Baoshi Mountain & Beishan Road Citywalk Hike

Enter Yellow Dragon Cave Folk Park (黄龙洞圆缘民俗园) from the main entrance near the metro station. Pass the dragon-head fountain — the park's signature feature, where water spouts from a stone dragon's mouth into a pond. Instead of exploring the temple grounds, follow the stone-paved uphill path that climbs southward into the forest. This is the start of the Geling Ridge (葛岭) ascent. The path is lined with bamboo groves and camphor trees, and the gradient is gentle — one of the easiest hill climbs in the West Lake area. After approximately 15 minutes of steady climbing, the path reaches Chuyang Tai (初阳台 / First Sun Terrace), a stone platform on the ridge originally associated with Ge Hong (283–363 CE), the Eastern Jin Daoist alchemist and philosopher. The platform offers the first expansive views north over the city of Hangzhou and east toward the lake. This is a natural rest point before continuing along the ridge.

Photo suggestion: The stone-paved ascent path through bamboo groves on Geling Ridge — a gentle climb with dappled forest shade.

From Chuyang Tai, continue south-west along the broad ridge path. The vegetation transitions from dense forest to more open canopy, with glimpses of West Lake appearing through the trees on the left side. After approximately 5 to 7 minutes, the distinctive yellow wall of Baopu Daoist Temple (抱朴道院) comes into view on the right. Enter the temple grounds — small, quiet, and almost always empty of tourists. The temple is dedicated to Ge Hong, author of the Daoist classic Baopuzi (抱朴子 / 'Master Who Embraces Simplicity'). It is considered one of the 'Three Great Daoist Temples of West Lake' alongside Huanglong Cave and Yuhuangshan. The temple's most famous feature is the Dragon Wall (龙墙) — a long yellow wall that follows the contour of the hill, creating a striking visual line against the green hillside. The temple courtyard offers a clear view over West Lake. Entry is approximately 5 RMB.

Photo suggestion: The yellow Dragon Wall at Baopu Daoist Temple, following the contour of Geling Ridge against the green hillside.

From Baopu Temple, continue south-east along the ridge path. This section is the most scenic part of the climb. The path passes through a narrow rock corridor between dense vegetation and then opens suddenly onto the exposed rock face of Hamo Peak (蛤蟆峰 / Toad Peak), named for its toad-like rock formation. This is the summit viewpoint of Baoshi Mountain at 78 metres elevation — the single best 360° panoramic viewpoint in the West Lake hills. West Lake spreads out below in its entirety: Broken Bridge and Bai Causeway directly below to the east, Solitary Hill (Gushan) in the middle distance, Su Causeway stretching south toward Leifeng Pagoda, and the full city skyline to the east. The rock surfaces are smooth and contain iron oxide, which gives them a reddish glow in late afternoon light — the scene known as 'Baoshi Liu Xia' (宝石流霞 / Precious Stones Flowing in Rosy Clouds). This is THE spot for sunset and blue-hour photography on this route. Note that reaching the highest vantage points requires scrambling over the rocks.

Caution: The rocks at Hamo Peak require hands-on-rock scrambling. They are smooth and slippery in wet conditions — do NOT attempt in rain or immediately after rain. There is no lighting on the hill after dark — bring a headlamp if staying for sunset. The rock edges are unfenced.

Photo suggestion: The 360° West Lake panorama from Hamo Peak — the finest single viewpoint on the route, known for its spectacular sunset and blue-hour light.

From Hamo Peak, follow the ridge path eastward. The path descends slightly and within a few minutes reaches the stone platform surrounding Baochu Pagoda (保俶塔). The pagoda is a slender nine-storey stone structure, originally built during the Five Dynasties period (948–960 AD). Its graceful profile — known locally as 'the Beauty Pagoda of West Lake' (西湖美人塔) — contrasts with the solid bulk of Leifeng Pagoda on the opposite shore, creating one of the most recognisable visual pairings in Chinese landscape architecture. The platform around the pagoda offers excellent lake views from a standing position, great for phone photography. Baochu Pagoda's interior is closed to the public, but the exterior and surrounding area are free to explore.

Photo suggestion: Baochu Pagoda — the slender nine-storey 'Beauty Pagoda of West Lake,' built 948–960 AD, against the backdrop of the lake.

From the pagoda, take the stone path that descends southward through the forest. The path is gentle and clearly marked. Within approximately 3 minutes, you reach the Chunzhenniandai Book Bar (纯真年代书吧 / Pure Times Book Bar), set into the hillside with a wooden terrace overlooking West Lake. This celebrated book-cafe has been a Hangzhou literary landmark since 2000. It was founded by Sheng Zichao as a 'last wish' project for his wife Zhu Jinxiu, who had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer — the cafe was her dream, and remarkably she survived and the cafe thrives. The second-floor terrace offers panoramic lake views, making this the natural rest stop on the route. Grab a tea or coffee, sit on the terrace, and take in the view before the final descent to street level.

Photo suggestion: The Chunzhenniandai Book Bar's wooden terrace — a legendary book-cafe on Baoshi Mountain's south slope with panoramic lake views.

From the book bar, continue descending the stone steps to street level. The path emerges onto Beishan Road (北山街). Turn left (east) and walk along the lakeside promenade beneath a canopy of mature French plane trees. Beishan Road is Hangzhou's most architecturally significant street — frequently described as 'a museum of modern Chinese architecture without walls.' It concentrates more early 20th-century buildings than any other street in the city. Notable landmarks you will pass include the Xinxin Hotel (新新饭店, built 1913), the first Western-style hotel on West Lake, whose guests included Soong Ching-ling, Lu Xun, Xu Zhimo, and Bertrand Russell; and Qiushui Villa (秋水山庄), built by newspaper magnate Shi Liangcai for his concubine Shen Qiushui — Shi was assassinated by Kuomintang agents in 1934 while driving from this villa to Shanghai. Continue east until the road opens onto the approach to Broken Bridge (断桥残雪), the route's endpoint and the most famous bridge in Hangzhou. A single-arch stone bridge with a white stone parapet, it spans the narrow neck of water where Beishan Road meets Bai Causeway. For the best experience, time your arrival for the blue hour — approximately 20 to 30 minutes after sunset — when the bridge is silhouetted against the twilight sky and the city lights begin to reflect on the lake surface. From Broken Bridge, walk south to Fengqi Road Metro Station (Line 1/2, approximately 10 to 15 minutes) or catch a bus from the nearby 'Broken Bridge' stop.

Photo suggestion: Broken Bridge at blue hour — the silhouette of Hangzhou's most famous bridge against the twilight sky with city lights reflecting on West Lake.