# Leifeng Pagoda, Hangzhou > Leifeng Pagoda is a five-tier tower on a hill above West Lake’s south shore, rebuilt in 2002 directly over the ruins of a 10th-century original. Inside: the excavated base, lifts and a gallery with views across the lake. Tickets cost ¥40 and an hour is enough. Open 8:00–17:30 from 1 November to 15 March, until 20:00 in summer. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda - City: [Hangzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou), China - YesGo score: 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket: ¥40 adults, bought at the gate — no booking needed - Concessions: Free under 1.2 m and 70+; half price for children 1.2–1.5 m, students and ages 60–69, with ID - 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 - 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 - 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 - Address: 15 Nanshan Road (南山路15号), Xihu District; for taxis show 雷峰塔 - Coordinates: 30.23389, 120.14500 - Facts checked: 05.11.2026 ## Key facts - **975–977** — the first pagoda was built under Qian Chu, last king of Wuyue (source: English Wikipedia (975); Chinese Wikipedia and Travel China Guide (completed 977)) - **1924** — the old brick pagoda collapsed on 25 September after long neglect (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide) - **2002** — the new pagoda opened on 25 October, built straight over the ruins (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide) - **71.68 m** — height of the new tower including the spire; five tiers, eight sides (source: Chinese and English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide (≈ 72 m)) - **2001** — the underground palace (地宫) beneath the foundations was opened (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide (excavated 2000–2001)) - **Silver stupa** — a gilded silver Ashoka-style stupa from the vault held a relic — a hair of the Buddha (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **Ten Scenes** — ‘Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow’ (雷峰夕照) is one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **Xizhao Hill** — 夕照山, ‘Evening Glow Hill’ — the pagoda’s hilltop (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **Steel and copper** — a steel frame with copper columns, brackets and roof tiles (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **2 lifts** — hydraulic lifts inside the tower, plus an entrance escalator (source: Chinese and English Wikipedia; China for Travelers) > **Winter last entry is 17:00** From 1 November to 15 March the pagoda closes at 17:30 and stops letting people in at 17:00 — in mid-winter that’s roughly sunset, the very thing you came for. Arrive by 16:00: an hour for the ruins and the legend, then up to the gallery for the evening light. ## Leifeng 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 1. **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. 2. **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. 3. **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. 4. **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. 5. **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](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/liuhe-pagoda) by the Qiantang River instead. And don’t cross the city just for Leifeng — fold it into a day around [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/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 Pagoda | Six Harmonies (Liuhe) | | --- | --- | --- | | Setting | Xizhao Hill, West Lake south shore | Above the Qiantang River, south of the lake | | The tower | 2002 rebuild over 10th-century ruins | Historic brick-and-timber pagoda | | Height | 71.68 m with spire | ≈ 60 m | | Getting up | Escalator and lifts | Narrow stairs on foot | | View | West Lake, causeways, islands | The Qiantang River | | Ticket | ¥40 | ≈ ¥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 Tick off what’s ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay working with my foreign card - [ ] Passport on me for concession tickets - [ ] Some small yuan notes - [ ] At the gate by 16:00 in winter, 18:00 in summer - [ ] Read the White Snake story in a nutshell - [ ] Not Golden Week or Spring Festival ## Viewpoints in Hangzhou Hangzhou places with a view, scored by YesGo. - [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55 - [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40 - [Longjing Tea Village](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/longjing-tea-village) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; Imperial Tea Trees ¥10 - [Liuhe Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/liuhe-pagoda) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥20 + ¥10 to climb the pagoda ## 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. 1. [Lingyin Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead 2. [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40 3. [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55 4. [Hefang Street](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/hefang-street) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free > **Sunset from both sides** From the top you watch the sun drop behind the western hills as the lake goes dark. But the classic ‘Evening Glow’ view — the pagoda silhouetted against the sunset — is seen from across the water, on Bai Causeway or the Hubin lakefront. In summer, with closing at 20:00, catching sunset from the top is easy. ## Don’t confuse West Lake has two landmark pagodas: Leifeng on the south shore and slender Baochu on the hill to the north. A third, Six Harmonies, stands several kilometres south by the Qiantang River. The temple opposite Leifeng is Jingci Temple, with its own gate and ticket. ## Tips - 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](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/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. ## How we checked We checked the ¥40 price and seasonal hours against four independent guides and booking platforms, which agree. We couldn’t load the Hangzhou culture and tourism bureau’s page, so price, concessions and hours are marked unofficial. Sources differ on when the first pagoda was built: 975 in English Wikipedia, completed in 977 in Chinese Wikipedia and Travel China Guide — we show both. Height is 71.68 m in both Wikipedias; Travel China Guide rounds it to 72 m. English Wikipedia gives both two and four lifts; we use two, as Chinese Wikipedia does. Bus routes come from two guides and may change. Walking times are worked out from OpenStreetMap distances. ## Sources - 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 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.