Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. West Lake sits inside Hangzhou itself, not on its outskirts, which is unusual for a UNESCO cultural landscape. There’s no perimeter fence and no admission gate to the lake proper: the lake, its two causeways, and Solitary Hill are all free to walk, any hour of the day or night.