Hangzhou · Zhejiang · Place

Leifeng Tower

Five-story pagoda above West Lake, famed for sunset views and the White Snake legend.

Written and signed by Azalea

4.7/5RatingCNY 40 (admission + tower climb)Ticket08:00-19:30 (seasonal variation; last entry ~30 min before close)Opening hours

What it actually is

Leifeng Tower is a five-story octagonal pagoda on Sunset Hill above West Lake, rebuilt in 2002 on a 977 AD site. It anchors the Ten Scenes of West Lake sunset and the White Snake legend.

Editor's take

AzaleaWritten and signed by

The verdict

Worth the CNY 40 for first-time West Lake visitors who want the classic sunset framing and an easy half-day stop. Less compelling for repeat visitors to Hangzhou or anyone expecting a genuine Tang-Song era structure; pair it with the southern half of Su Causeway to get full value from the visit.

What's great

Original Song-era ruins visible under glass inside the base, which most rebuilt pagodas do not preserve

Top-floor 360-degree balcony covers West Lake, Su Causeway, and the Hangzhou skyline in one loop

Sunset light from late October through February paints the bronze tiles a deep amber

Direct access via Metro Line 4 makes it easy to fold into a West Lake day

Worth knowing

Midday tour buses clog the entrance plaza and the inside elevator can take 20-30 minutes in summer

Several reviewers warned against the 12 CNY plum-cake stalls at the entrance

English signage is patchy, especially for the Buddhist relic exhibit below the base

The pagoda is a 2002 rebuild; visitors expecting an actual medieval tower may be disappointed

Grounded in 68+ traveller reviews. Distilled by our editors from traveller reviews on Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

Essentials

Opening hours08:00-19:30 (seasonal variation; last entry ~30 min before close)

TicketCNY 40 (admission + tower climb)

Contact0571-87982111

Rating4.7/5

Good to know

Bring your passport for ticket purchaseForeign visitors are typically asked for a passport when buying tickets at the counter; keep it with you for re-entry checks.

Comfortable walking shoes for hill path

Check sunset time before visiting

Metro Line 4 to Shuicheng Bridge

Skip the 12 CNY plum cakes

Keep ticket for re-entry same day

Stay in West Lake District

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Sunset Hill Setting

Perched above the southern shore of West Lake on Sunset Hill, a low ridge named for its golden-hour light, the tower commands one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake: Leifeng Sunset. The hilltop Xizhao Pavilion holds a stele with the four characters, originally inscribed by the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) during his southern tours. Visit 30 minutes before sunset for the amber wash on the bronze tiles.

China's First Colored-Bronze Pagoda

The 2002 reconstruction is China's first colored-bronze tile pagoda. The original Wuyue Kingdom (Five Dynasties period, 907-978 AD) brick tower had collapsed in 1924 from centuries of brick pilfering, and the rebuild used octagonal Song-dynasty plans clad in bronze tiles with traditional dougong brackets. The interior includes both stairs and an elevator to the fourth floor.

Lady White Snake Legend

The tower is inseparable from the Lady White Snake (Bai She Zhuan) legend, China's most famous folk tale. The story holds that the white snake spirit Bai Suzhen was imprisoned beneath the tower by the monk Fahai for pursuing a human marriage. Locals still treat the tower as a touchstone of the myth; the 1924 collapse was itself read by folk tradition as Bai Suzhen's escape, prompting Lu Xun's 1924 essay On the Destruction of Leifeng Pagoda.