Grand Canal Night Cruise Tour
This is a great tour of Hangzhou to experience a thousand years of recorded history on the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal. Every summer, you can enjoy the large cluster of ancient buildings on both shores and experience the millennial heritage of the Grand Canal.
The canal night cruise has large, medium and small vessels available, starting from Wulin Gate to Gongchen Bridge. The whole trip takes about one hour. Cruises start from 7:30pm every day at Wulin Gate wharf, launching approximately every hour. Along the way you can see Emperor Qianlong's Imperial Dock, the imperial granary, Qianlong Fang, the new Xiangji Temple, and the famous Jiangnan Bridge – Gongchen Bridge.
The Xiangji Temple is opened from 5:00pm to 9:00pm daily, where you can not only burn incense and pray, but also view the beautiful classic Buddhist features of the temple. From Xiangji Temple it is about five minutes' walk to Shengli River Food Street, where you can sample some classic Hangzhou cuisine, definitely not to be missed.
Also, Xizhi Street and Dadou Road Historic Block, a short walk from the temple, make for a great stroll at night. Starting from the Wulin Gate wharf heading south to the Grand Canal, there are a multitude of sights to see as the ship passes through three locks. The whole trip takes about three hours. The best view is where the Qiantang meets the Grand Canal; the two sides are ablaze with lights under the night sky. The juxtaposition of the graceful canal coupled with the majesty of the Qiantang River view is breathtaking.
Generally, you will be picked up from your hotel at around 6:30pm and then taken to the Wulin Gate wharf by car. The whole trip on the canal is three hours and a half across the Grand Canal and the Qiantang River. After arriving back at the Wulin Gate wharf, catch a taxi back to your hotel and your tour ends.