Baochu Pagoda and the Views From Its Base
Hangzhou draws visitors for its temples, tea terraces and the slow water of West Lake, but the skyline keeps returning to a single slanted brick spire on the northern shore. Baochu Pagoda stands on Qixia Hill, often written in English as Gem Hill or Precious Glow Hill, and it has watched over the same stretch of water for nearly a thousand years.
Visitors rarely climb inside the tower because the stairs remain off-limits to the public, yet stopping at its base has become a quiet ritual for anyone tracing the northern arc of the lake. The platform offers a layered panorama: rooftops of the old quarters, the causeways cutting across the water, and distant hills fading into a soft grey haze. For travellers arriving from Australia, the spot is a productive first stop before pressing on to the tea villages and sunset photography points further around the shore.
A Stone Sentinel Above the Lake
Constructed in 968 CE during the Later Zhou dynasty, Baochu Pagoda was commissioned by the Wuyue kingdom on behalf of its last ruler, King Qian Chu. The character pair 保俶 carries the meaning of "preserve Chu," a diplomatic flourish wishing for the king's safety during the handover to the newly unified Song court. Brick and stone construction gradually replaced the original timber framing through subsequent dynasties as fire and weather demanded repairs.
A significant restoration took place in 1933, financed by Shanghai businessman Zhu Jiahua, who reinforced the brick shell and gave the tower the gentle outward slope still visible today. Further reinforcement works under the Hangzhou cultural heritage bureau in 1977 straightened the famously tilted profile, earning Baochu a long-running reputation as the "leaning tower of Hangzhou." Together with Leifeng Pagoda across the lake, it forms a matched pair of historic towers, although their stories diverged sharply during the twentieth century.
Qixia Hill itself rises roughly seventy-five metres above the waterline and supports a small grove of camphor and ginkgo trees. Local walkers treat the slopes as quiet ground for early morning qigong practice, and you may pass retirees in long sleeves moving through tai chi circles beside the lower terraces. Cooler months bring a faint woodsmoke scent from neighbouring villages, while summer mornings carry the heavier perfume of lotus drifting up from Beishan Road.
Reaching the Foot of Baochu Pagoda
Most Australian travellers set down at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and continue into the city by metro or DiDi ride-hail, a service similar to Uber but operated locally. The pagoda sits roughly six kilometres north of the lake's busiest ferry piers, and the most scenic approach begins at Beishan Road, which traces the water's northern edge and is reserved for pedestrians, bicycles and authorised sightseeing vehicles.
From the Beishan Road entrance near the Qingzhiwu bus stop, a stone path winds upward through the camphor grove, climbing roughly seventy metres over a series of switchbacks. The walk takes twenty-five to thirty-five minutes at a relaxed pace and includes around four hundred steps in total, divided into short and manageable flights. Comfortable rubber-soled shoes matter more than hiking boots; older sections of flagstone become slick after rain, and the smooth city shoes favoured in Melbourne laneway brunch queues will not grip the worn granite. Rest benches appear at each turn, and cold water sellers gather near the upper gate during weekends and public holidays.
| Vantage | Baochu Pagoda Base | Leifeng Pagoda |
|---|---|---|
| Years in service | First built 968 CE, stabilised 1933 and 1977 | First built 972 CE, original collapsed 1924, full rebuild completed 2002 |
| Interior access | Climb not open to the public | Lift and interior stairs open, small fee applies |
| Side of West Lake | Northern shore, on Qixia Hill | Southern shore, on Xizhao Hill |
| Entry cost | Free | 40 RMB, children under 18 free |
| Vantage types | Lake surface, old quarter rooftops, distant mountains | Western lake surface, neighbourhoods and city skyline |
| Sunset viewing | Limited, as the sun sets behind the tower in winter | Strong, the new tower catches the late light over the open water |
Travellers using travel information resources often over-budget for pagoda tickets and discover too late that Baochu itself charges no admission. A combined day ticket for several northern attractions can still be worthwhile, especially for first-time visitors, but the Baochu climb rewards anyone willing to spend a slow morning on foot.
What You See From the Base
The viewing point sits below the final flight of stairs leading to the sealed tower door, on a flat concrete terrace ringed with low stone balustrades. To the south-west the eye travels across the Bai Causeway and the arched bridges of the central lake, the lotus fields at Maojiabu, and the distant ribs of Jinxi Mountain rising in soft blue bands. South-east, the unbroken line of Su Causeway appears as a wandering path between green willow curtains, beyond which Hangzhou climbs a low ridge of mid-rise buildings.
Early morning light favours the eastern outlook from the base, while late afternoon brings out the texture of traditional rooftops in the old quarter. Photographers typically settle in by 4 pm for the angle shared with those who plan dusk sessions elsewhere on the lake. For visitors chasing the golden hour specifically, the dedicated guide to sunset photography spots at West Lake covers platforms on the south side that catch the open western sky, which the pagoda position itself does not.
Pairing Baochu With Neighbouring Walks
The same Beishan Road that carries walkers to Qixia Hill continues west toward the National Tea Museum and the terraced slopes of Longwu Village. A half-day extension follows the Yuhang Mountain ridge and drops into the village tea fields, where smallholding farmers dry leaves on round bamboo trays each April. The trails fall within an easy hop from the pagoda, and combine well with a lunch stop in one of the courtyard restaurants serving longjing chicken and stir-fried river shrimp. A dedicated walking route is sketched out in this Longwu tea village hiking guide, which pairs well with a Baochu morning.
Other worthwhile pairings include the Hupao Road spring source, reached within a fifteen-minute taxi ride, and the working Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal docks at Wulinmen, where small tourist boats still cross between stone bridges. Cycling the full northern and western shore of the lake takes roughly three hours without stops, and gives another perspective on the pagoda from across the water, in particular from the vantage points reached on Yang Causeway.
Practical Notes for Travellers From Australia
Australian passport holders enter mainland China under a visa-free trial scheme for stays up to thirty days, although the policy is adjusted from year to year and travellers should confirm through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade before booking. Long flights out of Sydney or Melbourne push you across several time zones, so arrivals at Hangzhou often feel like a midnight body-clock scramble. Spending the first afternoon moving gently outdoors, including a slow ascent of Qixia Hill, helps the body adjust more effectively than lying down in a hotel room straight from the airport bus.
Payment for small entries along the way remains a moving target. Australian debit cards linked to UnionPay or major international networks are accepted at large hotels and ticket offices, but smaller vendors around the pagoda base still prefer Alipay or WeChat Pay, both of which require a locally linked account. Setting up mobile payments before departure, or simply keeping small amounts of cash for tea and water bottles, prevents awkward moments at the gate.
Biosecurity rules for re-entering Australia are stricter than many travellers expect. Packaged tea bought locally is generally fine, but any loose leaf tea mixed with fruit pieces or unpasteurised herbs must be declared on arrival. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry home page lists current restrictions, and ignoring them risks on-the-spot fines that far exceed the value of the souvenir.
Returning Australian travellers can also claim back a portion of the Goods and Services Tax paid in Australia before departure, a system unfamiliar to many Hangzhou-bound visitors who only ever look at outbound GST elsewhere. Tax Refund booths operate at international terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and receipts along with the original goods must accompany the traveller. The scheme sits separately from any refund claims available through Hangzhou retailers themselves.
Finally, the Australian habit of a flat white after lunch fits smoothly into Hangzhou routines. Local baristas along Beishan Road recognise Australian-style coffee orders, oat and almond milk options are widespread, and tipping is not expected.