Religious site · ZHEJIANG
Lei Feng Pagoda
雷峰塔 · Léifēngtǎ
About
Pagoda on the southern shore of West Lake. Original collapsed 1924; rebuilt 2002. Most photographed at sunset for the lake view.
Lei Feng Pagoda was originally built in 975 by King Qian Chu of Wuyue. The original brick structure stood for nearly 1,000 years before collapsing in 1924 — locals had been chipping bricks away for what they believed was their good-luck properties. The current pagoda (2002) is a steel-and-glass replica that allows visitors to see the original collapsed brick base preserved at ground level inside. The Madame White Snake legend is associated with the pagoda; the rooftop terrace gives the canonical sunset-over-West-Lake view.
How to get there
Bus 4 or 822 around the lake.
When to visit
Sunset.
Gallery
Other attractions in Hangzhou
Itineraries featuring this site
- Tea trail — Hangzhou, Wuyishan and Yunnan, 10 days
10d · Ten days through three of China's most significant tea-growing regions: Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea in Hangzhou, Wuyi rock oolong in Fujian, and Pu'er aged tea in Yunnan — each with its own landscape and tea-house culture.
- Classical Gardens Circuit — Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Beyond, 12 days
12d · China's finest classical gardens in sequence: Suzhou's UNESCO garden quartet, Hangzhou's West Lake landscape, Yangzhou's slender garden tradition, and Shaoxing's canal-town context.
- Train-only China — 14 days using HSR exclusively, no flights
14d · Fourteen days across eastern and central China using only high-speed rail — no domestic flights. A lower-carbon alternative that also provides a closer view of the country at ground level.
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