China Visit Guide
Lei Feng Pagoda
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 has one of the more eventful histories of any structure on West Lake. The original five-storey brick pagoda was built in 975 CE by King Qian Chu of Wu Yue, reportedly to commemorate the birth of a son. It stood on the southern shoreline of West Lake overlooking the water and became part of the canonical Ten Scenes of West Lake composition — the 'Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset' was one of the most reproduced subjects in Chinese landscape art for centuries.
The original pagoda's collapse was slow and documented. Over the centuries, local people came to believe that bricks from the pagoda carried protective powers, and systematic brick-chipping eroded the structure's structural integrity. The outer walls fell in 1924; the collapse, when it came, was complete. The ruin lay as an archaeological field until 1999, when excavation uncovered a crypt beneath the original foundation, containing a Qing-era casket inside which was a Tang-dynasty silver casket holding Buddhist relics. The discovery prompted the construction of the current structure, completed in 2002.
The current pagoda is steel and glass in its superstructure, built over and around the original brick stump which is preserved at ground level and visible through a glass floor. Escalators serve the interior; a rooftop terrace on the fifth floor gives an elevated view south across the lake toward Leifeng Pagoda's traditional backdrop position in the West Lake panorama. The sunset view from this terrace — looking north and west across the lake — is the standard reason to go in the late afternoon. The Madame White Snake legend, in which the white snake spirit is imprisoned under the pagoda by the monk Fahai, is deeply associated with this site and is the subject of Kunqu opera performances, television dramas, and animated films.
How to get there
Bus 4 or 822 around the lake.
When to visit
Sunset.
Gallery
Other attractions in Hangzhou
Itineraries featuring this site
- Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou triangle in 5 days
5d · Two days in Shanghai, a day and a half in Suzhou's classical gardens, then West Lake and Hangzhou.
- China honeymoon in 10 days
10d · Shanghai to Hangzhou to Yangshuo to Lijiang — four cities chosen for their scenery, pace, and relative ease.
- 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.
Other religious sites in China
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda大雁塔
Tang-dynasty Buddhist pagoda, built 652 CE to house the sutras brought back by Xuanzang. 64m, seven storeys, climbable.
- Donglin Temple (East Forest Monastery)东林寺
One of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Chinese history, founded in 386 CE at the foot of Mount Lu and considered the birthplace of Pure Land Buddhism in China.
- Drepung Monastery哲蚌寺
UNESCO · Once the largest monastery in the world (10,000+ monks). 8 km west of Lhasa. Active Gelugpa monastery; debating courtyard sessions in the afternoon.
- Famen Temple法门寺
1,700-year-old Buddhist temple 110 km west of Xi'an. The 1987 discovery of a finger relic of the Buddha in its underground crypt was a major archaeological event.
- Ganden Monastery甘丹寺
The mother monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa atop Wangbur Mountain 47 km east of Lhasa, offering sweeping plateau views and an important kora trail.
- Gyantse Kumbum Stupa江孜白居寺
A nine-storey mandala stupa built in 1427 containing 108 chapels on multiple floors, considered one of the finest examples of Tibetan religious architecture and the most important landmark in Gyantse.
- Hanging Temple悬空寺
1,500-year-old wooden temple complex pinned to the side of a 75m cliff at Mt Heng. Engineered with horizontal posts driven into the rock face.
- Jade Buddha Temple玉佛寺
Active urban Buddhist temple in central Shanghai. Famous for two life-size jade Buddhas brought from Burma in 1882.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Lei Feng Pagoda cost to visit?
- Adult entry to Lei Feng Pagoda is ¥40, ¥20 for children.
- When is Lei Feng Pagoda open?
- Lei Feng Pagoda opening hours: 8am–8:30pm Apr–Oct; 8am–5:30pm Nov–Mar.
- How long do you need at Lei Feng Pagoda?
- Allow 1–2 hours for Lei Feng Pagoda. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Lei Feng Pagoda?
- Sunset.
- How do you get to Lei Feng Pagoda?
- Bus 4 or 822 around the lake.
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