Hangzhou's "West Lake's Premier Garden" to Fully Open in 2025

When it comes to Hangzhou's garden attractions, many people absolutely love them. Each one embodies a unique beauty of the Jiangnan region and carries profound historical and cultural charm! Well-known places like "Guo Zhuang," "Hu Xueyan Former Residence," "Yunsong Bookhouse," "Gao Zhuang," "Jiang Zhuang," "Xiling Seal Society," "Agate Temple," "Xiaoyin Garden," and "Liu Zhuang" are all highly popular destinations. Visiting these gardens offers both the gentle elegance of Jiangnan waterways and the grandeur of northern gardens! So here's the question: if you want to explore garden attractions that are a bit special, where should you go? Uncle Cricket recommends visiting Hangzhou's "West Lake's Premier Garden," which will be fully open in 2025. With its rich century-old heritage, it's worth a visit for those who are interested! I'm talking about Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang, also known as "Water Bamboo Residence," honored as the "West Lake's Premier Garden," and now called "West Lake State Guesthouse"! Historically, Liu Zhuang was founded by Liu Xuexun, a prominent figure from the late Qing Dynasty. His courtesy name was Wenchu, also known as Wenchu, with the alias Ougen. He was from Ancient Crane Village in Xiagong Town, Xiangshan County (now Zhongshan City), Guangdong Province. He became a provincial graduate (Juren) during Emperor Guangxu's reign and later passed the imperial examination. It's said that after becoming a Juren, he traveled to Beijing the following year for the metropolitan examination. On his return journey through Hangzhou, he was deeply captivated by West Lake's scenery. He sighed, "My hometown has no such beautiful landscapes." Later, after arriving in Beijing, his official career stalled, with no promotion in the Ministry of Personnel for many years. With no hope for advancement, he turned his attention to making money. He took over the "Weixing" business, a form of gambling in the late Qing Dynasty that revolved around imperial examinations in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. He soon became extremely wealthy and was known as "Liu Three Kingdoms," meaning "talented enough to glorify the nation, wealthy enough to rival a nation, and with concubines beautiful enough to topple a nation." By 1900, at 45 years old, Liu Xuexun grew disillusioned with the darkness of officialdom, the deceit, and his political failures. He invested all his energy and wealth into building a private villa by Hangzhou's West Lake, naming it the "Water Bamboo Residence" [initially built in 1898, the 24th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign]. The original villa featured a Lingnan style, with corridors surrounding the small buildings, allowing visitors to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery even on rainy days or under the scorching sun. The Water Bamboo Residence was finally completed in 1905. Most impressively, Liu Zhuang boasts a 2-kilometer lakefront. While crowds flood the Su Causeway across the lake, visitors to the State Guesthouse can enjoy a quiet corner of West Lake all to themselves. The garden features attractions like the Mountain View Tower (the library), Flower Bamboo Peace Hall, Dream Fragrance Pavilion, Lake Mountain Spring Dawn, Pine Island Long Spring, Green Bamboo Gallery, and more, all quite eye-catching! By 2025, Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang has become the "West Lake's Premier Garden" and will be open to the public for free. After several renovations and expansions, its area has increased to 360,000 square meters, now serving as the site of the West Lake State Guesthouse! Inside, you'll find that Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang consists of nine buildings in a typical Chinese Jiangnan garden style, with small bridges, flowing water, and pavilions. There are south, central, and north entrances where cars can enter, with the reception desk located in Building Eight. The south gate is close to Leifeng Pagoda, while the north gate is near Lingyin Temple. Outside the garden, Yang Gong Causeway with its phoenix tree-lined boulevard elevates the entire garden to another level, showcasing the Jiangnan Chinese aesthetic of West Lake to visitors! First-time visitors have three ways to experience it: First, as a scenic spot. You can treat Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang as an attraction, appreciating its three sides facing the lake and one side against the mountain, with an exclusive 2-kilometer private lakefront. The distant views of Leifeng Sunset and Nanping Evening Bell create a stunning garden landscape! Second, as a hotel experience. Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang has 7 buildings, numbered 1-8 (excluding 4). Building 6 is for conferences and not for accommodation. Options include "Building 1 (Lakeside Villa)," "Building 2 (Ougen Thatched Cottage)," "Buildings 3/5 with quiet garden views," "Building 7 (Courtyard Rooms)," "Building 8 (New Chinese-style Courtyard)," and "Presidential Suite." Staying here, you can see the lake and mountains from your window, with morning mist, evening glow, and starry nights—like living in a painting throughout all four seasons. Third, as a historical exploration. The 360,000-square-meter Jiangnan garden was once home to private gardens like Liu Zhuang and Kang Zhuang. Historical sites such as Chairman Mao's reading place and Emperor Qianlong's calligraphy mystery are hidden within the garden, perfect for history enthusiasts. Transportation: Public transit: Take bus routes 194, 318C [weekday route], 318C [weekend and holiday route], 318 [weekday route], 318 [weekend and holiday route], West Lake Inner Ring, or West Lake Outer Ring to "Dingjia Mountain" station, then walk for 10 minutes. Driving: Navigate to "Hangzhou West Lake State Guesthouse·West Lake's Premier Garden-Ground Parking Lot." Practical information about Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang [West Lake State Guesthouse]: Admission is free, but reservations are required during holidays and special periods like magnolia viewing season. It's located at 18 Yang Gong Causeway, West Lake District, Hangzhou. Driving is recommended. So, are you interested in Hangzhou's Liu Zhuang [West Lake State Guesthouse]? Feel free to leave comments for discussion!