Baoshi Hill (宝石山): The Free Sunrise Over West Lake
Mentioned in 1 local noteWalk-in · free · 24h
Our under-¥10 note prices this one at exactly zero: climb Baoshi Hill — "Precious Stone Hill" — and look down on West Lake instead of across it. The ridge rises straight from the lake's north shore; the climb from Beishan Street takes about thirty minutes of stone steps and bamboo shade.
The summit silhouette is the Baochu Pagoda, first raised in 963 CE to pray a king safely home from the capital, rebuilt many times since — the current slender brick spire dates to 1933. It's West Lake's most elegant vertical line, and the hilltop rocks beside it are the city's favourite sunrise seats.
The essentials
| What | The rocky hill on West Lake's north shore, crowned by the Baochu Pagoda (963 CE origin, 1933 rebuild) — the classic high view of the lake |
|---|---|
| Where | Trailheads on Beishan Street 北山街 (lake side), Baochu Road and Shuguang Road |
| Getting there | Line 3 to Huanglong Cave 黄龙洞 exit C for the north trailhead; from the lake, start anywhere on Beishan Street |
| Cost | Free |
| Hours | Open hillside, 24 hours — sunrise is the local hour |
| Booking | None |
Why locals rate it
Because it's the highest value-for-effort ratio on the lake: thirty minutes of steps for the view that usually costs a drone. The note files it with the city's cheapest joys, and the local ritual confirms it — on clear mornings the summit rocks fill before dawn with students and photographers waiting for the lake to turn gold.
The pagoda has no staircase and isn't entered; it's the composition that matters — spire, pines, and the whole lake laid out with the Su Causeway stitching across it.
- The summit rocks are worn smooth and have no railings — rubber soles, not sandals, especially for sunrise in the dark. Phone torch essential.
- Best light for the classic shot is actually sunset if you can't do dawn — the lake face catches the west light and the crowds are photographing from below by then.
- Continue west along the ridge and you descend near Yue Fei Temple and the lotus at Quyuan Fenghe — the hill connects straight into the lakeshore walk.
Around it
The descent drops you onto Beishan Street's plane-tree curve — from there, the local West Lake spots are all within a shoreline walk, and Tianmuli's design campus is a short ride north. The full ranked list is on the Hangzhou local map.
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