Walk Voyage

Zhejiang travel guide

Zhejiang - 11 Cities & Top Attractions

Zhejiang is one of China's wealthiest eastern coastal provinces, packed into a compact triangle between Shanghai and the Pacific. The province layers classical Jiangnan water-town scenery (West Lake, Wuzhen, Nanxun), Buddhist sacred mountains (Putuo, Tiantai, Xuedou), and a long Pacific coastline with islands and seafood. Most routes blend Hangzhou (often the entry) with two more cities: Shaoxing for Lu Xun and yellow wine, Ningbo-Tiantai for temple culture, Wenzhou-Yongjia for mountain valleys, or Zhoushan for the Putuo pilgrimage.

11

Cities

21

A-5A Sites

172

Total A-Grade

Cuisine overview

What Zhejiang tastes like

Zhejiang cuisine (Zhe cai) is one of China's eight great culinary traditions, with regional schools in Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Wenzhou. The style emphasizes fresh, original flavor, light seasoning, and skillful handling of river fish, freshwater shellfish, bamboo shoots, and seasonal greens. Shaoxing yellow wine is the soul of Shaoxing cooking and a national drink; Hangzhou contributes West Lake fish, Dongpo pork, and Longjing shrimp; Ningbo is famous for seafood and tangyuan; Wenzhou leans into lighter seafood and chewy wheat dumplings. Street food is strong everywhere: Cangqiao Straight Street in Shaoxing, Hefang Street in Hangzhou, and Shipu Old Street in Ningbo all concentrate local snacks.

Quick navigation

Jump to a city

Each section below lists top-rated attractions in that city, with a one-line highlight.

Hangzhou

4 featured · 24 total A-grade · 4 × 5A

Zhejiang cuisine capital - West Lake fish, Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, pian'er chuan noodles.

West Lake (Xi Hu)

5ANature

UNESCO lake with Su Causeway, Leifeng Pagoda, and 10 classic scenic views.

Lingyin Temple

5ACulture

1,700-year-old Buddhist temple, the spiritual heart of Hangzhou.

Xixi Wetland

5ANature

Urban wetland reserve with boat routes through reed marshes.

Qiantang River & Six Harmonies Pagoda

4ACulture

Song-era pagoda overlooking the tidal river, classic Hangzhou skyline.

Ningbo

3 featured · 20 total A-grade · 2 × 5A

Ningbo seafood, tangyuan glutinous rice balls, Nantang old street snacks.

Tianyi Pavilion

5ACulture

Asia's oldest private library, Ming dynasty garden complex.

Xiangshan Global Studios

5ALeisure

Film and TV theme park with replicas of ancient cities.

Laowaitan (Old Bund)

4ACulture

Late-19th-century concession waterfront, predecessor to Shanghai's Bund.

Wenzhou

2 featured · 16 total A-grade · 2 × 5A

Wenzhou duck tongues, lighter seafood, Fuding white tea country fare.

Yandang Mountain

5ANature

UNESCO geopark, dramatic granite peaks and the famous Lingfeng night views.

Nanxi River

5ANature

Bamboo-raft river through ancient villages and terraced fields.

Jiaxing

3 featured · 13 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Jiaxing zongzi (rice dumplings), Nanhu water caltrop, South Lake water chestnuts.

Wuzhen Water Town

5ACulture

1,300-year-old canal town, two scenic zones (East and West). Best for overnight stays.

South Lake (Nan Hu)

4ACulture

Revolutionary-memory lake with a small island accessed by boat.

Xitang Water Town

4ACulture

Quieter canal town famous for covered alleyways and lanterns.

Huzhou

3 featured · 15 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Nanxun shuangjiao noodles, Moganshan bamboo chicken, Anji white tea cuisine.

Nanxun Water Town

5ACulture

Best-preserved water town with Ming-era gardens and a quiet, lived-in feel.

Moganshan

4ANature

Bamboo-forested retreat, weekend villas, Gifford-designed 1920s bungalows.

Taihu Lake Tourist Resort

4ANature

Lakeside resort town with sunset views over the third-largest freshwater lake in China.

Shaoxing

4 featured · 16 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Yue cuisine - stinky tofu, preserved vegetable pork, Shaoxing yellow wine, fennel beans.

Lu Xun's Hometown & Shen Garden

5ACulture

From Hundred Plants Garden to Three-Flavor Study, paired with Lu You-Tang Wan love-story garden.

East Lake

4ANature

Cliff-walled lake with traditional black-canopy sampan rides.

Lanting (Orchid Pavilion)

4ACulture

Calligraphy sacred site, the original Orchid Pavilion Preface by Wang Xizhi.

Anchang Ancient Town

4ACulture

Lunar New Year sausage fair, pulled sugar candy, soy-sauce vinegar streets.

Jinhua

3 featured · 16 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Jinhua ham (one of China's three most famous hams), Jinhua crisp biscuits, Yongkang wheat cakes.

Hengdian World Studios

5ALeisure

World's largest film studio complex with replica Forbidden City and Qingming Riverside.

Shuanglong Cave

4ANature

Karst cave with the unique lying-down boat entrance made famous in a Ye Shengtao essay.

Luzhai (Lu Residence) in Dongyang

4ACulture

Jiangnan palace of woodcarving art, 500-year-old Lu family compound.

Quzhou

2 featured · 12 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Quzhou baked cakes, spicy three-headers-and-one-head, Kaihua Longding green tea country fare.

Jianglang Mountain

5ANature

Three red-sandstone Danxia peaks climbing a sheer ridge, UNESCO listed.

Nianbadu Ancient Town

4ACulture

Jiangxi-Fujian-Zhejiang border town with three-provinces-one-street.

Zhoushan

2 featured · 10 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Putuo Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, Shenjiamen night seafood stalls, Shengsi seafood.

Mount Putuo

5ACulture

One of Buddhism's four sacred mountains, Guanyin worship island, ferry from Zhujiajian.

Zhujiajian Nansha

4ANature

Curved white-sand beach, most developed swimming area on the Zhoushan archipelago.

Taizhou

3 featured · 14 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Linhai egg-white dumplings, Wenling fish noodles, Tiantai huangjiu-influenced mountain cooking.

Tiantai Mountain

5ACulture

Birthplace of Tiantai Buddhism and the Tiantai school of Chinese philosophy.

Linhai Ancient City

4ACulture

Ming-era walled city, the Jiangnan Great Wall, and Ziyang old street food.

Shenxianju

4ANature

Volcanic rhyolite peaks and glass walkway through a misty mountain valley.

Lishui

3 featured · 16 total A-grade · 1 × 5A

Jinyun baked cakes, Qingtian river fish, Yunhe terraced rice, Suichang bamboo shoot dishes.

Xiandu (Fairyland)

5ANature

Filming location for hundreds of Chinese Wuxia films, with the famous Dinghu Peak.

Yunhe Terraced Fields

4ANature

Terraced rice paddies dating to the Yuan dynasty, sunrise viewpoint.

Guyan Painting Village

4ACulture

Bamboo-rafting Oujiang River and an artists' village with galleries.

Methodology

Data & scope

Stats reflect publicly-listed A-grade scenic areas as of 2026-07-13. Featured attractions per city are curated picks (3-4 per location) to keep this page scannable. For exhaustive listings, see the official registry referenced in the footer.

Source: Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, A-grade scenic area public registry, cross-referenced with provincial travel guides.