Hupao Park
Forested southwest pocket of West Lake around Hupao Spring and quiet Li Shutong memorials.
Written and signed by AzaleaWhat it actually is
A shaded southwest pocket of West Lake built around Hupao Spring — one of China's most-prized mineral springs. Also the resting place of Li Shutong (1880-1942), the Qing-era painter who became the Buddhist monk Hongyi. A Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) legend says a monk dreamed a tiger fetched water here.
Editor's take
Worth a half-day for travelers who want a real forest break from West Lake crowds. Best in light rain, spring, or autumn osmanthus season. Skip if you have only one West Lake day — this is a quieter, deeper Hangzhou for the second or third visit. The Li Shutong memorial and Tiger Spring story are genuinely interesting cultural anchors, not just pretty trees.
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Tiger Spring and the Tiger Story
The park's namesake spring sits in a stone-paved courtyard where a Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) monk is said to have dreamed a tiger fetched water for the temple in his sleep; he awakened, walked to the spot, and found the spring at his feet. Locals still line up here with bottles — the water is considered among the finest mineral water in China, low in minerals with a clean sweet taste. The spring itself is fenced but visible; the surrounding courtyard has plum and camphor trees that frame it nicely from the steps above.
Li Shutong Memorial and the Hongyi Monk
A small memorial hall near the back of the park marks the resting place of Li Shutong (1880-1942), a late Qing painter, actor, and scholar who became the Buddhist monk Hongyi (a revered 20th-century Chinese Buddhist master). The hall holds his calligraphy and a quiet garden — a literary pilgrimage site that few foreign visitors know about. The atmosphere is contemplative, with cypress and a small lotus pond.
Ji Gong Pagoda and the Mad Monk Legend
A modest pagoda in a bamboo grove marks the memorial of Ji Gong (a Southern Song Dynasty, 960-1279 AD, monk famed for his unconventional, wine-loving ways, now a folk deity in Hangzhou). The pagoda is small but the bamboo grove around it is one of the quietest spots in the park — locals come here to sit and read. There's a small incense burner at the entrance; lighting sticks is optional.
Memorial Atmosphere and Quiet Corners
Beyond the named memorials, the park's quiet corners—stone benches under camphor, narrow paths behind the spring—invite slow wandering. It's an ideal spot for travelers who want to reflect away from West Lake's busier sections.