On November 24, 2012, the first subway line in Hangzhou, Line 1 was opened. After over eight years of development, Hangzhou now has its subway network consisting of Line 1, Line 2, Line 4, Line 5, Line 6, and Line 16. These subway lines link the beautiful natural scenery, cultural and historical sites, gourmet lanes and streets, and shopping blocks. We have summarized seven theme subway tourist routes to show you the beauty of Hangzhou.
Cultural Exploration
Line One
Subway station: Ding’an Road (pinyin: ding an lu) 定安路站
Route: Dajing Lane (大井巷) → Yaowang Temple (药王庙) → Chenghuang Tower (城隍阁) → Wushan First Peak (吴山第一峰) → the Imperial Ancestral Temple site (太庙遗址)
At this stop, you can travel back in time to a thousand years ago to be at the Imperial City of the Southern Song Dynasty. You can also head to Dajing Lane to listen to the old stories and legends.
You can ascend Wushan Hill and overlook the entire city from Chenghuang Tower.
You can also stroll along the old streets and lanes at the foot of Wushan Hill to experience the life inclusive to Hangzhou.
Line Four
Subway station: Shuicheng Bridge (pinyin: shui cheng qiao) 水澄桥站
Route: the Southern Song Official Kiln Museum (南宋官窑博物馆)→ Eight-Diagram Field Relic Park (八卦田遗址公园) → Hangzhou Cuisine Museum (中国杭帮菜博物馆)
At this stop, you can admire the marvelous craftsmanship of the Southern Song Official Kiln, enjoy the vicissitude of the Southern Song imperial fields and savor the most authentic Hangzhou cuisine.
The tour of cultural exploration tour is certainly incomplete without visiting ancient towns. ▼
Subway station: Chengzhan Railway Station (Pinyin: cheng zhan) 城站站
At this stop, you can visit Wuliu Lane (五柳巷), looking for the authentic life of common people of old Hangzhou.
Subway station: Xixing (pinyin: xi xing) 西兴站
Visit Xixing Ancient Town (西兴古镇) to feel the thousand-year-old culture of Xiaoshan District and Shaoxing City.
Subway station: Jucai Road (pinyin: ju cai lu) 聚才路站
Visit Changhe Ancient Town (长河古镇) to explore the long history carried by ancient streets, ancient bridges and ancient trees.
Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience
Line Five
Subway station: the Grand Canal (pinyin: day un he) 大运河站
Route：Handicrafts Demonstration Museum (手工艺活态馆) → China Fan Museum (中国扇博物馆) → China Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum (中国刀剪剑博物馆) → China Umbrella Museum (中国伞博物馆)
You can head to Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum (Hangzhou Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum, Hangzhou Umbrella Museum, Hangzhou Fan Museum) and Hangzhou Handicrafts Demonstration Museum to experience more than a dozen handicraft intangible cultural heritage items including West Lake silk umbrellas, fans, and embroideries. The intangible cultural heritage successors will teach you these skills hand by hand. These cultures hidden behind the skills are all at the fingertips.
Line Two
Subway station: Liangzhu (pinyin: liang zhu) 良渚站
Route: the Archeological Ruins of Liangzhu Ancient City (良渚古城遗址公园) – Liangzhu Museum (良渚博物馆) – Xiaosong Library (晓书馆)
At this stop, you can touch the imprints of the sacred place of five thousand years of civilization in the Archeological Ruins of Liangzhu Ancient City, and take a guest role as an archeologist to have a conversation with the exquisite Jade Zong and Jade Bi in Liangzhu Museum. After saying goodbye to the ancient civilization, you can then head to the “Big Roof” and Xiaosong Library to create a spark of thought with modern civilization.
Ecological Health Preservation
Line Five
Subway station: Jiangcun Village (pinyin: jiang cun) 蒋村站
Route: Jiangcun Slow Life Block (蒋村慢生活街区) → Hezhu Street (河渚街) → Hongzhong Residence (洪钟别业) → Gaozhuang Villa (高庄) → Fudi Causeway (福堤) → Ludi Causeway (绿堤)
At this stop, meet an ecological paradise in Xixi Wetland, which is reputed to be the “lung” of Hangzhou; learn about the unique folk culture of Xixi in Hezhu Street; feel the elegance and exquisiteness of Hangzhou gardens in Hongzhong Residence and Gaozhuang Villa.
Subway station: Shuangpu (Pinyin: shuang pu) 双浦站
Explore the oasis in Lingshan Characteristic Town to relieve urban people’s nostalgia.
Subway station: Wuchang (pinyin: wu chang)五常站
At this stop, you can visit Baobei Bookstore (鲍贝书屋) housed inside a typical Huizhou-style architecture and experience the beauty and mysterious color that is given by the wild scenery of the natural wetland to this old land in “Jing Yuan Fang Gu (荆源访古)” of Xixi Wetland.
Subway station: Shanxian (pinyin: shan xian) 善贤站
Walk into Shangtang River Characteristic Town (上塘风情小镇) with white walls, black tiles and weeping willows on the banks to feel the beauty of the ancient town right here in Hangzhou downtown.
Subway station: Yinhu (pinyin: yin hu) 银湖站
Head to Kengxi Village in Fuyang District (富阳坑西村) to capture the beautiful scenery of “a hundred mu* lotus pond, a thousand mu stone forest, and ten thousand mu tea garden”.
*Mu is a unit of area in China and 1 mu is roughly equal to 666 square meters.
Family Research and Study
Line One
Subway station: Xianghu Lake (pinyin: xiang hu) 湘湖站
Route: Hangzhou Paradise (杭州乐园) → Hangzhou Changqiao Polar Ocean Park (杭州长乔极地海洋公园) → Senbo Resort Hangzhou (杭州开元森泊度假乐园) → Kuahu Bridge Relic Museum (跨湖桥遗址博物馆)
Spend a happy family time among mountains and water: experience thrills in Hangzhou Paradise, satisfy all phantasies children have about the ocean in the Polar Ocean Park and have fun in the realistic version of “the Wizard of Oz” in Senbo's internet-famous wood cabin.
Subway station: East of the Safari Park (pinyin: ye sheng dong wu yuan dong) 野生动物园东站
Take children to Hangzhou Safari Park to have some intimate time with the elves of nature and feel the charm of nature life.
Subway station: Jiangling Road (pinyin: jiang lin lu) 江陵路站
Have a low-carbon tour with your kids in Hangzhou Low-Carbon Museum (杭州低碳博物馆) and enhance children’s awareness of environmental protection through education and fun.
Subway station: West Lake Cultural Plaza (pinyin: xi hu wen hua guang chang) 西湖文化广场站
Appreciate the charm of science and technology with your kids in Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Musem (浙江省科技馆) and let children witness how science and technology change our life through the demonstration of auto logistics transportation system and three-dimensional printing technology.
Culture and Art Discovery
Subway station: the Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Arts, (pinyin: mei yuan xiang shan) 美院象山站
At this stop, the Xiangshan Campus of China Academy of Art is a must-visit. Here, you can feel the architectural design philosophy of the Pulitzer Architecture Winner, Mr. Wang Shu, “recreating nature and organizing mountains and water”. The plain brick walls and simple building methods change with nature and overflow with the joy of life.
Subway station: Xiaming Street (pinyin: xia ming jie) 霞鸣街站
Visit Hangzhou version of Monument Valley in Xiangshan People’s Commune (象山公社), visit the internet-famous “Little Iceland” and get artistic inspiration in the industrial style buildings.
Subway station: Music Conservatory (pinyin: yin yue xue yuan) 音乐学院站
At this stop, you can indulge in the world of music to your heart’s content. All types of concerts fill the place with an artistic atmosphere.
Subway station: Shuicheng Bridge (pinyin: shui cheng qiao) 水澄桥站
Walk into the White Pagoda Park (白塔公园) where the thousand-year-old pagoda, the century-old railway, the disused railway station, etc. are still preserved for you to feel the quaint atmosphere and travel back in time.
Subway station: Hemu (pinyin: he mu) 和睦站
Visit the suspended iron wire web staircase in the Canal Cultural Center (运河文化中心) and the first Kai Xin Ma Hua Theater (开心麻花剧场) to unlock a day full of literary and art vibes.