A Post-Pandemic Revisit to Qiandao Lake: Your Complete Food and Fun Guide
Hangzhou, a historic and cultural city, has inspired poets throughout the ages to leave behind countless well-known verses. Bai Juyi’s 'Fair South, the scenery I knew so well. When I recall the South, it is Hangzhou I miss most,' Fan Chengda’s 'Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below,' Liu Yong’s 'In the scenic southeast, the metropolis of the Three Wu regions, Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times,' and Su Dongpo’s 'I compare West Lake to Xi Shi, whether heavily or lightly made up, she is always captivating'—these lines, like an earworm, constantly instill the beauty of Hangzhou in people's minds, enticing them to come and experience Hangzhou through the poems of these ancient masters.
In my opinion, there are two must-visit places in Hangzhou. For cultural heritage, you must go to West Lake, because every blade of grass, every bridge, every causeway, every brick and tile of West Lake has its own story, imbued with the charm of Tang and Song poetry. For natural scenery, you must visit Qiandao Lake. Not only is it one of Hangzhou's three AAAAA-level scenic spots, but it also boasts the reputation of 'the finest water under heaven.' Dotted with 1,078 islands of various sizes and shapes, it is undoubtedly an outstanding representative of Hangzhou's natural beauty.
Qiandao Lake Flower Sea Check-in
Five years ago, I visited Qiandao Lake once as a travel guest for a TV program recording. We spent four days exploring various islands, experiencing camping on an uninhabited island (catching fish with our bare hands, photographing the starry sky at night), kayaking on the lake, horse riding and archery at Equestrian Park, staying in a starry sky tent, enjoying the water park (with many water activities), checking in at the flower sea, paying respects at Mishan Island (the setting of the 'Three Monks Have No Water to Drink' story), mushroom picking on Anlong Island, cycling around the lake... and many more. We had a fantastic time, and when it was over, we all felt we hadn't had enough, constantly thinking that we must come back to Qiandao Lake for another visit someday.
What the heart desires, it shall have! After five years of longing, I finally got my chance. A few days ago, after attending an event in Hangzhou on business, I had one free day left. Without hesitation, I chose to visit Qiandao Lake. Though time was tight, I borrowed a car from a friend and drove myself, eliminating the need to wait for buses, transfers, and connections. I arrived at Qiandao Lake the evening before, giving myself more time to explore.
Because time was limited, a friend recommended and booked a resort hotel for me right by the lake. The facilities and surroundings lived up to the resort name: a fitness center, swimming pool—everything was there. The window offered a front-line lake view. If it weren't for my desire to visit the islands, I would have happily stayed put at the hotel, even just sitting on the balcony in a rocking chair sipping tea would have been pure bliss.
There are plenty of similar hotels around Qiandao Lake, ranging from high to low prices. You can book online in advance according to your needs. The hotel I booked is about three kilometers from the central lake area pier and relatively close to Fisherman's Wharf, making it quite convenient overall.
The resort hotel my friend recommended was excellent, especially the gorgeous swimming pool downstairs. Many guests spend a lot of time just lounging around the hotel, but since I wanted to explore the lake area, I hardly had time to enjoy the hotel's amenities.
After driving to Qiandao Lake, it was nearly evening and I was famished. After checking in and a short rest, I went out to find food (the hotel also had dining, but I prefer to find my own). Luckily, there was a row of restaurants right outside, most specializing in Qiandao Lake fish with a variety of cooking styles. I snapped a few photos and shared them on social media, and friends reminded me to ask about pricing clearly to avoid surprises. So I'll pass on the same advice: check a few places, and clarify whether the price is per serving or per catty (500g). Don't let a fish head listed at 68 yuan turn into a bill of several hundred—a large fish head can easily weigh several catties.
Since Qiandao Lake is a lake, its signature cuisine is naturally the fish. The fish here grow wild, fed no artificial feed. Moreover, Qiandao Lake is China’s largest national forest park, covering 573 square kilometers. The fish roam freely in the vast lake; with clear water and sparse nutrients, they have to work harder to eat or avoid being eaten, so their flesh is naturally tender and delicate from all that exercise.
That evening, I ordered three fish dishes with two friends (fish head soup, steamed sauna fish, etc.) plus two side dishes. It was truly excellent, especially the fish head soup—smooth, oily, tender, with rich ingredients and a delicate fragrance. When you visit Qiandao Lake, be sure to try it.
The lakeside was so peaceful. I slept until I woke naturally, then stepped onto the balcony to take a series of photos, which quickly went viral online because the lakescape was breathtaking. Distant mountains, dark as ink, layered one upon another, with mist like smoke drifting through; nearby, the emerald lake stretched boundlessly, dotted with sailboat silhouettes—a truly stunning sight.
Zooming in with my telephoto lens, I could see many people along the shore—some jogging, some strolling, some swimming, some rowing—all enjoying the lake’s generous gifts in their own ways.
With such beautiful scenery, my mood was naturally upbeat. They had their way of fun, and I had my own plans. Since time was limited, I quickly freshened up, went downstairs for breakfast, and then headed straight to the cruise pier in the central lake area.
My friend knew I’d be visiting the central lake area, so the hotel he recommended was very close to the pier. The taxi ride was just enough to make the meter tick over, and a few minutes along the lake brought me to the ticket office at the central lake pier. With my camera still in my backpack, I snapped a photo with my phone.
Regular ferry tickets for Qiandao Lake are 195 yuan per person. If you buy online a day in advance, it’s 10 yuan cheaper—185 yuan per person. You purchase with your ID card and then use it for entry (no paper ticket). The 195 yuan includes entrance to the scenic area and the boat ride. The boat ticket, priced at 65 yuan, is a one-time use, while the 130-yuan scenic ticket can be used for two days. If you want to visit the southeastern lake area the next day, you only need to buy another boat ticket. Some friends have questioned the ticket price online, but honestly, as a national AAAAA-level scenic spot, 130 yuan for two days is quite reasonable. The average price for China’s 175 AAAAA scenic spots has reached 108 yuan; if you exclude the 15 free ones, the average of the rest is basically on par with Qiandao Lake, yet here you get two days. While not exactly cheap, it’s really not that expensive.
To ensure everyone’s health, each visitor entering the scenic area must present a health code—green code required for entry. This was well implemented. To make it easier, there were scan-code boards and staff on hand to guide you. Though it was a bit of a bother for tourists, everyone cooperated readily for safety’s sake.
Aside from the health code, entry also involves luggage checks similar to those at train stations and airports, since everyone takes a boat to the islands. Flammable, explosive, and prohibited items are not allowed in the scenic area.
Ferries depart every hour. After security, you can board and wait. Our boat had two levels: the lower deck was an open hall where you choose your own seat; the upper deck had a sightseeing platform and better cabins with separate air conditioning, essentially VIP. Passengers on the lower deck could upgrade for 33 yuan per person. For a 5-6 hour tour, that’s not expensive.
Moonlight Island was the first stop on our itinerary. Originally called Five Dragon Island (named after the submerged Five Dragon Bridge), it was later renamed Moonlight Island. The island is connected by various bridges—Fish Joy Bridge, Lucky Bridge, and Zhuangyuan Bridge—creating a unique experience of leaving the boat and touring the lake on foot across bridges.
The main island is Lock Island, which displays all kinds of locks, including a Chinese Zodiac Lock Square, China’s first lock museum—the Chinese Lock Exhibition Hall—and a giant Peace Lock that earned a Guinness record. Originally a security tool, locks here take on a whole new meaning. There’s a lock shaped like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, symbolizing that a stroll on Lock Island will bring rapid career advancement and success.
This is the world’s largest Peace Lock. Peace locks are traditional Chinese talismans believed to safeguard safety and health. Often worn by children to ward off evil and illness, they are thought to help kids grow up safely. In folk belief, wearing such a lock can avert misfortune and bring luck. The one on Moonlight Island is four or five meters tall, far beyond a mere lock—it’s more of a lucky sculpture. Many visitors love to take photos with it, hoping for a smooth and safe journey.
Lock Island itself is shaped like a lock. It has countless love locks (many couples buy a lock here and attach it to the chains, accumulating into tens of thousands over time), as well as large sculptural locks. The Peace Lock mentioned earlier is one example, and the Happy Lock shown in the photo also draws attention—who doesn’t wish for happiness?
Along the shaded paths of Lock Island, you’ll find densely packed metal trees—Love Trees, Auspicious Trees, and Friendship Trees—draped with over 50,000 souvenir locks left by visitors, each lock and tag containing a piece of someone’s heart. Lock Island carries rich meaning, preserving every wish of those who visit. With time, it will surely become a wondrous historical site with special cultural significance.
The four islets of Moonlight Island are connected by floating bridges that serve more than just passage. Leaving Lock Island, for instance, you cross Fish Joy Bridge, which has several large fish ponds where you can watch, photograph, and feed the fish—some kids simply don’t want to leave.
Crossing Fish Joy Bridge brings you to the second islet, called Xi Garden. The first thing you see upon landing is a statue of the Old Man Under the Moon. Many single visitors pay their respects here, hoping their own romantic destiny will soon arrive.
This islet has many interactive attractions: the popular Scream Spring, the 'Flying Together' high-altitude zipline, lake boating, and more. There are also a Chinese wedding photography base, Moonlight Promenade, and Moonlight Chapel.
Leaving Xi Garden (the second islet) and crossing a floating bridge called Lucky Bridge, you reach Dream Garden (the third islet). The first thing you see is a Pearl Museum—essentially a shopping stop, but to me it was more like a great place to rest. With the heat and a bit of a walk behind me, I really needed an air-conditioned break.
In front of the Pearl Museum stands a Zhuangyuan Shrine. Chun’an County, where Qiandao Lake is located, produced three top scholars (zhuangyuan), one second-place (bangyan), one third-place (tanhua), and 308 imperial scholars (jinshi) from the Tang to Qing dynasties, along with nearly 700 works spanning over 2,800 volumes—truly a land of outstanding talent and literary achievement. The shrine here commemorates one of those top scholars: Shang Lu of the Ming dynasty, who achieved the rare feat of winning first place in all three levels of the imperial exams (lianzhong sanyuan).
Shang Lu was a renowned Ming dynasty statesman. His courtesy name was Hongzai, and his pen name Su’an; he hailed from Lishang Village in Chun’an County. Compared to the earlier two top scholars, this Ming scholar was even more envied by later generations because he not only became zhuangyuan but achieved the triple first—placing first in the provincial exam (jieyuan), national exam (huiyuan), and palace exam (zhuangyuan). This was extremely rare. Over the 277-year Ming dynasty, there were 90 imperial exams nationwide admitting 2,407 jinshi, but only one person—Shang Lu—ever achieved three first-place finishes, a feat unrivaled before or since. In 1445, he became zhuangyuan and went on to serve three emperors (Yingzong, Daizong, Xianzong), rising to Minister of War and Personnel, and Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall. Shang Lu excelled in calligraphy, poetry, and literature, leaving behind works such as 'Compilation of Shang Wenyi’s Memorials,' 'Collected Works of Shang Wenyi,' 'Shushan Notes,' and 'Outline of the Comprehensive Mirror of the Song and Yuan Dynasties.'
Two bridges connect Dream Garden (the third islet) and Heart Garden (the fourth): one a free ordinary floating bridge, the other Zhuangyuan Bridge, which requires a ticket. Zhuangyuan Bridge is a steel cable bridge that sways thrillingly—supposedly built to honor the 'Triple First Minister' Shang Lu and two other top scholars, Fang Fengchen and Zhan Kui. Many parents encourage their kids to walk across it for good luck.
Heart Garden features Jade Toad Waterfall, Drunken Moon Pavilion, Jiaofeng Pagoda, and Kuizhou Theater. By the time we reached here, though, everyone was tired (mostly from the heat), so many just headed to Pier 2, boarded the waiting boat, and waited for departure to the next stop—Meifeng Island (Plum Peak Island).
Meifeng Island is one of the more famous among Qiandao Lake’s 1,078 islands, covering about 20 square kilometers. Though not huge, it has steep terrain and a viewing platform at the top, offering the best panoramic views. Leaning on the railing, the vista is superb: the scattered islands look like plum blossoms floating on the water. Hence the saying, 'Without climbing Meifeng to see the islands, you’ll never know the true face of Qiandao Lake.'
As for the name 'Meifeng' (Plum Peak), there are two local explanations: one is that the island is made up of five hilltops that, from above, resemble a plum blossom; the other is that the mountain was once covered in wild wintersweet. Whatever the reason, what matters is that Meifeng’s breathtaking views have become an iconic, unmissable highlight of Qiandao Lake.
Meifeng Island isn’t very high, but there is a cable car to the top. You can choose how to ascend; due to the heat, I took the cable car.
The cable car cabins have 360-degree transparent glass windows. As you rise, the view expands and the scenery changes, making you feel as if you’re traveling through a painting.
In just a few minutes, the cable car brings you from the base to the summit. There are two viewing platforms, east and west; the west platform is the main one and a must-visit. Standing here, leaning on the railing, you can see over 300 islands dotting the lake. Even Qiandao Lake’s most iconic promotional images were shot from this spot.
Facing such beauty, all fatigue vanishes. Each little island is like a pearl scattered across the lovely lake, varying in size and shape: some resemble a turtle crouching in the water, others a fish swimming, a dragon, a bird... With a bit of imagination, these islands seem to come alive. As they say, three parts appearance, seven parts imagination—the more you look, the more they seem real.
The magnificent scenery of Qiandao Lake cannot help but stir emotions. Though man-made, it combines the grandeur of the sea with the elegance of a lake. With a water area of 573 square kilometers and a storage capacity of 17.8 billion cubic meters, the water surface equals the land area of Singapore, and the water volume is 3,184 times that of Hangzhou’s West Lake. No wonder Guo Moruo penned these lines during his visit: 'Three thousand Xi Shi lakes, the mountains have lost their height. Peaks become islands, flatlands roll with waves.'
Besides the west platform, Meifeng Island also has an east platform, offering lovely views of the lake’s bays and inlets—a different but equally beautiful scene compared to the west.
Beyond the viewing platforms, there’s also a Meifeng Tea House on the summit, decorated in an antique style. It has a tea lounge, a tea ceremony performance hall, and a tea exhibition room. Here you can sample authentic, fragrant local mountain teas like Qiandao Silver Needle and Jiukeng Maojian. In the center stands a giant teapot that is said to bring good luck if you touch it—especially for those who like to play mahjong.
After enjoying the views and tea, it was time to descend. There are three ways down Meifeng Island: walking, taking the cable car, or sliding down the grass chute (as shown in the photo). I’ve tried similar grass slides on my travels, but with a camera bag, I preferred the cable car—smooth, relaxing, and scenic.
Leaving Meifeng Island, we soon arrived at the third and final island of our trip—Fisherman’s Joy Island (Yule Island). Originally called Ostrich Island, it lies in the central lake area and is a hub for dining, entertainment, water sports, and sightseeing. For most, though, the main reason to come here is to eat, since after exploring Moonlight and Meifeng islands, four to five hours had passed and we were starving.
The boat guide told us that more islands used to be open, but some were closed to protect the environment. For instance, the once-famous Snake Island is no longer accessible. To give visitors a taste, a huge python has been placed on Fisherman’s Joy Island. With staff guidance, tourists can take photos with the snake. A promotional poster reads, 'A python coiled around you, wealth surrounds you.' When people actually saw it, though, many steered clear, while some were eager to try.
According to the staff, Fisherman’s Joy Island covers about 90 mu (6 hectares) and sits at an elevation of 140 meters. Historically, it was a maple-and-apricot village in the Xin’an River basin, where residents fished for a living. After the lake formed, it and its sister islands, along with dozens of surrounding islets, became a 'Water Maze' of interlaced channels. To serve visitors, the island now has reception facilities, dining, entertainment, and water sports all in one.
On Fisherman’s Joy Island, there’s the Qiandao Lake Water Stage, featuring performances of the 'Nine-Surname Fishermen’s Water Wedding,' which highlights the lifestyle of waterborne fishermen. There’s also a Happy Water World, said to be the largest water park on Qiandao Lake, with jet skis, water bikes, speedboats, and more.
By the time we reached Fisherman’s Joy Island, it was nearly mealtime. The island has the Baocui Lou Restaurant, where you can choose your own dining style.
A buffet with 9 dishes costs 35 yuan per person, and one with 13 dishes costs 55 yuan. I thought the prices were quite reasonable.
The buffets are on different floors: the 35-yuan one is on the first floor, a bit smaller and more crowded; the 55-yuan one is spread over the second, third, and fourth floors with a better atmosphere. Both were busy—after half a day of sightseeing under the sun, everyone was hungry and tired. For 30–50 yuan, you could have lunch in air-conditioned comfort and rest up. Why not?
After eating and a brief rest, the once-weary tourists were instantly reenergized. Many headed to the adjacent Happy Water World for water activities. I tried a speedboat ride, getting up close to the water to appreciate Qiandao Lake’s vastness and refreshing coolness.
Qiandao Lake is so beautiful it captivates countless hearts; so vast it’s comparable in size to Singapore. Four days weren’t enough last time, so how could half a day possibly satisfy? This was just a revisit to feast my eyes. There are still many places I haven’t been, and even the ones I’ve visited, I haven’t fully enjoyed. To borrow a line from the cartoon character, Grey Wolf: 'Qiandao Lake, I will be back!'
