Bilingual guide · English / 中文 Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The History of Leifeng Pagoda and Its Rebirth

Leifeng Pagoda stands on Sunset Hill at the southern edge of West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Its golden outline is one of the city’s most recognisable sights, especially in the late afternoon when the light settles over the water. The present tower is modern, yet its foundations reach back more than a thousand years.

The pagoda’s story brings together the history of the Wuyue Kingdom, Buddhist devotion, local folklore, and the changing shape of Hangzhou. It has been built, damaged, repaired, stripped for bricks, reduced to ruins, and eventually reconstructed as a major cultural attraction.

For Australian visitors, the site offers more than a quick photo stop. It is a place where a lakeside walk, an ancient legend, archaeological remains, and wide city views can be combined in a relaxed half-day outing. Comfortable shoes, sun protection, and a little patience with busy periods will make the visit easier.

Leifeng Pagoda is also a useful starting point for understanding West Lake as a cultural landscape. Bridges, temples, causeways, gardens, tea hills, and historic towers were shaped over centuries, so the view from the pagoda is closely tied to Hangzhou’s wider identity.

The first tower in the Wuyue Kingdom

The original pagoda was built in 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. At that time, Hangzhou was the capital of the Wuyue Kingdom, ruled by the Qian family. King Qian Chu ordered the tower’s construction in connection with the birth of a son in the royal household. Historical sources commonly refer to it as Huangfei Pagoda, although later generations increasingly used the name Leifeng Pagoda after the hill.

The tower served a religious purpose, with Buddhist relics and devotional meaning associated with its construction. It was built from brick and wood, following architectural traditions that were widespread in medieval China. From its position beside West Lake, the pagoda became a landmark visible from the water, nearby roads, and surrounding hills.

The name Leifeng refers to the hill on which the tower stands. Over time, the site became part of the celebrated “Ten Scenes of West Lake”, a traditional group of views and places that shaped how visitors experienced Hangzhou. “Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset” remains one of the best-known scenes in Chinese landscape culture.

A tower shaped by legend

The pagoda is strongly connected with the Legend of the White Snake, one of China’s best-known romantic folktales. In the story, the white snake spirit Bai Suzhen takes human form and falls in love with Xu Xian. Their relationship is opposed by the monk Fahai, who eventually imprisons Bai Suzhen beneath Leifeng Pagoda.

The story has been retold in opera, novels, television dramas, films, and local performances. Its popularity gave the tower an emotional significance that went well beyond its original religious role. For many visitors, the pagoda represents love, separation, loyalty, and the tension between human feeling and social authority.

The legend should be understood as folklore rather than a literal account of the tower’s history. Even so, it has influenced the way generations of people imagine West Lake. A visit to the site becomes richer when the architectural remains and the White Snake story are viewed as two connected strands of Hangzhou’s cultural memory.

How the old pagoda disappeared

For centuries, the structure underwent repairs and changes as it was affected by weather, fire, conflict, and the natural ageing of its materials. The wooden elements were particularly vulnerable, while the brick structure became increasingly fragile. By the late imperial period, the tower had already lost much of its original appearance.

In the early twentieth century, local residents began removing bricks from the pagoda. Some believed the bricks had protective or medicinal powers, while others treated them as useful building material. The structure was weakened gradually, with pieces taken away from the lower levels and other accessible areas.

In 1924, Leifeng Pagoda collapsed. The fall left a pile of brickwork and an archaeological base on Sunset Hill. Its disappearance became a powerful local memory, and the ruins remained an evocative part of the West Lake landscape. Visitors could see where the tower had stood, while artists and writers continued to preserve its image.

Archaeology beneath the ruins

The old foundation attracted scholarly attention because it could reveal details about Wuyue-period architecture and Buddhist practice. Archaeological work at the site uncovered a richly decorated underground chamber beneath the pagoda. Important finds included Buddhist relics and objects associated with the original construction.

The excavated remains helped confirm that the pagoda was more than a scenic landmark. It was a ceremonial and religious building with connections to the royal court and the Buddhist culture of medieval Hangzhou. The discoveries also gave planners a stronger basis for deciding how the site might be presented to the public.

The surviving base was carefully incorporated into the modern attraction. Rather than pretending that the old tower had survived intact, the site allows visitors to see the relationship between ancient remains and new construction. This approach is valuable for understanding the difference between historical preservation, archaeological interpretation, and architectural reconstruction.

The rebirth of Leifeng Pagoda

The modern pagoda was completed in 2002 after extensive planning and archaeological research. The reconstruction follows the traditional outline of the lost tower, while using contemporary engineering to meet present-day safety standards. It is taller, cleaner, and structurally different from the medieval building, but its form recalls the historic landmark that had dominated West Lake for centuries.

The restored site was designed as a public attraction with viewing platforms, lifts, stairs, exhibition areas, and access to the archaeological remains. Visitors can move through the building while learning about the earlier tower, its legends, and the history of West Lake. The result is a layered experience: an ancient foundation sits beneath a modern interpretation of a historic pagoda.

Some travellers debate whether a reconstructed monument can carry the same value as an untouched ruin. In Hangzhou, the rebirth reflects a broader approach to heritage, in which lost landmarks may be revived when they hold strong cultural meaning. The present Leifeng Pagoda is therefore both a historic reference and a twenty-first-century visitor site.

What visitors can see today

The pagoda provides broad views across West Lake, including the water, causeways, wooded islands, temples, and the urban skyline beyond. The perspective changes with the season. Spring brings fresh greenery, summer can be humid and hazy, autumn often offers softer light, and winter may provide clearer outlines across the lake.

Allow time to examine the displays and the preserved base rather than treating the tower as a viewpoint alone. The archaeological areas help explain what was found beneath the ruins, while the building’s upper levels show how traditional visual forms can be adapted to modern construction.

The site is busiest around weekends, public holidays, and sunset. Australians used to planning around Sydney or Melbourne peak-hour crowds may recognise the pattern, although visitor flows in Hangzhou can be larger during Chinese national holidays. Arriving earlier in the day or visiting on a weekday generally makes the walkways and viewing areas more comfortable.

Planning a West Lake day

Leifeng Pagoda fits naturally into a wider West Lake itinerary. It can be paired with a walk along the lakeshore, a boat trip, Jingci Temple, Huagang Park, or the Su Causeway. The city’s official-style West Lake travel guide provides practical context for combining these sights with transport information, maps, dining ideas, and suggested routes.

Wear breathable clothing and carry water, especially between late spring and early autumn. Hangzhou’s summer heat can feel heavy for visitors from Brisbane, Sydney, or Perth, while the humidity may make a short uphill walk more tiring than expected. A hat, sunscreen, and comfortable walking shoes are sensible additions to the day bag.

Many Australian travellers are accustomed to tapping a card, using Google Maps, and paying with familiar mobile services. In Hangzhou, international payment access can vary, and Alipay or WeChat Pay is widely used. It is worth arranging suitable payment options, keeping the attraction’s address in Chinese, and downloading offline map information before leaving the hotel.

The pagoda can also be included in a longer Zhejiang trip. Visitors with extra time might consider a countryside excursion to the bamboo-covered hills and historic villages of Moganshan; practical route ideas are available in this guide to a Moganshan day trip. That journey offers a useful contrast between Hangzhou’s urban lakefront and the quieter landscapes north of the city.

A living part of Hangzhou culture

Leifeng Pagoda continues to appear in paintings, poems, souvenirs, television productions, and seasonal tourism campaigns. Its significance comes from the combination of physical setting and accumulated stories. The tower is recognisable because it rises above West Lake, but it remains memorable because people have repeatedly given it new meanings.

The surrounding area also connects naturally with Hangzhou’s performing arts and contemporary cultural life. Visitors planning an evening programme can explore the Hangzhou Grand Theatre, where music, dance, theatre, and other performances provide a modern counterpart to the pagoda’s long historical tradition.

For Australians, the experience may feel different from visiting a preserved colonial building in Adelaide, a heritage precinct in Hobart, or an Aboriginal cultural site in regional Australia. Leifeng Pagoda is part monument, part reconstructed landmark, and part living legend. Its value lies in seeing how Hangzhou continues to negotiate the relationship between archaeological evidence, public memory, and daily city life.

Practical ways to make the visit rewarding