Took the kids on a hidden gem route around West Lake! These 3 pitfalls made me want to jump in

Sisters! Braved the secret spots of West Lake with my 5-year-old during summer break – it was wonderfully cool but absolutely exhausting! The kid chased squirrels all over the hills while I got bitten into a red bean bun by mosquitoes... Through tears, I've compiled this scenic low-crowd route + pitfall guide that'll save you from 800+ mosquito bites‼️ ♦️Must-try itinerary (Copy directly!) 🌿City walk route: Catching tiny fish at Orioles Singing in Willows 👉 Hunting for White Snake legends at Wansong Academy 👉 Collecting sacred water at Hupao Park 👉 Feeding koi at Li'an Temple 👉 Photographing Buddha heads at Han Meilin Art Museum ✅Orioles Singing in Willows Locals' secret enchanted forest! Dash with kids under Henghe Bridge – the water reflections made my child scream: "Mom we fell into a mirror!" 🌊 Bought a $0.7 fishing net and actually caught 3 shrimp that became "pets" in a water bottle 😂 ✅Wansong Academy The elevated walkway scared my kid into hugging a tree: "Is the White Snake here?" 🐍 Instead we met a chubby squirrel and chased it halfway up the mountain! Hanfu-clad girls got treated to my kid reciting Three Character Classic for candy... ✅Hupao Park Trip highlight! Rented a bucket for $0.7 to collect spring water – tasted genuinely sweet 🍃 Best part? Empty trails! The greenery felt like walking into AC, with my kid munching cucumbers like a little fairy 🧚 💣Bloody lessons: 1⃣️NEVER wear shorts! Hupao mosquitoes create Big Dipper bite patterns in 10 seconds – kid's legs swelled like lotus roots 😭 2⃣️Li'an Temple closes at 4pm! Arrived at 5pm to peek at koi through door cracks with wails echoing... 3⃣️Han Meilin Art Museum closes Mondays! Only realized the Buddha heads were indoors on second visit (first trip photos were just walls) 🍜Food rankings: ✔️Osmanthus lotus root powder at Hupao entrance – kid licked the bowl clean ✔️Crispy scallion pancakes at Wansong parking lot 🌯 Kid devoured two ✔️Shrimp noodles at Orioles exit 🍜 Kids' portion is face-sized! ✖️"Spring water popsicles" at Li'an are colored sugar water! Avoid ❌ 📸Photo ops: 1⃣️Henghe Bridge at Orioles (center kids for mirror shots) 2⃣️Wansong elevated walkway (low-angle leg-lengthening shots) 3⃣️Han Meilin Buddha heads (shoot upwards to dodge crowds) ⚠️Lifesavers: ✔️Skip strollers! Cobblestones will destroy them – baby carriers win ✔️Mosquito patches everywhere! We double-layered kid's sleeves ✔️Bring water bottles to Hupao – buckets are overpriced there 🏡Stay recommendations: ✔️Liuchunli Hotel: West Lake views from bed! Free squirrel plushies ✔️Botanical Garden B&Bs: Wake to birdsong 🐦 On the train home, kid suddenly said: "Mom, West Lake squirrels run faster than kindergarten kids!" Though bitten 18 times, seeing 100 goofy photos in his album melted all my frustration~