Xixi National Wetland Park

Xixi National Wetland Park covers roughly 11.5 square kilometers of interconnected ponds, canals, and reed marsh in western Hangzhou's Xihu District, the first national wetland park designated in China and a rare example of urban wetland preserved largely intact. The park is divided into several zones connected by footpaths, wooden boardwalks, and canals navigable by traditional hand-poled boats and small electric ferries, with highlights including the Yuanjia Village area of restored Ming and Qing-era farmhouses, the Persimmon Village orchards, and the Autumn Snow Nunnery temple complex on a small island. Visitors typically explore by a combination of walking the boardwalks and taking one of the boat routes between zones, since the park's paths do not connect every area by land. A visit covering two or three of the main zones and a boat ride takes 3 to 4 hours; those wanting to see the full park in depth often spend a full day. The reed marshes turn golden in autumn and the park is particularly known for plum blossoms in the Fish-Watching Pond zone in late winter and early spring. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to explore, as the park draws large domestic tourist crowds on weekends and during the autumn reed-viewing and plum-blossom seasons. The wooden boardwalks over the reed beds and the view from the small bridges connecting Yuanjia Village to the surrounding water are among the best spots for photographs of the wetland landscape.