wetland Park via a 20-minute boat shuttle.

The ride provides pretty views of the waterway, wild weeds and, with a little luck, waterfowl swimming in the lake.

Once inside the park, attractions include former residences and modern museums featuring displays (in Chinese and English) recounting the daily lives and ancient culture of fishermen and farmers.

Slowly plying the waters and gazing at gorgeous views while enjoying lunch or an early dinner aboard a boat is a quintessential Xixi National Wetland Park activity.

Visitors can order from local restaurants, which will deliver meals to boat docks.

Similar to people of the Jiangnan Area, southeast of the Yangtze River, Xixi residents traditionally haven't relied on rice as a menu staple, subsisting primarily on fish.

Ancient arts of sericulture (silk farming) and book engraving are still practiced.

Each June, Xixi's waterways host a dragon boat festival in Jiang Village. One of the biggest dragon boat festivals in South China, the event attracts competitors all over the country.

Day trips lasting from morning into late afternoon are ideal. Overnight accommodations are available with a variety hotels ranging from luxury to budget.

Xixi National Wetland Park ticket price: RMB140, including a 20-minute electric boat ride

Small boat rentals: RMB100 per hour

Dining: around RMB80 per person

How to get there: High-speed trains from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Hangzhou City Station depart every hour of a day. The trip takes about 60 minutes. There is no express line from the railway station to the park, so the best way to the park is by cab. The ride takes around 45 minutes and costs about RMB60.

More on CNNGo:

5 most scenic spots in Hangzhou

Insider's guide to Hangzhou West Lake

The 5-minute Hangzhou guide

Xixi Wetland
518 Tianmushan Lu, near Xixi Lu, Hangzhou
杭州市天目山路518号, 近西溪路
+86 571 8810 6688,
April 1-October 31: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.;
November 1-March 31: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
www.xixiwetland.com.cn

Raemin Zhang is a Shanghai-based lifestyle journalist. She is the Chinese-language editor of CNNGo Shanghai.