Hangzhou Zoo
Hangzhou Zoo Facts
Hangzhou Zoo is located at No. 40, Hupao Road, and its original location was Qianwang Temple. It is close to the Dreaming of the Hupao Spring and the Pagoda of Six Harmonies. The zoo has an elephant hall, a panda hall, a giraffe hall, a reptile hall, an acrobatics arena, and more than 20 other such facilities.
Chinese Name: 杭州动物园
Type: Animals & Zoos
Address: No. 40, Huhua Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou
Best Seasons: All year round; Spring and autumn best.
Recommended Visiting Hours: about 2-3 hours
Opening Hours: Summer time 7:00-17:30; winter season 7:00-17:00
Ticket: Adult: CNY 20
Why is Hangzhou Zoo So Special?
- It is designed specifically to integrate animal protection, scientific research, education, sightseeing, and popular science, making it an ideal destination for students on educational tours, for those who are in the field of animal studies, and for tourists who simply wish to enjoy seeing various kinds of animals. Most importantly, however, the animals in the zoo are kept in as natural environments as possible, so visitors can usually observe their natural behaviors. This is what makes the Hangzhou Zoo always a very popular destination for families with kids.
- In recent years, the Hangzhou Zoo has decreased in popularity, perhaps due to the growth of several other scenic areas in the region. Still, many tourists always add the zoo to their itineraries when touring Hangzhou, and many locals consider it an entertaining place to visit thanks to the animals’ antics.
Brief Introduction of Hangzhou Zoo
The Hangzhou Zoo is the local zoo located in Hangzhou. Like many other scenic spots in the city, the zoo is encompassed by the West Lake Scenic Area. The zoo was founded back in 1968 and was rebuilt in October 1975. Currently, it spans a total area of 20 hectares. The zoo is worth a visit due to its unique mountain forest style.
What To See in Hangzhou Zoo
Panda House
The Panda House is most popular in Hangzhou Zoo, and two giant pandas and some lively lesser pandas are being kept. The two giant pandas come from Chengdu, the city famous as the hometwon of those cute animals. As we all know, the giant panda is the Chinese national treasure, also a sign of China. The adorable fluffy animals always bring people laughter and happiness.
Monkey Hill
To get to the Panda House, you need to go by the Monkey Hill, where more than 30 macaques live. They are a big family leading by an adult male. In order to enrich their life, many facilities were set up for them to play.
Tiger Hill
Located at the highest point of Hangzhou Zoo, Tiger Hill is being inhabited by Siberian tigers and Panthera tigris corbetti. There is a big field for the tigers to roam around and visitors will have a rather difficult time to have a glimpse of them due to the surrounding vegetation.
Reptile House
The Reptile House of Hangzhou Zoo is hidden in a clump of bushes. It consists two sections connected by an exhibition corridor. More than 30 species of snakes are found here, from the common grass snakes to the daunting vipers. Yangtze alligators, hawksbill turtles, and goannas are also bred here in their own enclosures. Every enclosure is decorated with driftwood, vines and stones to create a natural environment.
Rare Bird Yard
Rare Bird Yard in Hangzhou Zoo is a typical southern China courtyard with flowing river, small bridges and old vines. It is where 10 species of rare birds can be found. Aside from swinhoes, great hornbills, golden pheasants, toucans, and scarlet macaws, mandarin ducks can also be seen swimming in the pool. Taking a seat at the corridor makes one feels like being inside a Chinese classical painting.
Recommended Tour Packages
- 2 Days Hangzhou Silk Culture Tour
- Hangzhou West Lake Night Cruise Tour
- 1 Day Hangzhou Tour to Xixi National Wetland Park, West Lake Cruise and Dragon Well Tea Plantation
- 2 Days Hangzhou City Highlights Tour
- Hangzhou Grand Canal and Qiantang River Night Cruise Tour
- 5 Days Hangzhou and Huangshan Tour by Speed Train
- 1 Day Hangzhou City Group Tour from Shanghai
Best Seasons to Visit Hangzhou
- Many people in China believe that spring and autumn are the two best seasons to visit Hangzhou, specially late March-May and September-mid November.
- In these seasons, temperature is warm but not hot. Daytime temperature ranges from mid 10s to mid 20s centigrade, and night time temperature ranges from low 10s to low 20s.
- Spring is the best season to visit the West Lake because all kinds of flowers are blossoming that time. In order: plum blossom, peach blossom, and cherry blossom.
- Autumn is also very nice and my favorite because of the yellow and red leaves.
- However, I suggest avoiding the last week of September and the first 2 weeks of October because that’s when the city becomes packed with tourists from the golden week holidays.
How to get to Hangzhou Zoo
Travel with ChinaDragonTours (top recommended)
If you want to get out of the traffic and hassle of navigation, you can book a private tour package that includes visiting, dining and transfer from us. Our local guide and driver will escort you to Hangzhou Zoo in the fastest and most convenient way and take care of all the details. You just have to focus on the visiting.
Independent Traveler
Take bus no. K4, K808, K822, 822, 527, 315, 504, and 514. If you are driving, keep in mind that the zoo is just a couple of kilometers to the south of West Lake.
Useful Travel Tips
- Avoid visiting during school holidays and Golden Week in October as there will be large numbers of local tourists.
- Ticket Price
RMB 20 for adults RMB 10 for kids
Free for children shorter than 1 meter - Telephone: 0571-8797-0657
