West Lake
Hangzhou, China
Leifeng Pagoda, Hangzhou
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Photo: lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Ticket
- ¥40 adults, bought at the gate — no booking needed
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Winter (1 Nov–15 Mar) 8:00–17:30; spring (16 Mar–30 Apr) 8:00–19:00; summer (1 May–31 Oct) 8:00–20:00; last entry 30 min before
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 1 h
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Concessions
- Free under 1.2 m and 70+; half price for children 1.2–1.5 m, students and ages 60–69, with ID
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Closed
- Open every day
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours; 2–3 hours with Jingci Temple across the road
- Bus
- No. 4 from Longxiangqiao or No. 1314 to Jingsi (净寺) stop, then a 5-minute walk
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - On foot
- ≈ 3 km from the Hubin lakefront, 40–50 min along the shore; about 10 min from the south end of Su Causeway
- Access
- Escalator up the hillside and lifts to the top gallery — hardly any stairs
- Payment
- Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign Visa/Mastercard; carry some cash
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Address
- 15 Nanshan Road (南山路15号), Xihu District; for taxis show 雷峰塔
Key facts
975–977the first pagoda was built under Qian Chu, last king of Wuyue
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English Wikipedia (975)Chinese Wikipedia and Travel China Guide (completed 977)1924the old brick pagoda collapsed on 25 September after long neglect
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English and Chinese WikipediaTravel China Guide2002the new pagoda opened on 25 October, built straight over the ruins
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English and Chinese WikipediaTravel China Guide71.68 mheight of the new tower including the spire; five tiers, eight sides
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Chinese and English WikipediaTravel China Guide (≈ 72 m)2001the underground palace (地宫) beneath the foundations was opened
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Chinese WikipediaTravel China Guide (excavated 2000–2001)Silver stupaa gilded silver Ashoka-style stupa from the vault held a relic — a hair of the Buddha
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English and Chinese WikipediaTen Scenes‘Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow’ (雷峰夕照) is one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake
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English and Chinese WikipediaXizhao Hill夕照山, ‘Evening Glow Hill’ — the pagoda’s hilltop
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English and Chinese WikipediaSteel and coppera steel frame with copper columns, brackets and roof tiles
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English and Chinese Wikipedia2 liftshydraulic lifts inside the tower, plus an entrance escalator
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Chinese and English WikipediaChina for TravelersLeifeng Pagoda tickets and opening hours
Admission is ¥40 for adults, paid at the ticket office by the gate on Nanshan Road — there’s no need to book ahead. Children under 1.2 m and visitors aged 70+ go free; children 1.2–1.5 m, full-time students and ages 60–69 pay half. Concessions need ID, which for foreigners means a passport. We couldn’t open an official price list, so these figures come from several guides and booking platforms that agree.
Hours change with the season: 8:00–17:30 from 1 November to 15 March, 8:00–19:00 from 16 March to 30 April, and 8:00–20:00 from 1 May to 31 October. Ticket sales and entry stop 30 minutes before closing. It’s open every day. On summer evenings the tower is floodlit, and Hangzhou Daily describes the late hours as a night-tour programme popular after 17:00.
Paying: the gate and shops are set up for Alipay and WeChat Pay — link a foreign Visa or Mastercard before you travel. Keep a few small yuan notes as a backup in case a QR scan fails.
How to get to Leifeng Pagoda
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- West Lake is about 17 min away on foot.
- China National Silk Museum is about 22 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the Hubin lakefront (Metro Line 1, Longxiangqiao, 龙翔桥), walk about 3 km south along the east and south shore via Changqiao Park — 40–50 minutes, and a lovely one.
- By bus, take No. 4 from Longxiangqiao or No. 1314 to Jingsi (净寺, Jingci Temple) stop, then walk 5 minutes — the pagoda is across the road from the temple. Route numbers change, so check Amap or Baidu Maps; buses take Alipay QR payment.
- From Su Causeway, walk east along Nanshan Road from its southern end — about 500 m, roughly 10 minutes. Handy if you’re crossing the lake on foot from the north.
- By taxi or DiDi, show the driver 雷峰塔 南山路15号. From Hubin it’s roughly 10–15 minutes outside rush hour.
- There’s no metro station nearby — the closest are 2.5–3.5 km away. From Hangzhou East station or Xiaoshan Airport, ride Line 1 to Longxiangqiao and continue by bus, on foot or by taxi.
Is Leifeng Pagoda worth it?
Yes, if you’re already doing West Lake. It gives the best elevated view of the lake — both causeways, the islands, the Hubin skyline — and the 10th-century ruins inside are genuine. Lifts and an escalator mean almost no climbing, which suits families and older travellers.
Be clear about what it is, though: the tower itself is a 2002 steel-and-copper rebuild, not an ancient structure. If you want an original pagoda with creaky wooden stairs, go to Six Harmonies Pagoda by the Qiantang River instead. And don’t cross the city just for Leifeng — fold it into a day around West Lake.
What to see inside
- The hillside escalator — a covered escalator carries you from the Nanshan Road gate up to the base of the tower.
- The original ruins — two lower levels preserve the brick base of the 10th-century pagoda under glass. You walk around it on a gallery; this is the pagoda that fell in 1924.
- The White Snake legend — the first tier tells the story in six scenes, from the meeting on the lake to the imprisonment under the pagoda.
- The underground palace — a display on the 2001 excavation of the vault under the foundations and its finds: the gilded silver stupa that held a Buddha hair relic, bricks with hollows for sutra scrolls, coins.
- The top gallery — two lifts take you to an open walkway round the upper tier, with Su and Bai causeways, the islands, the Hubin lakefront and the city beyond; to the south, Jingci Temple’s roofs.
The Legend of the White Snake
Leifeng is the setting of China’s best-loved love story. A white snake spirit takes the form of a young woman, Bai Suzhen, and meets the scholar Xu Xian on a boat on West Lake. They marry, but the monk Fahai believes a spirit and a mortal can’t be together, and in the end he imprisons her beneath Leifeng Pagoda.
That’s why the pagoda and Broken Bridge on the other side of the lake pair up on a walk: the couple were reunited at the bridge and parted here. The scenes inside work without Chinese — tell the story to kids before you go in, and the ruins downstairs become a dungeon rather than a pile of bricks.
A short history
The first pagoda was commissioned by Qian Chu, the last king of Wuyue, whose capital was Hangzhou. English Wikipedia dates it to 975; Chinese Wikipedia and Travel China Guide say it was completed in 977. It was brick with wooden galleries; in the 16th century the woodwork burned, and for centuries only the bare brick core stood. Its first name was the Imperial Consort Pagoda (皇妃塔).
Long neglected, the old tower collapsed on 25 September 1924. Before the rebuild, archaeologists opened the underground palace — a vault under the foundations holding an iron casket, the silver stupa with its relic and thousands of coins. The new pagoda opened on 25 October 2002, with the old base inside it.
Leifeng vs Six Harmonies Pagoda
| Leifeng Pagodayou are here | Xizhao Hill, West Lake south shore | 2002 rebuild over 10th-century ruins | 71.68 m with spire | Escalator and lifts | West Lake, causeways, islands | ¥40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Harmonies (Liuhe) | Above the Qiantang River, south of the lake | Historic brick-and-timber pagoda | ≈ 60 m | Narrow stairs on foot | The Qiantang River | ≈ ¥20 park + ≈ ¥10 to climb |
Six Harmonies prices are unofficial guidebook figures. With one day in Hangzhou, pick Leifeng — it’s on the lake loop. Save Liuhe for a second day if you want a real climb.
Before you go
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Viewpoints in Hangzhou
Hangzhou places with a view, scored by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.
| West Lake | 44 | 3 h | Free | 10 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leifeng Pagodayou are here | 35 | 1 h | ¥40 | — |
| Longjing Tea Village | 34 | 1 h 30 min | Free | 4.7 km |
| Liuhe Pagoda | 30 | 1 h | ¥20 + ¥10 to climb the pagoda | 4.3 km |
One day in Hangzhou: temple, pagoda and old street
Lingyin Temple in the hills in the morning, Leifeng Pagoda for the lake view, a walk along West Lake to Hubin and an evening on Hefang Street. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and walks.
- Lingyin Temple2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead
- 82 min walk from the previous stopLeifeng Pagodayou are here1 h · ¥40
- 10 min walk from the previous stopWest Lake3 h · Free; island boat ¥55
- 46 min walk from the previous stopHefang Street1 h · Free
4 places · about 9 h 48 min with walks · 138 min on foot in total
Nearby and on your route
How to do it right
- Come at the 8:00 opening or 90 minutes before closing — midday in high season the top gallery is packed with tour groups.
- Start downstairs with the ruins and the legend scenes, then take the lift up — the story makes more sense in that order.
- Weekends and Chinese holidays get busy — weekdays are calmer.
- Jingci Temple is right across the road if you have another hour, though guides say it closes earlier than the pagoda.
- Carry on north on foot along Su Causeway — its south end is 10 minutes away.
- For dinner on Hefang Street, take a taxi — on foot it’s more than 3 km.
Questions
How much is the Leifeng Pagoda ticket?
¥40 for adults. Children under 1.2 m and visitors 70+ go free; children 1.2–1.5 m, students and ages 60–69 pay half. These are guidebook figures — we couldn’t open an official price list.
What are Leifeng Pagoda’s opening hours?
8:00–17:30 from 1 November to 15 March, 8:00–19:00 from 16 March to 30 April, and 8:00–20:00 from 1 May to 31 October. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Open daily.
How do I get to Leifeng Pagoda?
Take bus No. 4 from Longxiangqiao metro or No. 1314 to Jingsi stop, or walk 40–50 minutes along the lake from Hubin. There’s no metro station nearby.
Do I need to book Leifeng Pagoda tickets in advance?
No. Buy at the gate with Alipay or WeChat Pay; booking platforms also sell them if you prefer a foreign card.
Is Leifeng Pagoda worth visiting?
Yes as part of a West Lake day: it has the best view over the lake and real 10th-century ruins inside. It isn’t worth a special trip across town on its own.
Is Leifeng Pagoda original?
The tower is a 2002 rebuild with a steel frame, but it stands directly over the ruins of the 10th-century pagoda, which you can see inside.
Is there a lift in Leifeng Pagoda?
Yes — an escalator up the hillside and two lifts to the top gallery, so it works for older visitors and families.
How long do you need at Leifeng Pagoda?
An hour to 90 minutes for the ruins, exhibits and gallery; 2–3 hours if you add Jingci Temple across the road.
What is the Leifeng Pagoda legend?
In the Legend of the White Snake, the snake spirit Bai Suzhen marries the scholar Xu Xian, and the monk Fahai imprisons her beneath the pagoda.
When is the best time to visit Leifeng Pagoda?
Late afternoon for the evening light, or right at opening to avoid groups. In winter arrive by 16:00, as last entry is 17:00.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Leifeng Pagoda; Chinese Wikipedia: 雷峰塔; Wikidata Q1155765
- Travel China Guide: Leifeng Pagoda — price, hours, buses, history
- China for Travelers: Leifeng Pagoda, Hangzhou — price, concessions, hours, what’s inside
- ChinaTravel: Leifeng Pagoda — hours, buses and Jingsi stop
- Hangzhou Daily (hznews.hangzhou.com.cn): summer evening opening to 20:00
- Ctrip and cncn: address, concessions, Jingci Temple opposite
- Travel China Guide, Trip.com, Chinatripedia: Six Harmonies Pagoda — height and prices
- OpenStreetMap: distances to Su Causeway, Jingci Temple and Hubin
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