Hangzhou
Xixi National Wetland Park, Hangzhou
Xixi is less a park you walk than a watery maze you ride through. About 5 km west of West Lake, this roughly 11-square-kilometre tangle of creeks, fish ponds, reed beds and small islands became China's first national wetland park when it opened on 1 May 2005. Locals call it the city's back garden; film fans know it as a location in Feng Xiaogang's If You Are the One. A good half of the grounds is open to wander for free, but the scenic core is best seen from the water.
Bald-cypress trunks rising from the green wetland water of Xixi
The boat is most of the visit
Persimmon and bald-cypress lean over the narrow channels, and electric boats run hop-on, hop-off like a water bus between the main docks, Zhoujia Village, the plum-blossom cottages, Shentankou (where the film scenes were shot) and the Qiuxue'an retreat. If you prefer a slower pace, hand-rowed boats cover the same water. On foot, wooden boardwalks link restored Qing-era estates, a small folk museum and quiet fishing hamlets, but you will see far more of the wetland afloat than on the paths near the gate.
Waterside pavilion and lotus pond inside the wetland
Birds, reeds and the best seasons
This is a working bird habitat, so egrets, herons and migratory species are part of the scenery, most active at first light. Autumn is the signature season: the reeds silver over for the "Reed Snow" (luxue) display while the persimmons glow orange. Spring brings plum blossom and fresh green. Whatever the month, arrive at opening for the calmest water, the softest light and the busiest herons.
Waterside pavilion and lotus pond inside the wetland
Getting in, and what it costs
Only the scenic core, roughly the stretch from Zhoujia Village to Shentankou, is ticketed; well over half the park is free to enter. The paid entry is modest and usually cheaper booked online, and the boat ride is a separate add-on, with a combined entry-plus-boat package if you want both. Fares change from season to season, so check current rates when you book: Xixi entry and boat tickets.
Hours, gates and how to arrive
Xixi keeps seasonal hours, opening around 07:30 and running into the early evening in the warm months, then closing earlier (about 17:30) in winter, with ticket and boat sales stopping roughly an hour before. Zhoujia Village is the main gate and the departure point for the boats; Metro Line 3 to "Xixi Wetland South" (Exit A) leaves a short walk to it, and a taxi from West Lake takes about 20 to 30 minutes. The park is large and its gates sit far apart, so settle on an entrance and a rough route before you set out, and allow at least half a day.
Highlights
- China's first national wetland park, opened 1 May 2005, about 5 km west of West Lake
- A roughly 11 sq km maze of creeks, ponds and reed beds, over half of it free to enter
- Hop-on, hop-off electric boats between docks like Zhoujia Village and Shentankou
- A living habitat for egrets, herons and migratory birds
- A filming location for Feng Xiaogang's *If You Are the One*
- Autumn 'Reed Snow', spring plum blossom, and restored Qing-era estates
Travel Tips
Plan around the boat
The scenic core is water-bound, so the electric boat (or a slower rowed boat) is how you actually see the wetland rather than just the gate area.
Pick a gate before you go
The gates sit far apart. Zhoujia Village is the main entrance and the boat departure point, and Metro Line 3 'Xixi Wetland South' (Exit A) is a short walk away.
First light for birds
Arrive at opening for the calmest water, the best light and the most active herons and egrets, and allow at least half a day.
